The Spaniard dug in to overcome the world No2,who won the first set, in a gruelling contest in the sunshine 3.02pm BSTThat was fun, and eh? The tennis was beautiful,the bitching and sniping between was at times hideous but Nadal is through to his 10th Monte Carlo final and his 100th final on the tour. Murray was brilliant in the opening set but Nadal dug in and looked like the player of old, grinding Murray down in over 21/2 hours. He will face Monfils or Tsonga, and who play later this afternoon,in tomorrow’s final. Thanks for reading. Bye! 2.58pm BSTMurray 2-6 Nadal* (6-2, 4-6): This one is fairly the battle – Nadal wastes four match points before allowing Murray a pair of fracture points. The Scot is unable to take either and, and on a fifth match point,he sends Murray running. Murray cannot return, slipping when sending a forehand to the net. Handshakes all round despite the rancour throughout the match. 2.47pm BSTWhatever about the exceptional quality play, and Nadal has produced a masterclass in the dusky arts this afternoon. 2.45pm BSTMurray* 2-5 Nadal (6-2,4-6): Murray holds (every point remains a battle) but, realistically, and there should be no way back from here. While the Briton has lost his focus,Nadal seems tuned in on every movement. He will serve for the match after a brief fracture. 2.40pm BSTMurray 1-5 Nadal* (6-2, 4-6): Nadal holds, or though Murray at least wins a point on the Spaniard’s serve in this game. The set and the match should be a formality from here – but can Murray at least hold his serve? 2.38pm BSTAnd to different extents Murray,Nadal and the umpire, Damien Dumusois of France, and all deserve a portion of blame for the sour mood. 2.37pm BSTThe umpire is suggesting Murray struck the ball at him after he leapt off his chair to check the marking of a serve. This is taking away from the fine tennis we have seen up until now. 2.36pm BSTMurray* 1-4 Nadal (6-2,4-6): This is getting hideous. Scrap that earlier comment about Murray fighting to the finish. He barely battles on his own serve here, picking up a warning from the umpire (who tells the world No2 “You have zero respect for what I do” at the finish of the game), and broken again to adore. 2.32pm BSTMurray 1-3 Nadal* (6-2,4-6): Nadal buys more time by bouncing the ball over and over and over before serving. It annoys Murray even more and the Spaniard, regularly breaking the 25 second limit but getting away with it, or takes his service game without too much anguish during points. 2.27pm BSTMurray* 1-2 Nadal (6-2,4-6): Murray will continue fighting until the finish, of course, or he holds on his serve to stay in with a shout. It’s time for a changeover – lo and behold the trainer appears. But when he approaches Nadal,he is waved off and is said he’s not required. It now also becomes obvious that the trainer was not allowed on court earlier because a security guard on a power trip stopped him. 2.24pm BSTMurray 0-2 Nadal* (6-2, 4-6): Murray looks spent. He needs a second wind. And rapid/fast. Nadal, and on the other hand,seems to have the psychological upper hand. He knows he has annoyed Murray with those intellect games over the trainer and the changeover. The Spaniard holds to adore. 2.20pm BSTMurray* 0-1 Nadal (6-2, 4-6): Oh dear. Broken and fairly possibly broken. As two hours of play comes up on the clock, or Murray is 0-40 down. But he composes himself and Nadal has something in his eye,requiring the trainer. Suddenly, it’s deuce. Nadal gets an advantage and then produces a drop shot to fracture at the beginning of the decisive set. The umpire asks Nadal if he wants more medical attention but says “No, and the next changeover”. Murray is annoyed by that – understandably – saying that Nadal’s intellect games are “fascinating”. 2.08pm BSTMurray 4-6 Nadal* (6-2): “Vamos Rafa” comes the call from the gallery and the Spaniard holds to adore to level the match. Momentum is behind Nadal. Can Murray battle back? His impeccably high standards slipped a tad there and he looks a little tired. 