Wimbledon - SF - Andy vs Rafael Nadal

LadyTigress · County player

Wimbledon - SF - Andy vs Rafael Nadal

LadyTigress · County player

Confirmation of the order of play: Djokovic vs Berdych will be up first on Centre Court, and that match will be followed by Murray vs Nadal.

indiana · Tennis legend

LadyTigress wrote:

Confirmation of the order of play: Djokovic vs Berdych will be up first on Centre Court, and that match will be followed by Murray vs Nadal.

John Inverdale was recently making that assumption on BBC2, no doubt correctly, but I'm surprised if anything has been confirmed yet for Friday.

Madeline · Admin:Moderator + Tennis Legend

It is now, it's on the Wimbledon site.

Can he do it? Well yes, I know he can, but WILL he?

Absolutely everything crossable is crossed.

indiana · Tennis legend

I find this match impossible to call.

Just going to sit down, try and enjoy it, and hope Andy comes through.

LadyTigress · County player

I have no idea who's going to take it but am rooting for Andy. If Andy comes through against Rafa, then no matter who comes through from the other semi, we know there's going to be a brand new champion at Wimbledon.

Exciting stuff.

LadyTigress · County player

This is gonna be a real test for Andy, no doubt it's going to be a tough one. This is the first match I've felt that Andy really could go out - but equally Andy is the kind of a opponent that a serious challenge for Nadal, so it's going to be tough for both men.

Nadal seems sufficiently concerned about Andy. Toni Nadal was quoted in one of the newspapers saying that Nadal's knees won't be a problem in the upcoming match - Andy Murray will be the problem!

Difficult to call the other semi as well. You might tip Djokovic under normal circumstances, but Berdych run so far has been astonishing... but then again Djokovic has been playing remarkably well also...

One thing's for sure, it's going to be a great semifinals day this year.

ForeverDelayed · Grand Slam Champion

Berdych def. Djokovic 6-3, 7-6(9), 6-3.

Berdych didn't play as well as he has in previous rounds and was gifted the match by Djokovic who was really disappointing and his serve was about his best shot today (and yet cost him the match with the double faults in the TB and then to give up the break in the 3rd)

Berdych will be dangerous in a slam final as he can overpower Murray and Nadal, and doesn't seem to be choking this week as well, but who knows how he will handle the nerves of it.

Count Zero · Tennis legend

I'd also point out that of Boggo's 8 WC's 3 of the players he's drawn have reached a Wimby final in their career! really what are the odds of that!

-- Edited by Count Zero on Friday 2nd of July 2010 02:59:17 PM

ForeverDelayed · Grand Slam Champion

Not to be in the end for Murray as he was beaten by the better player on the day.

Had Murray managed to win the second set tiebreak then he may have had a better chance to win the match, but even so, I'm not sure he would have had enough to win.

Nadal played the big points better than Murray did, and his game fell away at the end of the 3rd set having had the break.

He actually served very well today and still lost in straight sets which is a little bit disappointing, but Nadal wasn't going to lose to anyone the way he played today.

Better than recent results though for Murray and hopefully he can keep the good form going into the US hard court season.

LadyTigress · County player

I really felt that Andy needed to have taken that second set tiebreak. Despite losing in straight sets, the scoreline was close.

There's a point in the post-match presser (which Andy seems to have gone straight into and has now finished ALREADY) when Andy just seems to lose his thread and stops talking and goes mute. I hope he's holding it together.

Unfortunately I predicted this semi and the outcome in the Pick'em, but frankly I wish the result had given the end to my Pick'em. Now I can still win points. It's not really a satisfactory consolation.

RJA · Hall of fame

aFor the most part he played very well but just didn't quite come up with goods on the really big points.

The 6-6 point in the tie breaker was a sickener.

-- Edited by RJA on Friday 2nd of July 2010 06:33:07 PM

DUSTY DICK · Club Coach

Feel gutted for Andy but felt he played a good match today like he has all Wimbledon. He gave his best but Rafa on the day was too good. But still another semi for Murray to add to his CV. If he can play like that during the hard court season and at the US Open he might make it there.

Well done Andy.

LadyTigress · County player

In the BBC exclusive Andy says that since he's literally just come off court minutes ago the loss hasn't sunk in yet. He's not particularly happy about having defended his semi points from last year, but says he might be happier about that once Wimbledon is over. Andy says that he is incredibly disappointed but is trying to get it out of his system quickly. He's not sure of his exact plans next, but says at some point he'll be heading over to North America to get ready for Montreal. Andy says there is work to be done and improvements to make.

He looks a bit subdued, and his voice is a tad on the quiet side, to be expected really.

indiana · Tennis legend

Gutted for Andy cry

But you've got to hand it to Nadal, how he plays the big points and when he smells victory how he really goes for it.

Andy played pretty well, just to my mind a bit too conservative on some big points such as second set 4 - 3 BP. Nadal as I said plays these points so well that when you have a chance for a really attacking shot to my mind you've got to go for it.

Serve % which was generally good for Andy tailed off a bit in the 3rd set and he unravelled a bit near the end but not through lack of effort or giving up, just through the relentless presure Nadal can put on you.

Certainly Andy's game looks in a hell of a lot better shape than it did a couple of months ago and hopefully, although naturally very dissappointed just now, he can pick himself up again to have a good US Hard Court season, culminating in the US Open.

A few weeks off, maybe some more hard work and hitting those thousands of balls to keep and indeed improve that consistency and he'll be ready to go.