Murray waiting for Gilbert after setback in semi-final

Andy Murray's run at the Hall of Fame Championship in Newport, Rhode Island, came to an end as he lost to Justin Gimelstob in the semi-finals on Saturday.

The top-seeded Scot paid the price for a poor first set as he was beaten 6-1, 7-6 by the American on Saturday night to keep "the curse of the Casino" alive. No top seed has won at Newport Casino in the event's 30-year history.

The 19-year-old was broken in the third game of the match and then lost his next two service games and with them the opening set. He put up a stronger fight in the second but lost 7-4 in the tie-break.

Gimelstob, the eighth seed, made several spectacular last-ditch volleys to help close out the match.

Jeremy Bates has given the strongest hint yet that the American Brad Gilbert is about to be named as Murray's new coach. Great Britain's Davis Cup captain insists it is "more than likely" that Gilbert - formerly the coach of Andre Agassi - will accept a role with the Lawn Tennis Association with special responsibility for Murray's progress.

Bates, who has asked Gilbert to come to Eastbourne this week, when the Great Britain team meet Israel, with the winners retaining a place in the Europe/Africa Zone Group One, said: "I am not involved in finalising the deal, but it is more than likely it is going to happen.

"I don't know when Brad's official start date is with Andy; he is coming because I would like him to be there. And Andy would like him to be there too, because it is imperative that we win. We have to win."

In Gstaad, Switzerland, France's Richard Gasquet claimed his second title in three weeks with a 7-6, 6-7, 6-3, 6-3 win over Spain's Feliciano Lopez in the final of the Swiss Open. It was Gasquet's third career title and followed his win at the Nottingham Open in the run-up to Wimbledon, where he was beaten by the world No 1 Roger Federer in the first round.

Tommy Robredo beat Nikolai Davydenko 6-2, 6-1 yesterday to win the Swedish Open in Bastad. The 24-year-old Spaniard, who won the Hamburg Masters in May, broke the Russian's serve at the start of each set and was never really challenged.

Kim Clijsters powered Belgium into their second Fed Cup final yesterday with a 6-0, 6-1 win over American teenager Vania King. The Belgians now meet Italy in September's final.