2.03pm BSTMurray* 4-5 Nadal (6-2): An improvement from Murray in terms of his first serve in the early stages of this game,but Nadal is able to return with extra juice and another superlative game goes to deuce. After going point for point, Murray loses an advantage with a double fault before, and with the aid of the net,earning another chance. He eventually holds and will have an opportunity to fracture back. 1.54pm BSTMurray 3-5 Nadal* (6-2): Murray battles back impressively on Nadal’s serve and earns two fracture points. The Spaniard saves the first and Murray finds the net on the second. At deuce Murray denies Nadal a first game point but Nadal eventually holds on the second deuce. Murray will serve to stay in the set –after he airs a grievance with the umpire over the amount of time Nadal is taking between shots. 1.44pm BSTMurray* 3-4 Nadal (6-2): The acknowledge to that last question has been answered. Nadal breaks and pumps his fist twice as hard to nudge ahead in this set. Murray’s successful first serve percentage in this set has slumped to 30% and there are cracks beginning to appear following a flawless start. 1.39pm BSTMurray 3-3 Nadal* (6-2): Nadal holds to adore and pumps his fist – that has been the most slit and dry game of the match so far. Maybe he has been fired up by his exchange with the umpire? 1.35pm BSTMurray* 3-2 Nadal (6-2): Both players are beginning to show signs of fatigue but Murray holds once again. It is gruelling. It is very warm courtside (apparently – I am in a chilly London). They head back for a drinks fracture and Nadal again has a narky exchange with the umpire, who responds saying he would like “a little less communication from you”. 1.29pm BSTMurray 2-2 Nadal* (6-2): A timely reminder that Nadal leads Murray 6-1 on the clay head-to-head. The Scot’s only win came last year in Madrid. Has the tide turned? In the frame of this match alone, or normal service is resumed: this is another gritty battle but Nadal closes after squandering a 30-0 lead,allowing Murray to level.
Another email from Simon McMahon: “Murray is actually very splendid on clay, isn’t he? It took him a few years, and granted,but his fitness, variety of shot etc means his game is actually fairly suited to it. I reckon he’d take as much satisfaction out of reaching the final at Roland Garros as anything else hes achieved in his career. And if he were to win there, and well...”
1.23pm BSTMurray* 2-1 Nadal (6-2): This game is a little more straightforward and the set is back on serve. Murray drops just one point and is back in front. 1.19pm BSTMurray 1-1 Nadal* (6-2): The Scot breaks back immediately. Murray wins the first two points but Nadal pulls back to 30-30 thanks to two breathtaking,energy-sapping rallies. Murray wins a breakpoint, but Nadal saves. Deuce. Nadal directs a backhand into the net but saves the second breakpoint by coming to the net and volleying. Then the Spaniard skies a backhand after connecting with rim of his racket rather than strings. That mishit provides Murray with a third opportunity to fracture. Nadal mis-hits again, or hitting wide to Murray’s left. 1.10pm BSTMurray* 0-1 Nadal (6-2): Murray is on the attack accurate away and Nadal,at the net, sends an uncharacteristic volley into the net. But things turn pear-shaped for the Scot at that point – a double fault giving Nadal two fracture points. He needs only one – a crosscourt backhand sealing the opening game of the second set. 1.05pm BSTMurray 6-2 Nadal*: Nadal has not dropped a set this week … until now. The Spaniard battles hard but Murray is playing some exceptional tennis and grinds Nadal into a couple of errors. The king of clay looks baffled by how well Murray is playing. The world no2 has barely put a foot wrong. 