Why Grand Master Andy Murray can reach end game against King of Clay Rafa Nadal

Karen Khachanov is a fan of chess, but it was Andy Murray who made all the smart moves on Philippe-Chatrier Court on Monday.

The Briton is a Grand Master at dispatching younger opponents who aim to power past him, with clay the perfect surface for frustrating them into stupid mistakes.

And so it proved against the 6ft 6in Russian with the ferocious forehand and serve, who went for an aggressive opening but inevitably got picked off at the right times by his canny opponent.

There were a lot of stats swirling around after the match – notably that this was Murray’s 650th Tour-level victory and the 23rd time he’s reached the quarter-finals in his last 25 Grand Slams.

But the key number was simply ‘1’ – the amount of unforced errors he made in the opening gambit, which he won 6-3.

Murray knew the key was consistency – he would sacrifice some pawns on the way to checkmate. That Khachanov hit 5 more winners (34) than the world No 1 but still lost so convincingly tells its own story.

Murray has one of best tactical minds in the game – and it is now clear of distractions and worries about his form. After the victory, his thoughts immediately turned to the recent terror attacks in London, but when he finally came to talk about the match, his words were instructive.

"[I’ve] come a long way the last 10 days or so," he said.

Whether it be power and spin off both wings or the drop shots and lobs that caught Khachanov off guard, Murray’s weapon selection was impeccable, both here and against Juan Martin Del Potro in the previous round.

And the second serve – often a handy barometer of where Murray’s overall game is at – was also firing him to just below 90 per cent of points won on that delivery. Rarely has it been higher.

But now it will all be different. Whereas Murray – arguably only second to Novak Djokovic in the returning stakes – has blunted the power of Del Potro and Khachanov with the help of the Paris dirt, he will no longer be able to counter-punch so effectively.

He faces Kei Nishikori in the quarter-finals, a savvy operator who notably beat Murray at the US Open at the same stage last year. The Japanese is a more consistent player with a better all-round game that Murray will not be able to shut down as easily. It will be more of a slog than a shootout.

The positives for Murray are that he leads their head-to-head 8-2 and Nishikori has also been struggling with a wrist injury of late. Indeed, in his past two matches Nishikori has lost two sets 6-0 – an incredibly unusual result for him – that perhaps indicates all is not right with his body.

Beyond that, Murray could well face Stan Wawrinka, who comfortably overcame Gael Monfils on Tuesday, in the semi-finals and who he beat in the 2016 event at Roland Garros.

Again the 30-year-old is ahead in their personal duel and will be hopeful of containing the spin and bludgeoning strikes of the Swiss' groundstrokes like he did so effectively last year to reach his first ever final at Roland Garros. Yet he must also trust his forehand to pick apart his opponent as it did so effectively 2016. Defence must also be mixed with attack.

The key is that Murray knows he has the beating of his next opponents (Marin Cilic would even be preferable to Wawrinka should the Croat come though their quarter-final) and that he can reach the final again. He will also know that if he can pick up at least one more cheap victory – where he keeps his exertions to three of four sets – he is likely to face a tired opponent from the other side of the draw, with Novak Djokovic having to face up-and-coming clay court star Dominic Thiem, and then possibly Rafa Nadal, who is in search of his tenth title.

Murray, for all the problems of the year so far – an elbow injury, shingles and fatigue related to an outstanding six months that took him to world No 1 – is now back playing his best tennis. The dip in form at the start of 2017 has only served to strengthen his resolve it seems after many wrote him off. His response to the doubters? Work harder.

"I believe in myself,” Murray said before his last-16 clash. “So even when things aren’t going well, I believe I can turn it around. It’s not easy, but if you work hard and do all the right things in practice, then it generally does come [good].”

Murray has faith in his ability, even when others doubt him, and now the possibilities in Paris are broadening as the draw narrows.

Eurosport's John McEnroe is confident that Murray could even match last year's achievement. "I don't think he was as far away [from form] as people were saying," said the seven-times Grand Slam champion. "It's a matter of attitude."

And if he reaches the showpiece match, he will of course be underdog. Djokovic beat him last year and is coming back to his best, while Roland Garros is the back yard of favourite Nadal.

But even if he does face the history-making – and chasing – Spaniard, Murray will have a shot. No-one will expect him to win, which is just where the Briton likes to be. And if he keeps on improving en route, the Grand Master could just be the biggest obstacle for the King of Clay.