The rains that had steered clear of Paris recently decided to pay a return visit on Wednesday, delaying the schedule. However, after a three-hour delay, play resumed. And, as the sun peeked through the clouds to the delight of the crowd, they were rewarded with some captivating tennis.

Murray Recovers to Advance

In a match in which momentum swayed often, Andy Murray defeated Gael Monfils 6-4 6-1 4-6 1-6 6-0. The often unpredictable and always entertaining Monfils entered Court Philippe Chatrier to home cheers that resembled Davis Cup. Meanwhile, Murray appeared to exude confidence with a wry smile. And the Brit walked the walk, bolting out to a 2-0 lead in the first set against a flat Monfils. However, as quickly as Murray gained his advantage, Monfils found his rhythm. What ensued was a competitive first set in which Murray achieved a late break and prevailed 6-4.

Murray's confidence swelled in the second set, taking the wind out of the Frenchman's sails until a late Monfils rally, which fell well short. Murray grabbed the set at 6-1, gaining a decisive two-set advantage in the match. Both players held their own for the majority of the third set, which featured some lengthy, grueling points. After a number of ebbs and flows and with the crowd firmly behind him, Monfils broke Murray's serve at 4-5 to pull within one set down, bringing him back into the match.

As play continued into the fourth set, a wobbly Murray looked lethargic at times, while Monfils sensed a comeback. As the two players fought before the sun set, the Frenchman gained total control, rolling to take the set at 6-1. With a delighted crowd cheering and the clock ticking on the day’s play, it appeared that Murray could benefit from a suspension in play.

But, with Murray seeming to be on the ropes, play continued into the fifth set. The two-time Grand Slam champion summoned enough energy and effort there to dislodge himself from those ropes and changed the direction of the match. Finding his legs, Murray raced out to a quick lead in the fifth set. In an uncanny turnaround, the Brit took the set at 6-0, chasing away any momentum Monfils had gained.

Murray put the match into perspective, “It was very tough conditions. It was very windy at the start. I started well, but when the wind died down he began to play so much better. He's such an amazing athlete. I was lucky that he started the fifth set badly.” With the victory, Murray advances to face Rafael Nadal in the semifinals on Friday.

Nadal Advances to Familiar Territory

The “King of Clay” faced off against David Ferrer on Court Suzanne Lenglen on Wednesday. As can be expected from two players with their level of familiarity, very competitive tennis resulted early in the match. But it was Rafael Nadal outlasting his fellow countryman and advancing to the semifinals with a 4-6 6-4 6-0 6-1 victory.

In the opening set, Ferrer came out with a fury. The two players traded breaks in the first set, but it was the 32-year-old who followed up a sequence of tremendous shots with a break of Nadal's serve to win the first set at 6-4. 

As expected, Nadal did not take the first-set outcome lightly. He gained an early second-set break by unleashing his lethal forehand. But the fifth seed, who is one of the sport’s great overachievers, stayed within arm’s length of the world No. 1. Despite a handful of uncharacteristically sloppy forehands, Nadal closed out the set on his serve to level the match.

One could sense the tide turning in the direction of Nadal late in the second set, and it was obvious going into the third set. Nadal settled into his familiar pace, hoping to beat the darkness, and he stormed to an insurmountable lead in the set, which he won 6-0. In true championship form, the 28-year-old was relentless in concluding the match before darkness, completely wearing down Ferrer in the fourth set. Clearly not longing to continue on Thursday, he won 10 games in a row and 13 of the last 14 to advance to the semifinals.

“I was more aggressive after the first set, and maybe he did not have the best of matches as it went on,” Nadal summarized afterwards. The eight-time French Open champion has never lost to Murray on clay in five meetings. The most recent of those was a 1-6 6-3 7-5 win at Rome last month.

Halep Surges Into Semifinals

Fourth-seeded Simona Halep advanced at Roland Garros despite an early drizzle, after she defeated Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-2 6-2 on Wednesday. Halep, the highest seed remaining, had her game face on early as she broke Kuznetsova quickly in the first set. The veteran from Russia appeared flat as Halep picked up insurance from a second break and coasted 6-2. 

Between sets, the veteran Kuznetsova called for a trainer, temporarily leaving the court. Upon her return, Halep quickly broke serve again, consistently exploiting her backhand down the line. Despite attempts to fight back, the Russian was never able to solve Halep, playing on a gimpy leg. However, looking to close out the match, nerves creeped into the young Romanian's game on the verge of victory. After a series of tight service points in which she gave away some errors, Halep advanced to the first Grand Slam semifinal of her career.

Halep was pleased with her performance. “I felt very good on court. It was a perfect day for me. I played really well and stuck to my game plan,” she said. “I was very aggressive. I played very fast. So it was a good match, and I'm really happy that now I can play in the semifinals in Paris.”

Petkovic Routs Errani

In the second quarterfinal of the day, Andrea Petkovic shocked 2012 French Open finalist Sara Errani 6-2 6-2. It appeared as though it might be business as usual for the 10th-seeded Errani after she won the first two games of the first set. However, Petkovic quickly turned the tables, taking six straight games to capture the first set at 6-2.

Likewise, in the second set, Errani broke Petkovic to open. Just as in the first set, though, she was unable to hold on to the advantage as the 26-year-old quickly evened the set. The German then rattled off game after game, forcing a number of errors by the frustrated Errani. The Italian was never able to find her traction, falling 6-2 in the second set as well, before Petkovic advanced to the semifinals.

The match lasted just over an hour as the aggressive German forced her will upon Errani, firing 25 winners in the match while the Italian remained on the defensive. It is the first Grand Slam semifinalfor the 28th seed.

After the match, Petkovic commented, “I have to say today I was in a real zone. I didn't think at all. I was just focused on what I had to do. Mentally I was really good.” Petkovic will face off against Halep in the second semifinal on Thursday.