They say that fortune favours the brave and Andy Murray will need plenty of steely grit as he looks to face Rafael Nadal in the Mutua Madrid Open finals following a straight-set win against Kei Nishikori this evening.
In a display of sheer aggression, tactical shot making and athleticism, Andy Murray overpowered world number five Nishikori in a short and sweet 6-3 6-4 victory. While the Scot made reference to every possible shot in his tennis arsenal, in the end it was Nishikori that struggled to match pace and was rendered futile against Murray’s service game.
In the first set, both players were able to hold serve, but the turning point came at 2-3 when Murray decided to pull the trigger, winning four straight games to take the lead. In the second set, the Japanese player was able to break the Murray serve early, but the British number one rose to Nishikori’s challenge and broke back at 5-4 to take the set and match.
Speaking about his performance in a media interview, Murray said: “I returned well and put him under a lot of pressure on his serve. And my backhand was really good tonight.”
Earlier on in the day, Nadal kicked off the first of the semi-finals matches against his opponent Tomas Berdych, winning 7-6 (7-3) 6-1. While the Mallorcan had the support of the home crowd behind him, the first set went down to the wire, with neither player managing to break serve. Nadal was able to gain two break points, but unable to convert as Berdych successfully fended off his advances. In the end, a tie-break allowed Nadal to steal the first set.
The second set was a rather one-sided affair. Nadal’s forehand refused to miss, and a frustrated Berdych failed make an impression on the number four seed who looked to the lines for his winners. Nadal broke the Czech twice and crushed any hope Berdych might have had of getting back into the match in a quickly concluded one hour 44 minute shootout.
"It is without doubt one of the best matches I have ever played all year,” said Nadal. He will be looking to clinch his 5th Mutua Madrid Open title against Murray tomorrow night. Whether the 14-time grand slam champion will have enough fuel left in his engine to do so is likely the question on everyone’s lips, as Nadal has struggled recently with injury and performance. Yet his path to the finals has showed promise of a Rafa reminiscent of his clay glory days.
With Murray yet to dethrone the King of Clay on the latter’s favourite surface (Murray has never beaten Nadal on clay), the Scot will certainly have his work cut out for him as the Spaniard has demonstrated an impressive return to form in the lead up to the French Open later this month.
However, Murray has recently proven that he can be effective and – at best – dangerous on clay, which is widely perceived to be his least ‘successful’ surface. Murray will be aiming for back-to-back clay court titles after winning his first ATP crown on the surface in Munich just last week. Whether he’ll have the will to win against the home favourite tomorrow remains to be seen. They don’t call Nadal the King of Clay in vain.
Prediction for tomorrow’s match: Have we seen a glimmer of the Rafa of old recently? Or are our eyes deceiving us? If Nadal has truly navigated himself through recent tough times, then Murray might find himself in a spot of bother tomorrow, irrespective of his recent clay success. Yet Murray won’t go down without a fight, and either outcome should provide a thrilling match for fans of both players. But I can’t help thinking that the King of Clay might have just found his much needed second wind – Nadal to win in three sets.
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