Murray two steps from glory

Andy Murray stormed into the Wimbledon semi-finals for the first time with a comprehensive victory over Juan Carlos Ferrero.

Murray spared the Centre Court crowd the nailbiting tension of his fourth-round win over Stanislas Wawrinka, a five-set epic which finished at 10:39pm under the new roof.

The 22-year-old Scot served 18 aces as he raced to a 7-5 6-3 6-2 quarter-final win in just an hour and 43 minutes, winning 11 of the next 13 games from 3-1 down in the second set.

Murray will play Andy Roddick in the last four after the sixth seed came through a tough five-setter against Lleyton Hewitt, winning 6-3 6-7 (10/12) 7-6 (7/1) 4-6 6-4.

In sweltering sunshine, Murray began the match imperiously, holding his opening service game to love and rounding it off with an ace, and dropped just four points on serve throughout the set.

The 22-year-old Scot pounced on a weak second serve from Ferrero to smash a backhand cross-court winner, and took the set on his second set point thanks to a double fault from his opponent.

After such a dominant display on serve in the opening set, it was a major surprise when the British number one was broken at the start of the second.

Ferrero, cheered on by golf star Sergio Garcia from the players' box, produced a superb forehand passing shot when Murray made a rare visit to the net, and Murray then dumped a tame backhand into the net.

That helped the former world number one take a 3-1 lead, but Murray raised his game with devastating effect to break to love twice in succession, winning five games in succession to take another set.

Ferrero saved a break point in the third game and two more in his next service game before finally succumbing to the pressure, Murray moving the Spaniard around the court at will before firing a forehand winner down the line to take a 3-2 lead. And that comprehensively signalled the end of the former French Open champion's resistance, Murray breaking him again to love as he stormed to a comprehensive win.