Murray gets ready to face wrath of Rafa

Reuters
Monday 25 January 2010 08:02 EST
Comments

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

The easy part is over for Andy Murray. The Australian Open is about to get a whole lot tougher for the great hope of British tennis.

Murray coasted through his first four matches without dropping a set but his quarter-final opponent in Tuesday's feature night match presents a much bigger challenge.

By his own incredible standards, Rafa Nadal is not at his best. The Spaniard has struggled with injuries since winning last year's Australian Open and is only just regaining his confidence.

There have been plenty of indicators to suggest he is getting back to his old form and his clash with Murray could be a watershed for both men.

"I think I am okay," Nadal said. "But I have to play better next match if I really want to have chances to win.

"Andy is one of the more difficult players to play against. I have to play my best tennis."

Nadal has won five of his previous seven meetings with Murray but the Scotsman is not without hope. Nadal has won just one of his last 11 matches against players ranked in the top 10.

"I'm playing well, there's no question about that," said Murray, the only player in the top five yet to win a grand slam title.

"I'm happy to have won the matches comfortably. I know the match against Rafa is going to be difficult, but I think I can win."

The winner of that match will advance to the semi-finals against either American Andy Roddick or Croatia's Marin Cilic.

Their match, also scheduled for Tuesday, is shaping as a battle of the fittest after both were pushed all the way in their fourth round encounters.

Cilic upset Argentina's US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro in five sets while Roddick also went the full distance before wearing down Chile's Fernando Gonzalez.

Roddick and Cilic have played each other twice before, winning one apiece, but the American said those matches would have no bearing on their next clash.

"I don't think we can put much stock into our previous meetings," Roddick said.

"I remember I played him at Queen's a long time ago, he played pretty badly. Then I played him in Canada, and I played pretty badly."

Justine Henin's comeback to professional tennis is building momentum but she faces a tricky quarter-final against Russia's Nadia Petrova, the only seed left in the bottom half of the women's draw.

Petrova made it through to the last eight with back-to-back wins over US Open champion Kim Clijsters and French Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova and is in the best form of her career but it remains to be seen how seasoned Henin is.

The Belgian won seven grand slam singles titles before her shock retirement in 2008 and has lost none of her skill or determination but her body is aching.

"It's only my second tournament (back)," she said.

"Of course, I have dreams. I'll try to go as far as possible. If it's till the end, it would be amazing but it's still too early to talk about that."

Awaiting the winner of that match is either China's Zheng Jie or Russia's Maria Kirilenko.

Zheng made the semi-finals at Wimbledon two years ago while Kirilenko, like Petrova, has been something of a giantkiller, beating both Maria Sharapova and Dinara Safina on her way to the quarters.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in