Originally published Monday, September 8, 2008 at 12:00 AM
PrintU.S. Open | Andy Murray stuns No. 1 Rafael Nadal
Exhibiting precisely the sort of winner-vaporizing, opponent-demoralizing defense Nadal usually employs, Murray reached his first Grand Slam tournament final by completing a stunning, rain-interrupted 6-2, 7-6 (7-5), 4-6, 6-4 upset of Nadal on Sunday.
U.S. Open tennis, men's final, 2 p.m., Ch. 7.
NEW YORK — Top-seeded Rafael Nadal of Spain hunched over, his chest heaving, his hopes of reaching his first U.S. Open tennis final fading fast.
No one ever seems to run Nadal ragged.
Andy Murray managed to do the job.
Exhibiting precisely the sort of winner-vaporizing, opponent-demoralizing defense Nadal usually employs, Murray reached his first Grand Slam tournament final by completing a stunning, rain-interrupted 6-2, 7-6 (7-5), 4-6, 6-4 upset of Nadal on Sunday.
"He beat me because he was better than me," acknowledged Nadal, whose 19-match winning streak at major tournaments ended. "When he's playing aggressive, he can beat everybody."
Instead of a third consecutive Grand Slam final between Nadal and the man he replaced atop the rankings, Roger Federer of Switzerland, it will be Murray versus Federer today at 2 p.m. PDT.
Federer will be attempting to win his fifth consecutive U.S. Open championship and 13th Grand Slam tournament title overall. As for Murray, the 21-year-old Scot is trying to become the first British man to win a major tennis title since Fred Perry at the 1936 U.S. Open.
Get this, though: Murray owns a 2-1 career mark against Federer.
"He's got loads of experience in these situations, and it's something new for me," Murray said. "I know I'm going to have to play great to have a chance of winning, but I've played well the last couple of weeks."
No. 6 Murray won the first two sets against Nadal and was down a break at 3-2 in the third in Louis Armstrong Stadium when play was suspended Saturday because of Tropical Storm Hanna. Nadal made a stand when they started play at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Sunday, taking the third set and going ahead 3-1 in the fourth after saving seven break points in one game.
"It was almost slipping away," Murray said.
Copyright © 2008 The Seattle Times Company
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