Murray mauls Montanes to reach Valencia semis

Top seed Andy Murray [ Images ] gave Spaniard Albert Montanes a 6-4, 6-2 mauling in the quarter-finals of the Valencia Open on Friday as the Briton continued his comeback from a wrist injury.

The world number four, who before this week had not played on the ATP tour since September's US Open [ Images ], dropped a set against little-known Argentine Leonardo Mayer in Thursday's second-round, but looked in good form against Montanes, ranked 34.

He broke serve four times on the way to winning the first set and opening a 4-0 lead in the second and wrapped up the match with a forehand winner.

"My wrist is still giving me some pain but I'm feeling better every day," Murray said.

"I played well today and tomorrow I hope to improve even more," he added.

The Scot will play Fernando Verdasco [ Images ] in the semi-finals after the Spanish fourth seed nailed a slew of crashing winners to brush aside compatriot and seventh seed Tommy Robredo 6-3, 6-2.

Verdasco's win and a victory earlier on Friday for Russian second seed Nikolay Davydenko [ Images ], means they both remain on track to secure the remaining two places at the World Tour Finals in London [ Images ] later this month.

Roger Federer [ Images ], Rafael Nadal [ Images ], Novak Djokovic [ Images ], Andy Murray, Juan Martin del Potro [ Images ] and Andy Roddick [ Images ] have all qualified for the November 22-29 season-ending event and Davydenko holds seventh spot and Verdasco eighth.

Davydenko beat Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 6-4, 7-6 and will contest a place in Sunday's final with compatriot Mikhail Youzhny, who maintained his dominance over Gilles Simon by beating the French fifth seed 6-4, 6-4.

Youzhny saved all 11 break points he faced and it was his fifth victory in five meetings between the pair. Verdasco's win ended both Simon's and Robredo's hopes of securing a place in London.