Murray eases into semis at Shanghai Masters

Andy Murray eased into the semifinals of the Shanghai Masters by beating Australian qualifier Matthew Ebden 6-3, 6-2 on Friday for his 13th straight win.The second-seeded Scot has won 23 of his last 24 matches since mid-August, with the only loss coming to Rafael Nadal in the semifinals of the U.S. Open. Hes attempting to win his third title in as many weeks.David Ferrer had a far tougher time in his quarterfinal, needing two and a half hours to beat Andy Roddick 6-7 (5), 6-2, 7-6 (2). Japans Kei Nishikori also advanced with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Alexandr Dolgopolov, the 12th seed from Ukraine.With his surprising run this week, which included a win over fourth-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Nishikori will become the highest-ranked Japanese player in ATP tour history. Currently ranked 47th, he is projected to rise to at least 32 with his result so far beating Shuzo Matsuokas previous best ranking of 46.Feliciano Lopez defeated 15th-seeded Florian Mayer of Germany 6-2, 6-4, in just over an hour to set up an all-Spanish semifinal clash with Ferrer. Mayer had ousted Nadal in straight sets on Thursday.Murray, the defending champion in Shanghai, is coming off victories at the Japan Open, where he beat Nadal in the final, and the Thailand Open. The last player to capture three tournaments in three weeks was No. 1 Novak Djokovic, who won in Belgrade, Madrid and Rome earlier this year.