Nadal beats Murray 2-6, 6-4, 6-2
That was fun, eh? The tennis was beautiful, the bitching and sniping between was at times ugly but Nadal is through to his 10th Monte Carlo final and his 100th final on the tour. Murray was brilliant in the opening set but Nadal dug in and looked like the player of old, grinding Murray down in over 21/2 hours. He will face Monfils or Tsonga, who play later this afternoon, in tomorrow’s final. Thanks for reading. Bye!
Nadal wins the third set 6-2 – and the match!
Murray 2-6 Nadal* (6-2, 4-6): This one is quite the battle – Nadal wastes four match points before allowing Murray a pair of break points. The Scot is unable to take either and, on a fifth match point, he sends Murray running. Murray cannot return, slipping when sending a forehand to the net. Handshakes all round despite the rancour throughout the match.
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Whatever about the exceptional quality play, Nadal has produced a masterclass in the dark arts this afternoon.
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Murray* 2-5 Nadal (6-2, 4-6): Murray holds (every point remains a battle) but, realistically, there should be no way back from here. While the Briton has lost his focus, Nadal seems tuned in on every movement. He will serve for the match after a brief break.
Murray 1-5 Nadal* (6-2, 4-6): Nadal holds, though Murray at least wins a point on the Spaniard’s serve in this game. The set and the match should be a formality from here – but can Murray at least hold his serve?
And to different extents Murray, Nadal and the umpire, Damien Dumusois of France, all deserve a portion of blame for the sour mood.
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The umpire is suggesting Murray struck the ball at him after he leapt off his chair to check the marking of a serve. This is taking away from the fine tennis we have seen up until now.
Murray* 1-4 Nadal (6-2, 4-6): This is getting ugly. Scrap that earlier comment about Murray fighting to the end. He barely battles on his own serve here, picking up a warning from the umpire (who tells the world No2 “You have zero respect for what I do” at the end of the game), broken again to love.
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Murray 1-3 Nadal* (6-2, 4-6): Nadal buys more time by bouncing the ball over and over and over before serving. It annoys Murray even more and the Spaniard, regularly breaking the 25 second limit but getting away with it, takes his service game without too much trouble during points.
Murray* 1-2 Nadal (6-2, 4-6): Murray will continue fighting until the end, of course, and he holds on his serve to stay in with a shout. It’s time for a changeover – lo and behold the trainer appears. But when he approaches Nadal, he is waved off and is said he’s not required. It now also becomes apparent that the trainer was not allowed on court earlier because a security guard on a power trip stopped him.
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Murray 0-2 Nadal* (6-2, 4-6): Murray looks spent. He needs a second wind. And quick. Nadal, on the other hand, seems to have the psychological upper hand. He knows he has annoyed Murray with those mind games over the trainer and the changeover. The Spaniard holds to love.
Murray* 0-1 Nadal (6-2, 4-6): Oh dear. Broken and quite possibly broken. As two hours of play comes up on the clock, Murray is 0-40 down. But he composes himself and Nadal has something in his eye, requiring the trainer. Suddenly, it’s deuce. Nadal gets an advantage and then produces a drop shot to break at the beginning of the decisive set. The umpire asks Nadal if he wants more medical attention but says “No, the next changeover”. Murray is annoyed by that – understandably – saying that Nadal’s mind games are “fascinating”.
Nadal wins the second set!
Murray 4-6 Nadal* (6-2): “Vamos Rafa” comes the call from the gallery and the Spaniard holds to love to level the match. Momentum is behind Nadal. Can Murray battle back? His impeccably high standards slipped a tad there and he looks a little tired.
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Murray* 4-5 Nadal (6-2): An improvement from Murray in terms of his first serve in the early stages of this game, but Nadal is able to return with extra juice and another superlative game goes to deuce. After going point for point, Murray loses an advantage with a double fault before, with the aid of the net, earning another chance. He eventually holds and will have an opportunity to break back.
Murray 3-5 Nadal* (6-2): Murray battles back impressively on Nadal’s serve and earns two break points. The Spaniard saves the first and Murray finds the net on the second. At deuce Murray denies Nadal a first game point but Nadal eventually holds on the second deuce. Murray will serve to stay in the set –after he airs a grievance with the umpire over the amount of time Nadal is taking between shots.
Murray* 3-4 Nadal (6-2): The answer to that last question has been answered. Nadal breaks and pumps his fist twice as hard to nudge ahead in this set. Murray’s successful first serve percentage in this set has slumped to 30% and there are cracks beginning to appear following a flawless start.
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Murray 3-3 Nadal* (6-2): Nadal holds to love and pumps his fist – that has been the most cut and dry game of the match so far. Maybe he has been fired up by his exchange with the umpire?
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Murray* 3-2 Nadal (6-2): Both players are beginning to show signs of fatigue but Murray holds once again. It is gruelling. It is very warm courtside (apparently – I am in a chilly London). They head back for a drinks break and Nadal again has a narky exchange with the umpire, who responds saying he would like “a little less communication from you”.
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Murray 2-2 Nadal* (6-2): A timely reminder that Nadal leads Murray 6-1 on the clay head-to-head. The Scot’s only win came last year in Madrid. Has the tide turned? In the frame of this match alone, normal service is resumed: this is another gritty battle but Nadal closes after squandering a 30-0 lead, allowing Murray to level.
Another email from Simon McMahon: “Murray is actually very good on clay, isn’t he? It took him a few years, granted, but his fitness, variety of shot etc means his game is actually quite suited to it. I reckon he’d take as much satisfaction out of reaching the final at Roland Garros as anything else he’s achieved in his career. And if he were to win there, well...”
