Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer have welcomed the prospect of Britain’s Andy Murray returning to top-level tennis, while admitting his Queen’s Club comeback has taken them by surprise.

Murray, 32, has not played since hip surgery following the Australian Open.

He described his doubles appearance alongside Spain’s Feliciano Lopez at the Fever-Tree Championships later this month as “the next step” in his return.

“It was a little surprising he announced that so quick,” said Nadal.

“I always thought that he will find a way to try to be back, because he’s still young and still very passionate about the game.

“It’s great news for, first, for him and for his team and family, and then for the tour by itself. I’m happy for it, and especially happy for him.”

• Murray to make competitive return at Queen’s
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Federer and Nadal were among a raft of players who appeared in a video shown on the big screens at Melbourne Park, congratulating Murray for his career in the wake of the Scot’s first-round defeat by Roberto Bautista Agut.

Despite initially saying that it might be his final appearance before retirement, Murray left open the possibility of a return to tennis in his on-court interview just before the video played out.

“We were more told that this could be it, so can you please make a message?” Federer recalled of his contribution to the video.

“But we were hoping that this message is not actually real.

“I saw him after his match against Bautista Agut and I was, like, ‘So, what’s up? Are you really retiring?’ He didn’t know.

“It’s number one for his health, and we want Andy to be healthy, more so than being a tennis player. But if he can play tennis on top of it, that’s a super bonus.

“I think all of us top guys would be thrilled to see him back on the tour.”

Murray had the hip resurfacing operation – which keeps more of the damaged bone than a hip replacement, smoothing the ball down and covering it with a metal cap – in London on 28 January.

Murray told the Times earlier this month that there is “very little chance” of him playing singles at Wimbledon in July, but said a successful doubles campaign could be the launchpad for a full return.

British number one Johanna Konta says she produced one of the best performances of her career to reach the French Open semi-finals.

Konta outclassed American seventh seed Sloane Stephens, last year’s runner-up, 6-1 6-4 in the quarter-finals.

“I’m very proud of the level and consistency I played,” said the 26th seed.

Konta, 28, is the first British woman to reach the Roland Garros last four since Jo Durie in 1983.

On Thursday she will face Czech 19-year-old Marketa Vondrousova, ranked 38th in the world, with the prospect of a first Grand Slam final awaiting the winner.

“I feel really happy to reach the semi-finals, that is my main feeling,” Konta added.

“I am really pleased with how I am training and working every day on something that I enjoy and that I believe in.

“I think that’s probably the most satisfying feeling out of this whole thing right now.”

• Konta beats Stephens to reach semi-finals
• Federer sets up semi-final with Nadal
• Relive Konta’s impressive victory & Federer’s hard-fought win

Konta will compete in her third Grand Slam semi-final – on a third different surface – after runs to the same stage at the 2016 Australian Open and 2017 Wimbledon.

The Briton had never won a main-draw match at Roland Garros until this year’s tournament.

After beating German qualifier Antonia Lottner, American wildcard Lauren Davis and off-colour young Slovak Viktoria Kuzmova in the opening three rounds, Konta impressively dealt with Croatian 23rd seed Donna Vekic as she stepped up a class of opponent.

She had to increase her level even higher against 2017 US Open champion Stephens, producing a display which American great Chris Evert said would have beaten “anybody” in the women’s game and had left her “speechless”.

“It is hard to pinpoint what is the best performance, because you’re always dealing with different types of opponents or different types of conditions,” Konta said.

“Or even if you’re playing the same opponent, it’s still going to be a different match.

“But it’s definitely one of my best performances.

“I’ve experienced so many things in this fortnight that are very individual to this tournament and I’m enjoying it.”

‘There is not much you can do when someone plays like that’

Konta came under immediate pressure in the opening game of the match, seeing off a break point and a lengthy deuce to hold serve after eight minutes.

That proved pivotal as Konta swatted her lacklustre opponent aside from then on.

The Briton’s aggressive approach did the damage as she ended up hitting 25 winners and six aces on her way to taking 87% of first-serve points.