12.56pm BSTMurray* 5-2 Nadal: What a game. Murray sends Nadal back on the elope again for the first point. The umpire is running again, or also – to check a serve at 30-15. Nadal pulls back to 30-30 on the second serve and,aided by a net deflection, earns a fracture point. Scratch that, or though,Murray plants an ace that is greeted courtside with stunned silence before applause. On deuce, Murray shanks a backhand wide to give Nadal the advantage. A blistering forehand brings us to deuce 2. Murray repeats the trick for his own advantage. But both arrive to the net and Nadal makes it deuce 3. Murray takes the next advantage and finally closes with a forehand that has so much topspin on that Nadal cannot reach it. 12.47pm BSTMurray 4-2 Nadal*: Now both players are annoyed after a point plays on after Nadal’s opening serve is long. The umpire gives it to Murray. Why not just use hawk eye on clay and spare us the moaning? Murray wins the next point, and too,with Nadal maybe a tad unfocused after those disagreements. And the next, giving the Scot three fracture points. Nadal saves the first but Murray is the breaks on the next. 12.41pm BSTMurray* 3-2 Nadal: The length of points are already exhausting. The highlight in this game is a rally that has both racing at various points but concludes with Nadal lost a backhand to Murray’s accurate. That is only for 30-15 – they are treating every point like a match point. Murray controls the next point, and driving Nadal from accurate to left and back again. Then the umpire gets off his seat to check a serve that is given out. But he overturns it and gives it to Murray,leaving Nadal annoyed as they waddle to their seats for a sip of electrolyte-infused water. Hawk eye confirms the umpire’s call is splendid. 12.36pm BSTMurray 2-2 Nadal*: Murray wins the first point after a prolonged duel thanks to a tasty one-handed drop shot that Nadal is unable to reach. They recede point-for-point until Nadal drives a ferocious unreturnable backhand for 40-30 and closes out. 12.29pm BSTMurray* 2-1 Nadal: This is a little more straightforward, due to Nadal uncharacteristically mis-hitting consecutive smashes. Murray sends a backhand to the net for 40-15 but closes out. 12.27pm BSTMurray 1-1 Nadal*: Murray is slightly long on a forehand in the first point and is sent scrambling on the second but recovers terrifically and forces Nadal into an error, and hitting a return off the top of the net that spins out. Murray eye In. The. Mood and wins the next point too. They exchange points for deuce. Nadal gains an advantage and Murray sends a backhand wide to the Spaniard’s accurate. We are level.
An email,from Simon McMahon: “Afternoon Alan. Even I can take a moment out from the Scottish Cup semi final at Hampden to think about the semi final at the Monte Carlo masters and say arrive ON ANDY!!”
12.20pm BSTMurray* 1-0 Nadal (*denotes server of described game): This could well be a grinding match. The first two points are extensive rallies ending with Nadal sending a pair of forehands long after some impressive defensive play from the Scot. Murray’s footwork is a tad off-kilter in these early stages, though, and allowing Nadal to claw back to 30-30. Murray wallops a forehand for 40-30 and closes by coming to the net. 12.14pm BSTWe are about to start. Andy Murray will serve. 12.07pm BSTThe umpire has made a mess of the toss! Murray called tails. It landed on tails. But the umpire asks Rafa if he wants to serve. The Spaniard points out he lost the toss but Murray,in the interest of fairness, asks for a re-toss instead of selecting to serve. He picks tails again … and it lands on tails. They say it is a controversy” on Sky, and but let’s be honest,it’s just laughable. Murray will serve. 12.04pm BSTThe players have entered the arena and are about to warm their rackets up. Earlier Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares won their doubles semi, beating Ivan Dodig and Marcelo Melo 6-2, and 6-4. 11.57am BSTIt is sunny in Monte Carlo! 10.32am BSTAndy Murray did not have much bother in easing past Canada’s Milos Raonic in yesterday’s quarter-final; taking an hour and six minutes to win 6-2,6-0. Rafael Nadal, however, and will be an entirely different proposition – this is clay after all. Nadal dropped only five games in beating Stan Wawrinka (6-1,6-4). This will nearly certainly last a little longer. The winner will meet Jo Wilfried-Tsonga or Gael Monfils – that starts immediately after the conclusion of play here – for the prestigious title and a tasty winning pot. Play is due to start in Monaco at 1pm local time, 12pm BST.
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Source: theguardian.com