Is Andy Murray headed for destiny Down Under?
The great British hope is looking to become the first British man to win a major singles title since Fred Perry won the last of his eight majors at the 1936 U.S. Championships. His abbreviated 6-3, 7-6, 3-0, ret., victory over No. 2 seed and defending champion Rafael Nadal in the Australian Open quarterfinals Tuesday night moved him within two matches of breaking through and achieving the distinction for himself and his country.
Seeded No. 5, Murray will face No. 14 seed Marin Cilic in the semifinals and, if victorious, would reach his second career major final to go with his runner-up showing to Roger Federer at the 2008 U.S. Open.
After battling through to take a two-sets-to-love lead against Nadal, Murray benefitted from the Spaniard injuring his right knee that required him to quit the match.
“It was so sudden” said Murray of Nadal’s injury to his former coach Brad Gilbert during a post-match interview on ESPN2. “He was moving well at the second set. It is obviously a shame.”
Murray will look to avenge his 7-5, 6-2, 6-2 loss to Cilic in the fourth round of the U.S. Open last September. That loss to Cilic was, in the words of ESPN’s Patrick McEnroe, “The worst Murray played at a major last year.”
“I am hoping I can turn it around,” Murray told the American cable television network of his U.S. Open loss to Cilic. “I am feeling good here.”
Perry was also the last British man to win the Australian title when he won in 1934, his second career major title. The last Brit to reach the men’s singles final Down Under was John Lloyd, the current British Davis Cup captain, who reached the Australian final in 1977, losing a five-set final to Vitas Gerulaitis.
As a result of the loss, Nadal, the defending Australian Open champion, will lose his No. 2 ranking.
In the quarterfinals in the top half of the draw, top seed Roger Federer will face Nikolay Davydenko and Novak Djokovic will take on Jo-Wilfried Tsonga Wednesday.