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| Rafael Nadal crushes Andy Murray in straight sets to reach French Open final | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Rafael Nadal walked all over Andy Murray in the blazing sun here on Friday on his way to Sunday’s final of the French Open, where he must beat Novak Djokovic to win his ninth title and remain No 1 in the world. It is no less than he deserves. | Rafael Nadal walked all over Andy Murray in the blazing sun here on Friday on his way to Sunday’s final of the French Open, where he must beat Novak Djokovic to win his ninth title and remain No 1 in the world. It is no less than he deserves. |
| The Spaniard was so superb for so long that the scoreline of 6-3, 6-2, 6-1 was not just an embarrassment to the loser but suggested that, had they played a fourth set, that symmetry would have continued all the way to zero for Murray. The exercise detained the defending champion for an hour and 40 minutes, ridiculously short for the semi-final of any tournament, and, statistically, Murray’s worst beating in a slam. | The Spaniard was so superb for so long that the scoreline of 6-3, 6-2, 6-1 was not just an embarrassment to the loser but suggested that, had they played a fourth set, that symmetry would have continued all the way to zero for Murray. The exercise detained the defending champion for an hour and 40 minutes, ridiculously short for the semi-final of any tournament, and, statistically, Murray’s worst beating in a slam. |
| “That’s the toughest match I’ve played against him,” Murray admitted. “I was very disappointed today with how that match ended. I’d like a few days to think about it and get ready again. I didn’t give myself a chance in any of the sets. You want to make it competitive, hard for him and I wasn’t able to do that. You can’t always control how your opponent plays. | “That’s the toughest match I’ve played against him,” Murray admitted. “I was very disappointed today with how that match ended. I’d like a few days to think about it and get ready again. I didn’t give myself a chance in any of the sets. You want to make it competitive, hard for him and I wasn’t able to do that. You can’t always control how your opponent plays. |
| “There were a few too many sets this week where I could have finished matches quicker. I only have myself to blame for that.” | “There were a few too many sets this week where I could have finished matches quicker. I only have myself to blame for that.” |
| Murray now heads for the reassurance of the grass at Queen’s and Wimbledon, where he reigns, and might even have the benefit of a new coach. “I haven’t spoken to anyone since the tournament began [about succeeding Ivan Lendl as coach]. I would hope to have someone in place [for Wimbledon], 50-50. I don’t know,” he said. | Murray now heads for the reassurance of the grass at Queen’s and Wimbledon, where he reigns, and might even have the benefit of a new coach. “I haven’t spoken to anyone since the tournament began [about succeeding Ivan Lendl as coach]. I would hope to have someone in place [for Wimbledon], 50-50. I don’t know,” he said. |
| “I’ve played a lot of tennis the last couple of weeks, the most in a two-week span in the last six months, since I came back. Going on to the grass in some ways will help me. You need to try to learn from it and what exactly went wrong.” | “I’ve played a lot of tennis the last couple of weeks, the most in a two-week span in the last six months, since I came back. Going on to the grass in some ways will help me. You need to try to learn from it and what exactly went wrong.” |
| Amid all the gloom, the former two-time French Open champion Jim Courier, who also once lost a slam final when winning just six games (the 1991 US Open against Stefan Edberg) observed. “He should hold his head high. He’s just lost to someone who played nearly a perfect match.” | Amid all the gloom, the former two-time French Open champion Jim Courier, who also once lost a slam final when winning just six games (the 1991 US Open against Stefan Edberg) observed. “He should hold his head high. He’s just lost to someone who played nearly a perfect match.” |
| Certainly it could be argued that it was not that Murray played altogether poorly, more that Nadal did not allow him to play anywhere near as well as he can. The Spaniard said, in towering understatement: “I think I played my best tennis of the whole fortnight today,” adding his customary humble rider, “I have to play my very best to have any chance on Sunday.” If he plays like he did against Murray, he will have few worries. | Certainly it could be argued that it was not that Murray played altogether poorly, more that Nadal did not allow him to play anywhere near as well as he can. The Spaniard said, in towering understatement: “I think I played my best tennis of the whole fortnight today,” adding his customary humble rider, “I have to play my very best to have any chance on Sunday.” If he plays like he did against Murray, he will have few worries. |
| There were moments in the first two sets when Murray might have made a better fight of it but his game was way too passive, allowing Nadal to dictate nearly every exchange. Even his normally sound defensive game unravelled under pressure, and pretty much nothing went right for him. | There were moments in the first two sets when Murray might have made a better fight of it but his game was way too passive, allowing Nadal to dictate nearly every exchange. Even his normally sound defensive game unravelled under pressure, and pretty much nothing went right for him. |
| When Nadal’s forehand hit a footprint at 4-2 in the second set and spoiled Murray’s reply – followed within a shot by another break – the match was hurtling towards its inevitable end. And when Nadal served out to love for a two-set lead, there was a growing air of despondency in Murray’s box, reflected on the player’s downcast features. | When Nadal’s forehand hit a footprint at 4-2 in the second set and spoiled Murray’s reply – followed within a shot by another break – the match was hurtling towards its inevitable end. And when Nadal served out to love for a two-set lead, there was a growing air of despondency in Murray’s box, reflected on the player’s downcast features. |
| He now needed a comeback the likes of which nobody in the game has seen, certainly not at this level against this opponent. Murray has beaten Nadal in slams three times, but not here. Only Robin Soderling has done that. | He now needed a comeback the likes of which nobody in the game has seen, certainly not at this level against this opponent. Murray has beaten Nadal in slams three times, but not here. Only Robin Soderling has done that. |
