Murray upsets Nadal to reach first slam final
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Andy Murray returns a shot against Rafael Nadal. (Getty Images: Nick Laham)
Britain's Andy Murray has advanced to his first grand slam final by stunning world number one Rafael Nadal in a US Open semi-final, booking a date with reigning champion Roger Federer.
The 21-year-old Scotsman defeated the reigning Wimbledon, French Open and Olympic champion 6-2, 7-6 (7-5), 4-6, 6-4 in a match that began yesterday but was halted by rain in the third set.
That storm pushed the showdown with 12-time grand slam champion Federer to tomorrow, the first time since 1987 that bad weather has postponed the year's last grand slam tournament to an extra day.
Murray became only the third British man to reach a slam final in the 40-year Open era, after Greg Rusedski in the 1997 US Open and John Lloyd at the 1977 Australian Open, and will be the first to win a title by beating Federer.
"He's probably the greatest player ever," Murray said of Federer.
"To get the chance to play against him in a slam final is an honour. I've played well against him in the past.
"Hopefully I can do the same again."
Murray owns a 2-1 lead over Federer in their career rivalry, losing their first meeting 6-3, 7-5 at the 2005 Bangkok final but winning 7-5, 6-4 at Cincinnati in 2006 and 6-7 (6-8), 6-3, 6-4 in Dubai six months ago.
Nadal carried a 19-match slam win streak into his first US Open semi-final against a foe he had beaten in all five of their prior meetings, taking 11 sets in a row off Murray.
Sixth seed Murray will rise to fourth in the next rankings, matching Tim Henman and Rusedski for the top ranking ever achieved by a British man.
Murray slept on a two-set lead but was down a break at 2-3 in the third set with Nadal serving when play resumed at Arthur Ashe Stadium after a delay of about 26 hours from yesterday's stoppage at adjacent Louis Armstrong Stadium.
"I'm very relieved to come back," Murray said.
"Obviously tough to sleep on it but I'm very glad I came through in the end."
Murray declared the US Open his favourite event, citing the noisy atmosphere and celebrity spectators as superior to his beloved home-nation Wimbledon.
"It was tough but the atmosphere in here was unbelievable. They only got a set and a half worth of tennis and I thought they were unbelievable. They helped me," Murray said.
"This is my favourite tournament and it has been since I was a junior. It's awesome. You don't get that back home."
No lefthander has won the US Open men's title since John McEnroe in 1984 and no Spaniard since Manuel Orantes in 1975 when the event was played on clay.
The only prior British winners in the 128-year history of the US event were Laurie Doherty in 1903 and Fred Perry, who won three titles in the 1930s.
-AFP
