Rafael Nadal rallies past Andy Murray to reach the title match – US Open 2011
World number two, Spaniard Rafael Nadal required four sets to triumph over world number four, Great Britain’s Andy Murray to secure a final spot at the 2011 US Open, a Grand Slam event held at the USTA Billie Jean King National
Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows Park, New York, United States. He registered a 6-4, 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 victory over Murray on Saturday.
The defending champion displayed his class to tumble over the fourth seeded British star in four sets at the Arthur Ashe Stadium after capitalising on the 55 unforced errors Murray spilled. The British lad lost the second semi-final
in a Grand Slam against Nadal this season.
Nadal smoothly entered the hard New York hard courts and plucked in entire serves through blistering forehands from his arsenal of skills. He found the desiderated break in the seventh game to win the opener with a 6-4 score line
in fifty-minutes.
The Spanish number one carried his momentum into the second set. After the lower seed held his serve in the third game, Nadal bombarded barrage of forehands to reel off last five games in a row and clinched the set with a 6-2 victory
in forty-nine minutes.
Frustrated, Murray got back on track in the third set. He found the coveted break in the second game but lost his edge in the very next game. However, the British man converted another breakpoint opportunity to his advantage in
the eighth game and eventually bagged the consolation set with a 6-3 win in another forty-nine minutes.
Nadal founded his way back in the game in the fourth set. He broke Murray’s serve in the fourth game to take a 3-1 lead. After this, the former world number one held his remaining serves and subsequently pocketed the set with a
style. He broke his rival’s serve again in the eighth game to win the set with a 6-2 score line in fifty-one minutes.
Overall, Nadal manifested a better first serve share of 67 percent as compared to Murray’s 54 percent and registered an impressive 72 percent win on it. Furthermore he hammered thirty-one winners and won 126 points.
"For sure it's an emotional day for me, winning against one of the best players in the world and reaching another final at the US Open," said Nadal. "It's very, very special... because I had a few tough moments this summer and
every day I woke up with big motivation to practise and try my best in every moment. Finally I had a very positive result. I've been playing better every day and today I played my best match."
Up next for the Spaniard is the world number one Serb Novak Djokovic who defeated world number three, Swiss Roger Federer to set-up the most awaited final clash. Nadal had lost in the last five finals against the Serb this season
but he is all geared up to avenge his defeats.
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