Murray* 2-1 Nadal (6-2): This game is a little more straightforward and the set is back on serve. Murray drops just one point and is back in front.
Murray 1-1 Nadal* (6-2): The Scot breaks back immediately. Murray wins the first two points but Nadal pulls back to 30-30 thanks to two breathtaking, energy-sapping rallies. Murray wins a breakpoint, but Nadal saves. Deuce. Nadal directs a backhand into the net but saves the second breakpoint by coming to the net and volleying. Then the Spaniard skies a backhand after connecting with rim of his racket rather than strings. That mishit provides Murray with a third opportunity to break. Nadal mis-hits again, hitting wide to Murray’s left.
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Murray* 0-1 Nadal (6-2): Murray is on the attack right away and Nadal, at the net, sends an uncharacteristic volley into the net. But things turn pear-shaped for the Scot at that point – a double fault giving Nadal two break points. He needs only one – a crosscourt backhand sealing the opening game of the second set.
Murray wins the first set!
Murray 6-2 Nadal*: Nadal has not dropped a set this week … until now. The Spaniard battles hard but Murray is playing some exceptional tennis and grinds Nadal into a couple of errors. The king of clay looks baffled by how well Murray is playing. The world no2 has barely put a foot wrong.
Murray* 5-2 Nadal: What a game. Murray sends Nadal back on the run again for the first point. The umpire is running again, also – to check a serve at 30-15. Nadal pulls back to 30-30 on the second serve and, aided by a net deflection, earns a break point. Scratch that, though, Murray plants an ace that is greeted courtside with stunned silence before applause. On deuce, Murray shanks a backhand wide to give Nadal the advantage. A blistering forehand brings us to deuce 2. Murray repeats the trick for his own advantage. But both come to the net and Nadal makes it deuce 3. Murray takes the next advantage and finally closes with a forehand that has so much topspin on that Nadal cannot reach it.
Murray 4-2 Nadal*: Now both players are annoyed after a point plays on after Nadal’s opening serve is long. The umpire gives it to Murray. Why not just use hawk eye on clay and spare us the moaning? Murray wins the next point, too, with Nadal maybe a tad unfocused after those disagreements. And the next, giving the Scot three break points. Nadal saves the first but Murray is the breaks on the next.
Murray* 3-2 Nadal: The length of points are already exhausting. The highlight in this game is a rally that has both racing at various points but concludes with Nadal missing a backhand to Murray’s right. That is only for 30-15 – they are treating every point like a match point. Murray controls the next point, driving Nadal from right to left and back again. Then the umpire gets off his seat to check a serve that is given out. But he overturns it and gives it to Murray, leaving Nadal annoyed as they waddle to their seats for a sip of electrolyte-infused water. Hawk eye confirms the umpire’s call is good.
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Murray 2-2 Nadal*: Murray wins the first point after a prolonged duel thanks to a tasty one-handed drop shot that Nadal is unable to reach. They go point-for-point until Nadal drives a ferocious unreturnable backhand for 40-30 and closes out.
Murray* 2-1 Nadal: This is a little more straightforward, due to Nadal uncharacteristically mis-hitting consecutive smashes. Murray sends a backhand to the net for 40-15 but closes out.
Murray 1-1 Nadal*: Murray is slightly long on a forehand in the first point and is sent scrambling on the second but recovers terrifically and forces Nadal into an error, hitting a return off the top of the net that spins out. Murray look In. The. Mood and wins the next point too. They exchange points for deuce. Nadal gains an advantage and Murray sends a backhand wide to the Spaniard’s right. We are level.
An email, from Simon McMahon: “Afternoon Alan. Even I can take a moment out from the Scottish Cup semi final at Hampden to think about the semi final at the Monte Carlo masters and say COME ON ANDY!!”
Murray* 1-0 Nadal (*denotes server of described game): This could well be a grinding match. The first two points are extensive rallies ending with Nadal sending a pair of forehands long after some impressive defensive play from the Scot. Murray’s footwork is a tad off-kilter in these early stages, though, allowing Nadal to claw back to 30-30. Murray wallops a forehand for 40-30 and closes by coming to the net.
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We are about to start. Andy Murray will serve.
The umpire has made a mess of the toss! Murray called tails. It landed on tails. But the umpire asks Rafa if he wants to serve. The Spaniard points out he lost the toss but Murray, in the interest of fairness, asks for a re-toss instead of selecting to serve. He picks tails again … and it lands on tails. They say it is a “controversy” on Sky, but let’s be honest, it’s just funny. Murray will serve.
The players have entered the arena and are about to warm their rackets up. Earlier Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares won their doubles semi, beating Ivan Dodig and Marcelo Melo 6-2, 6-4.
It is sunny in Monte Carlo!
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Andy Murray did not have much bother in easing past Canada’s Milos Raonic in yesterday’s quarter-final; taking an hour and six minutes to win 6-2, 6-0. Rafael Nadal, however, will be an entirely different proposition – this is clay after all. Nadal dropped only five games in beating Stan Wawrinka (6-1, 6-4). This will almost certainly last a little longer. The winner will meet Jo Wilfried-Tsonga or Gael Monfils – that starts immediately after the conclusion of play here – for the prestigious title and a tasty winning pot. Play is due to start in Monaco at 1pm local time, 12pm BST.
Pre-match viewing – their meeting in the 2011 semi-final
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