It will be a rematch of the 2015 Madrid final when Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal square off during semifinal action on Saturday. They winner will go up against either Novak Djokovic or Kei Nishikori for the title.
Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray will be facing each other for the 24th time in their careers when they clash in the semifinals of the Mutua Madrid Open on Saturday afternoon.
Nadal is dominating the head-to-head series 17-6, including 8-1 on clay. Murray’s lone victory on the red stuff, however, came last spring in the title match of this same Madrid event (the Scot triumphed 6-3, 6-2). Still, Nadal has won four of their last five encounters after most recently prevailing 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 in the Monte-Carlo semis.
It is safe to say this is not the Nadal whom Murray defeated in last year’s final. The fifth-ranked Spaniard dug himself out of a prolonged slump by restoring order to his old stomping grounds in Monte-Carlo and Barcelona. Nadal followed up his recent win over Murray by beating Gael Monfils for the Monte-Carlo title and he came back out the next week to steamroll through Barcelona without dropping a single set. So far in Madrid the 14-time major champion has fought past Andrey Kuznetsov, Sam Querrey, and Joao Sousa, donating one set to Sousa in the process.
Murray’s title defense got off to a bit of a rocky start when he surrendered a set to Radek Stepanek in round two, but the second seed promptly destroyed both Gilles Simon and Tomas Berdych. He is now 16-4 for the season and in confident form on clay after struggling in both Indian Wells and Miami.
“Andy played the semifinals in Monte-Carlo, winning good matches, and was close to beating me,” Nadal reflected. “Last year he won [this title], so he knows how to play very well here. That’s a great level that he’s playing. He’s a player that can win against everybody.”
Murray certainly has the capability of picking up a win on Saturday, but life would be easier on him with a closed roof. Such was the unfortunate case for Nadal against Sousa, who bounced back from a first-set bagel to steal the second amidst indoor conditions after the roof was shut because of rain. Rain is not in the Madrid forecast again until Sunday. This should be another competitive Murray-Nadal contest, but the four-time champion is likely to raise his level with one of the toughest opponents on the other side of the net.
Pick: Nadal in 3
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Murray goes for an inside-out backhand, called in, Rafa calls the umpire and it is wide. But again, lacking penetration in his shots
That really was a poor, helpess Halfa-Rafa backhand second serve return into the net.
Rafa uses pace from Murray’s backhand to hit a penetrative backhand CC drive! draws an error!
Rafa runs around his backhand and THUMPS a forehand return DTL for a return winner!!
Murray’s first serves have been really effective today…big one down the middle…
rafa must be playing a lot better than before because his stats, which were poor before, are now better than murray’s including overall points won…
Amy, he improved to make it level at 5-5 but the last game was BAD.
Rafa’s making errors now but needs to do more with his shots.
can he raise his game vr?? it’s all mental…
Not doing enough with his groundstrokes and getting bossed by Murray. 0-30
0-40! Does not have the courage to hit a forehand DTL at the moment…
Murray kills a second serve for a winner…. 7-5…. the better player won.
Rafa’s shots need to have more penetration! Simple as that. He must go for more with his forehand AT LEAST.
And guess what, Muzz’s first serve % was 41 !
well if halfarafa is in the house he is not going to be able to raise his game….SIGH…
Rafa underachieved in that set bigtime. Murray won the first set rolling in 41% of his first serves. But this is following the traditional Rafarray matches pattern.
And to make matters worse, Rafa is in Novak’s quarter at Rome. So number 4 seems out of reach
Nole is laughing for 11 minutes.
one for each of his slams??? that’s a very precise number…
One more than federer said he did when Rosol beat Rafa.
Good forehand CC, Murray returns with a good backhand CC but Rafa finishes BIG with a forehand DTL! VAMOS
Rafa’s backhand CC was too good in that point! Never let Murray dictate! 15-30
Rafa WASTES a neutral ball on his forehand ! rolled it to Muzz’s backhand to get thumped CC
Sounds about right…
RT @BenRothenberg: After a bit of a collapse from 5-2, Murray pounces on some tepid serving by Nadal to break at love and take the first set 7-5. #MMOPEN2016
Murray nets a inside-in forehand , but now hits an ace…deuce
Rafa lobs a good angled wide serve , Murray hits a forehand swing volley to the open court and Rafa cranks a forehand CC winner ! passing shot!
MUrray with another Ace :/
Rafa takes control of the point with his forehand! punishes Murray’s backhand and draws an error
1 hr 10 mins for one set, they’re going to tire themselves and whoever wins this match will be too tired to handle that very fit Djoko tmr (Djoko very likely in the final).