Murray gets clear way as Nadal exits
Source: Agencies |
October 14, 2011, Friday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
BRITAIN'S Andy Murray became overwhelming favorite for an Asian hat-trick as main rival Rafael Nadal was beaten in the third round of the Shanghai Rolex Masters last night.
Top seed Nadal fell 6-7 (5), 3-6 to Germany's Florian Mayer leaving Murray the standout name in the quarterfinals after the in-form Scot completed a 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 victory over Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka at the Qi Zhong Tennis Center in suburban Minhang District.
Murray beat Nadal in the Tokyo final last week to follow-up his title in Bangkok and the two had been expected to have a re-match in Shanghai in the absence of world No. 1 Novak Djokovic of Serbia and Swiss maestro Roger Federer.
Spaniard Nadal found himself up against an inspired Mayer who clinched an absorbing opening set tiebreak with an ace.
Nadal had some chances to break early in the second set but Mayer, ranked 23, held firm and broke Nadal's serve at 3-3 before repeating the trick two games later to complete one of the best wins of his career.
Nadal's compatriot David Ferrer had a more satisfying day as he survived three match points against another Spaniard, Juan Carlos Ferrero, to reach the quarterfinals and seal his place at the season-ending ATP World Tour Finals in London.
Ferrer will face Andy Roddick in the last eight after the American beat Spain's Nicolas Almagro 6-3, 6-4.
In another shock, 124th-ranked Australian qualifier Matthew Ebden knocked out France's Gilles Simon 6-2, 2-6, 7-6 (8) - his reward being a quarterfinal against Murray. Ebden had only won eight matches on the ATP Tour before Shanghai.
Murray marched through the first set against Wawrinka but went off the boil in the second as errors began to flow.
However, he took charge in the decider to forge into a 5-0 lead before the 19th-ranked Wawrinka staged a late fightback.
Murray, unbeaten since losing to Nadal in the US Open semifinals, ended the contest with a forehand winner.
"I got myself pumped up right at the beginning of the third set," Murray told reporters. "Stan was playing very well. I was trying to control the ball. I was really struggling in the middle of the second set."
Japan's Kei Nishikori continued his impressive run, reaching the quarterfinals with a 7-6 (6), 4-6, 6-3 defeat of Colombia's Santiago Giraldo.
Asia's top-ranked male player will play Alexandr Dolgopolov for a place in the semifinals. The 12th seed from Ukraine, dropped the first set against Australian teenager Bernard Tomic, then reeled off 12 of the last 13 games to win, 5-7, 6-1, 6-0.
Top seed Nadal fell 6-7 (5), 3-6 to Germany's Florian Mayer leaving Murray the standout name in the quarterfinals after the in-form Scot completed a 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 victory over Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka at the Qi Zhong Tennis Center in suburban Minhang District.
Murray beat Nadal in the Tokyo final last week to follow-up his title in Bangkok and the two had been expected to have a re-match in Shanghai in the absence of world No. 1 Novak Djokovic of Serbia and Swiss maestro Roger Federer.
Spaniard Nadal found himself up against an inspired Mayer who clinched an absorbing opening set tiebreak with an ace.
Nadal had some chances to break early in the second set but Mayer, ranked 23, held firm and broke Nadal's serve at 3-3 before repeating the trick two games later to complete one of the best wins of his career.
Nadal's compatriot David Ferrer had a more satisfying day as he survived three match points against another Spaniard, Juan Carlos Ferrero, to reach the quarterfinals and seal his place at the season-ending ATP World Tour Finals in London.
Ferrer will face Andy Roddick in the last eight after the American beat Spain's Nicolas Almagro 6-3, 6-4.
In another shock, 124th-ranked Australian qualifier Matthew Ebden knocked out France's Gilles Simon 6-2, 2-6, 7-6 (8) - his reward being a quarterfinal against Murray. Ebden had only won eight matches on the ATP Tour before Shanghai.
Murray marched through the first set against Wawrinka but went off the boil in the second as errors began to flow.
However, he took charge in the decider to forge into a 5-0 lead before the 19th-ranked Wawrinka staged a late fightback.
Murray, unbeaten since losing to Nadal in the US Open semifinals, ended the contest with a forehand winner.
"I got myself pumped up right at the beginning of the third set," Murray told reporters. "Stan was playing very well. I was trying to control the ball. I was really struggling in the middle of the second set."
Japan's Kei Nishikori continued his impressive run, reaching the quarterfinals with a 7-6 (6), 4-6, 6-3 defeat of Colombia's Santiago Giraldo.
Asia's top-ranked male player will play Alexandr Dolgopolov for a place in the semifinals. The 12th seed from Ukraine, dropped the first set against Australian teenager Bernard Tomic, then reeled off 12 of the last 13 games to win, 5-7, 6-1, 6-0.
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