Nadal rises, Murray stumbles
- Source: Global Times
- [00:59 September 10 2009]
- Comments
Andy Murray of Britain reacts during his match against Marin Cilic Wednesday. Photo: AFP
Rafael Nadal assured a jump past Britain's Andy Murray back into the world No. 2 ranking by advancing to the quarterfinals Wednesday while the Scotsman crashed out in humbling fashion.
Spanish third seed Nadal, trying to complete a career Grand Slam with a seventh major title, defeated French 13th seed Gael Monfils 6-7 (3/7), 6-3, 6-1, 6-3 to book a spot in the last eight against Chilean Fernando Gonzalez.
Nadal showed no sign of pain after a two-month layoff with knee tendinitis or from a right abdominal muscle injury that was treated during his third-round victory over countryman Nicolas Almagro.
Nadal is trying to become just the seventh man to complete the career Grand Slam, joining Roger Federer, Andre Agassi, Fred Perry, Don Budge, Rod Laver and Roy Emerson.
Monfils won five of the last six points in the tie-break but was undone by 63 unforced errors. Nadal broke twice to claim the second set, three times including the first and last games to take the third.
Nadal and Monfils exchanged breaks in the fourth and fifth games of the last set but the Frenchman double-faulted away a break in the eighth game and Nadal held to win after 2 hours, 45 minutes.
Gonzalez, the 11th seed, also advanced past French seventh seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7/3), 6-4. Gonzalez, trying to become the first South American man to win the US Open in 32 years, is 3-6 lifetime against Nadal.
"I have a lot of confidence," Gonzalez said. "I have to be worrying about myself only and try to play my best tennis."
Andy Murray made a shocking fourth-round exit from the US Open Wednesday, never looking on form as Croatian 16th seed Marin Cilic reached his first Grand Slam quarterfinal with a 7-5, 6-2, 6-2 victory.
"I just struggled," Murray said. "I played poorly. I'm very disappointed."
The 22-year-old, last year's US Open runner-up, failed in his bid to become the first British men's Grand Slam champion since Fred Perry in 1936.
"The way the match went makes it disappointing but I believe I will come back better," Murray said.
"I will learn from this week like I have most weeks when I've lost and I will come back better and stronger."
"I think I will be a better player next year than this year."
In taking his first win over a top-three opponent in seven attempts, Cilic fired 10 aces and 35 winners while Murray went 0-for-7 on break-point chances and made 41 unforced errors.
"I played very well and he missed a lot," Cilic said. "I don't think he was playing his best."
Cilic will play for a semifinal berth against Argentine sixth seed Juan Martin Del Potro, who fired 22 aces and 44 winners to defeat Spanish 24th seed Juan Carlos Ferrero 6-3, 6-3, 6-3.
Agencies