| Nadal’s already high level refused to dip and he broke with discomforting ease in the third game of the third set.Murray said on at least three occasions during this tournament that defence is the building block of success in all sport. Quite why this thought was so prominent in his thinking is hard to say, but it obviously had consumed him on Friday, because he steadfastly refused to give his opponent a sustained lash of his racquet, choosing instead to move the ball with caution, and that provided no platform. On the warmest day of the fortnight, he played with energy-consuming care rather than with the ruthlessness and zest required to make his opponent at least uncomfortable. | Nadal’s already high level refused to dip and he broke with discomforting ease in the third game of the third set.Murray said on at least three occasions during this tournament that defence is the building block of success in all sport. Quite why this thought was so prominent in his thinking is hard to say, but it obviously had consumed him on Friday, because he steadfastly refused to give his opponent a sustained lash of his racquet, choosing instead to move the ball with caution, and that provided no platform. On the warmest day of the fortnight, he played with energy-consuming care rather than with the ruthlessness and zest required to make his opponent at least uncomfortable. |
| A third of his returns of Nadal’s high-grade serve were dropping inside the service boxes, gifts that he accepted on nearly every occasion. There was simply not enough depth on Murray’s ground strokes. And the punishment continued unabated to the end, the second break of the set greeted without surprise around the court. | A third of his returns of Nadal’s high-grade serve were dropping inside the service boxes, gifts that he accepted on nearly every occasion. There was simply not enough depth on Murray’s ground strokes. And the punishment continued unabated to the end, the second break of the set greeted without surprise around the court. |
| All Murray could hope for in the face of this unbroken excellence was a little late defiance, a gesture at least. It did not come. Serving, against all hope and logic, to stay in the match, his last contribution to the entertainment was running in pointless pursuit of Nadal’s crosscourt smash, like a child chasing a car down the street. | All Murray could hope for in the face of this unbroken excellence was a little late defiance, a gesture at least. It did not come. Serving, against all hope and logic, to stay in the match, his last contribution to the entertainment was running in pointless pursuit of Nadal’s crosscourt smash, like a child chasing a car down the street. |
| Ernests Gulbis, meanwhile, was never going to do anything but trust his outrageous talent against Djokovic in the first semi-final. But, having waited two hours to add sufficient rigour to his genius to crack the Serb’s equilibrium, he surrendered in the most timid fashion. | Ernests Gulbis, meanwhile, was never going to do anything but trust his outrageous talent against Djokovic in the first semi-final. But, having waited two hours to add sufficient rigour to his genius to crack the Serb’s equilibrium, he surrendered in the most timid fashion. |
| When Djokovic recovered from the shock of the brief Gulbis fightback, he served out to love for a 6-3, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 win that keeps alive his hopes of completing a collection of all the slams. | When Djokovic recovered from the shock of the brief Gulbis fightback, he served out to love for a 6-3, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 win that keeps alive his hopes of completing a collection of all the slams. |
| It would be unfair to say there was an air of carelessness about Gulbis’s work, as he always hits freely and without fear, but he lacked discipline in the shot. Too many were hit without regard for the consequence, a present for Djokovic, who kept the shape of his game for most of the match. | It would be unfair to say there was an air of carelessness about Gulbis’s work, as he always hits freely and without fear, but he lacked discipline in the shot. Too many were hit without regard for the consequence, a present for Djokovic, who kept the shape of his game for most of the match. |
| It was only when Gulbis stuck his nose on the grindstone and cashed in on some lovely, inventive tennis – particularly so at close quarters – that he was able to drag a set back. | It was only when Gulbis stuck his nose on the grindstone and cashed in on some lovely, inventive tennis – particularly so at close quarters – that he was able to drag a set back. |
| And who would have predicted what followed? Djokovic has constructed his entire career on a sense of contained rage, keeping the beast within known confines. But when he butchered a backhand to hand Gulbis another break in the third game of the fourth set, he smashed the offending weapon to the ground with unconcealed anger. | And who would have predicted what followed? Djokovic has constructed his entire career on a sense of contained rage, keeping the beast within known confines. But when he butchered a backhand to hand Gulbis another break in the third game of the fourth set, he smashed the offending weapon to the ground with unconcealed anger. |
| Gulbis plainly was energised and looked determined not to squander it. Yet, his propensity for self-destruction is so deeply ingrained he handed the break back, as well as complaining about a back pain. | Gulbis plainly was energised and looked determined not to squander it. Yet, his propensity for self-destruction is so deeply ingrained he handed the break back, as well as complaining about a back pain. |
| After a long chat with his trainer, he re-entered the fray, still looking keen for the fray but a double fault unsettled him and Djokovic seized on his mood, parking a forehand in the deuce corner, then forcing a feeble backhand for break point. It came with an overcooked forehand, and Gulbis’s hands went immediately to his knees. He is incapable of hiding his emotions, even the bad ones. | After a long chat with his trainer, he re-entered the fray, still looking keen for the fray but a double fault unsettled him and Djokovic seized on his mood, parking a forehand in the deuce corner, then forcing a feeble backhand for break point. It came with an overcooked forehand, and Gulbis’s hands went immediately to his knees. He is incapable of hiding his emotions, even the bad ones. |