Shanghai is one of Murray’s favorite tournaments.  He won the event in 2010 and again last year in 2011.  He’s rarely dropped sets in this tournament (one prior to this against Stan Wawrinka last year, but this year, Radek Stepanek took a set off Murray, and had him on the ropes.  Stepanek is a clever player, a throwback to an older era when serve-and-volleyers more than held their own.  He started off as a doubles players, but has, for quite a few years, done well as a singles player.  He has a big enough serve to serve and volley, and mixes up his groundstrokes well, hitting off-pace shots, and knowing how to approach the net, and how to volley.

Murray already lost last week in Tokyo to a game Raonic, and didn’t want to replicate that effort this go around when the stakes are so much higher.  Murray came back to win the second set, 62.  Under Lendl, Murray is now more willing to move the ball around.  In the past, Murray was content to trade crosscourt shots practically daring his opponents to attack him so he could make a great defensive shot, but it always put Murray on the defensive, more than most players.  Lendl has Murray moving the ball side to side and while he’s not attending this week, it allows Murray to be at least more neutral to his advantage in rallies.

Stepanek took an early break in the third set, but Murray hung tough, passing well, moving the ball around, and attacking as needed.  The desire to not lose in the quarterfinals was huge.  Murray recovered the break, then forged ahead with a second break, and held for the match: 46 62 63.

The other top seeds did not struggle as much.  Novak Djokovic still appears to be playing the best tennis (though this was true at the US Open too) heading to the latter rounds.  He dismissed Tommy Haas, 63 63.

Tomas Berdych is showing good late season form.  He beat Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in two close sets.  Berdych will play Djokovic in the semis.

Should Federer win, he’ll face Andy Murray in the other semi.