Konta won 18 consecutive service points from the start of the second set, dropping her only point with a double fault in the final game as she won in one hour and 11 minutes.

“I definitely thought I played well behind my serve more than anything,” Konta added.

“I kept a good variety in there, which I think made it also difficult for Sloane to find her rhythm in those games.”

Stephens, 26, won just 13 receiving points in the match as she struggled to cope with Konta’s power and precision.

“She served really well. There is not much you can do when someone is playing like that,” the American said.

Stephens also believes windy conditions during the match on Court Philippe Chatrier helped Konta.

“Clay is a neutraliser, but there wasn’t very much clay on the court today. So that was a little bit tough,” she added.

“She likes to play on hard court and grass, and the court was very fast today, and I think that kind of worked in her favour.”

From first-round loser to semi-finalist

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Roger Federer set up a French Open semi-final against defending champion Rafael Nadal by overcoming fellow Swiss Stan Wawrinka in four sets.

Shortly before Federer won, Nadal completed a 6-1 6-1 6-3 win over Kei Nishikori in the quarter-finals.

But 20-time Grand Slam champion Federer endured an energy-sapping three hours and 17 minutes on Court Suzanne Lenglen to win 7-6 (7-4) 4-6 7-6 (7-5) 6-4.

“The complete dream would be to win the tournament,” said Federer, 37.

“But I’m very happy, number one, to be back in another semi-final of a Grand Slam. It hasn’t happened in the last year or so. I had some tough losses in fourth rounds or quarters.

“So from that standpoint, I exceeded my expectations here.”

• Konta first British woman to make French semis since 1983
• Nadal & Federer welcome Murray return

Both quarter-finals were interrupted by a thunderstorm in Paris.

Federer is playing at Roland Garros for the first time in four years, having missed the 2016 event with a back injury and skipped the past two clay-court swings to preserve his body.

He faced the toughest test of his clay comeback so far against Wawrinka, the 2015 champion, who had progressed beyond the second round of a Grand Slam for the first time since losing in the 2017 French Open final.

Federer, the third seed, dropped his first set of the tournament and only converted two of his 18 break points, although the second of those – in the ninth game of the fourth set – proved decisive.

“Stan has had some tough years with injuries,” added Federer, who is into the last four of the competition for the first time since 2012.

“I had to break his rhythm because he’s so powerful. I took some risks and they came off but I was pretty lucky at the end.”

‘Playing Roger will be a special moment’

Nadal, 33, is into his 12th semi-final at Roland Garros and has won the tournament on all of the 11 previous occasions he has reached this stage.

He cruised through in one hour and 51 minutes against Japanese seventh seed Nishikori, who had been taken to five sets in his previous two matches.

“The way that I have been playing is, being honest, very positive,” said Nadal. “I have been playing well, very solid.

“Having Roger in front in the semi-finals is an extra thing. We shared the most important moments of our careers together on court facing each other.

“So it is another episode of this, and I’m happy for that and excited. It will be a special moment.”

He will now meet Federer, who won his only title at Roland Garros a decade ago, for the 39th time on Friday, having won all of their previous five meetings at the tournament, including the 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2011 finals.

Nadal also boasts a 23-15 head-to-head record against the Swiss, but it is Federer who has been victorious in their past five matches.

• Live scores, schedule and results
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Johanna Konta’s extraordinary French Open continued as she beat Sloane Stephens to become the first British woman since 1983 to reach the semi-finals at Roland Garros.

The British number one, seeded 26th, played near-perfect tennis in a 6-1 6-4 win over the American seventh seed.

Konta, 28, broke serve three times and dropped just 13 points on her serve.

She will play Croatian 31st seed Petra Martic or Czech teenager Marketa Vondrousova in the last four in Paris.

Konta will be playing in her third Grand Slam semi-final – on a third different surface – after runs to the same stage at the 2016 Australian Open and Wimbledon in 2017.

And she will look to go one better than Jo Durie – the last Briton to reach the women’s semi-finals 36 years ago – by reaching Saturday’s final.

