Murray ousts Nadal to face Federer in final

TORONTO: Britain’s Andy Murray upset world number one Rafael Nadal 6-3, 6-4, advancing the defending champion into the final of the $2.4 million-dollar ATP Toronto Masters. The Scot will play Roger Federer, who beat Novak Djokovic 6-1, 3-6, 7-5 in the other semi-final. Murray hopes to become the first man since Andre Agassi to win back-to-back Canadian trophies.

Murray’s victory lifted him to 4-8 against Nadal after beating the Spaniard at the Australian Open earlier this year but losing to him in a Wimbledon semi-final last month.

Nadal, reigning Roland Garros and Wimbledon champion, lost for only the sixth time this season.

Murray served two aces in the fifth game of the opening set and broke in the eighth. He set up set points in a game of three aces, converting on his second winning opportunity from Nadal’s error. The world number four Scot won 14 of the last 19 points and fired eight aces as he staked his claim on the victory.

“Something was not right with my serve,” said Nadal. “Andy was playing better than me. My serve was the worst thing about my game today.”

Murray’s momentum continued to start the second set as he broke for 2-1, only to lose it in the sixth game, 3-3. But he carved out another break for 5-4 and served out for the victory a game later after one and three-quarter hours on court.

The world number four is searching for his first title of the season after going down to Federer in the Melbourne final and missing his chance for a trophy a fortnight ago against Sam Querrey in the Los Angeles final.

The Scot stands 29-11 on the season and is nine months removed from the last of the six titles he earned in 2009, his November success indoors in Valencia.

Federer powers on

Sweden’s Federer will return to world number two after reaching the final by dodging a bullet for the second night in a row.

Federer’s Toronto thriller, which took just under two and a half hours, could have gone either way despite a rollicking start from the 16-time Grand Slam champion, who raced away with the opening set in 25 minutes.

But Serbia’s Djokovic steadied to find his rhythm in the second set, earning back a break and going ahead 5-3 with a break of two-time Canadian titleholder Federer. Djokovic eventually levelled on a set each but Federer again took charge in the third, grabbing a 4-1 lead only to see it eaten away as his first-serving percentage fell and Djokovic dominated in long rallies. Djokovic clawed back a break in the seventh game for 3-4 and levelled at 5-all.

Federer made his second great escape in 24 hours and broke in the final game from a Djokovic forehand that sailed long.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 16^th, 2010.