Davydenko stops Murray

Nikolay Davydenko needed just 36 minutes today to end Andy Murray8217;s hopes of a US Open quarter-final berth. In a fourth round tie held over from yesterday because of rain

Nikolay Davydenko needed just 36 minutes today to end Andy Murray8217;s hopes of a US Open quarter-final berth. In a fourth round tie held over from yesterday because of rain, the seventh seeded Russian started the day two sets to one ahead and he easily finished the job off going through 6-1, 5-7, 6-3, 6-0 against the 19-year British hope.

He will play the winner of the tie between Marat Safin of Russia and Tommy Haas of Germany for a place in the semi-finals.

For Murray, there was the satisfaction of having reached the last 16 of a Grand Slam event for the second straight time after Wimbledon, and he will work with new coach Brad Gilbert to be ready for next year.

8220;I8217;ve never played against anyone who played a set as well as that,8221; a shell-shocked Murray said. 8220;Sometimes you just have to say too good and he just played too good for me today.

8220;My attitude going in was that I had a good chance, but he just played far too well. If he can continue to play like that for four or five sets he8217;s got a good chance of winning tournament.8221;

Murray had been badly out of sorts when the rain came to his rescue on yesterday, and his hopes of quickly turning things around were shattered when two double faults gave Davydenko the early break he was looking for.

A successful line-call challenge turned what would have been 15-40 to Murray into 30-30 in the following game as Davydenko went 2-0 up. That took the fire out of the Scot and his slim hopes of reaching the quarters rapidly evaporated.

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Jelena Jankovic lost so many matches in a row this year, she lost count. But she8217;d taken enough stats classes at university to figure this: it was may be time to quit tennis and go back to school in Belgrade. Yesterday, Jankovic graduated8212;to her first Grand Slam semifinal, that is. She took away No 4 Elena Dementieva8217;s serve and coasted 6-2, 6-1 at the US Open. 8220;I cannot believe that I won in two sets,8221; Jankovic said. 8220;What was the score? I don8217;t even know the total score.8221; The 19th-seeded Serbian became the first player to reach this year8217;s semi-finals at Flushing Meadows.