“To play on the new Chatrier court against a top player and at the level I did, I’m really proud of myself,” said Konta.

“It’s hard to say if it was one of the best matches of my career, but dealing with conditions out here and against an opponent like Sloane who can run away with it, I was pleased to get her on the back foot and control the points a little bit.”

• Konta v Stephens – reaction
• Live scores, schedule and results

Konta growing in confidence on clay

Konta’s resurgence on the clay has been one which few people would have predicted at the start of the clay season, when she was ranked 47th in the world.

The former world number four has shown her pedigree on grass and hard surfaces, but had never won a main-draw match on the Paris clay until this year.

Signs of her improved fortunes were evident as she reached two WTA finals at the Morocco Open and Italian Open – and that form has continued at Roland Garros.

Now she has won 15 matches on the surface in 2019, meaning only Martic stands alongside her in terms of clay-court victories on the tour this year.

Linking up with new coach Dimitri Zavialoff at the end of last year has paid dividends, Konta once again showing increased trust in her ability to cause opponents problems with her hard-hitting game.

Yet, although Konta’s confidence has been evident throughout the tournament, the manner of this 71-minute victory against someone of Stephens’ pedigree left those on half-full Chatrier murmuring with surprise.

Aggressive approach stuns Stephens

Stephens, who won the 2017 US Open as well as reaching the final here last year, was rated as the favourite coming into Tuesday’s quarter-final, with former Grand Slam champions Martina Navratilova and Lindsay Davenport backing the American.

Konta came under immediate pressure in the opening game of the match, needing to see off a break point and come through a lengthy deuce to hold serve after eight minutes.

That proved pivotal as Konta swatted her lacklustre opponent aside from then on.

The Briton’s aggressive approach did the damage as she ended up hitting 25 winners and six aces on her way to taking 87% of first-serve points.

Stephens, usually nimble around the court, had no answers to Konta’s power and precision.

Konta broke Stephens’ serve for a 3-1 lead, claiming the next three games to win the opening set in just 33 minutes.

She continued to dominate in the second set, not dropping a point on serve until she produced a double fault in the final game.

By that time it mattered little, the Briton resetting to take victory when Stephens pushed a return inches wide of the line.

Perhaps a sign of Konta’s renewed belief was evident in her relatively understated celebration: a simple turn to her coach Zavialoff and boyfriend Jackson Wade wearing a wide grin, before raising both arms aloft as she took the acclaim of the crowd.

Wide open women’s tournament

Konta’s path to the latter stages – and a potential chance to become the first Briton to win Roland Garros since Sue Barker in 1976 – has opened up following an unpredictable women’s tournament.

After beating Stephens, Konta will face an opponent in either Martic and Vondrousova who, like the Briton, reached the Roland Garros quarter-finals for the first time.

Stephens was one of only three top-10 seeded players to make the women’s quarter-finals, along with Romania’s defending champion Simona Halep and Australian eighth seed Ashleigh Barty.

Former world number one Halep and Barty will meet in the other semi-final – if they beat 17-year-old American Amanda Anisimova and 14th seed Madison Keys respectively in their quarter-finals on Wednesday.

‘The best I’ve seen Konta play’ – what they said

BBC tennis correspondent Russell Fuller: “The entire performance was breathtaking. Everything about Konta’s performance was majestic. Sloane Stephens could do nothing on Konta’s serve. She had the stuffing knocked out of her. That’s the best I have ever seen Konta play.”

Former world number five Daniela Hantuchova for BBC Radio 5 Live: “Konta couldn’t ask for a better match and if she keeps playing like this I don’t see anyone that can stop her. Simona Halep was my pick to win the trophy before the tournament but the way Johanna played it will be really interesting.”

Radio 5 Live tennis commentator Naomi Cavaday: “I felt for sure every set would be tight and ultra-competitive but Johanna was too good for Stephens. I think Konta can take out Halep if she plays like that. That was phenomenal.”

Konta’s route to the semi-finals

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