Until the later stages of the final set, Murray can rarely have played better, particularly on serve, but Nadal is not world No.1 (and second seed here) without merit. In front of a packed crowd who were clearly rooting for his opponent, the man from Mallorca was magnificent and unbeatable. He will go into Sunday's final against Tomas Berdych as clear favourite to win again, as he did in 2008.
Clearly keyed up for this, one of the biggest contests of his career, Murray bellowed "Come on" after taking the opening point of the match with a service winner, and followed this with the first of five aces he was to deliver in the first set. Knowing that he had to perform at top level to stay with the world No.1, Murray was doing just that.
He was solid on his first serves, averaging 73% on target, and reliable on his second when the first one missed. The Scot's first four services games cost just four points but Nadal, the great predator, was not only very comfortable on his own delivery but lurking to strike the moment he spotted the slightest opening, which happened in the ninth game.
A stupendous service return forced Murray to strike his next shot short into mid-court and Nadal was on it in a flash, hooking a forehand winner to take him to break point, and then accepting a gifted break as Murray missed an easy forehand.
Nadal served out efficiently in the next game and the first set was his in 37 minutes. The depressing statistic for Murray was that there had been just one Nadal unforced error in the whole set.
All Murray could do in the second set was to keep serving at top level and hope for Nadal to start making mistakes. The Scot certainly did his part, not conceding a single point on serve until the seventh game of the set, and that was the result of a fluke bounce.
And suddenly, too, there were unforced errors from the Spaniard - three in the sixth game, from which he escaped, and more in his next service game, when, for the first time, Murray held a pair of break points. He could not cash in, but he was getting closer.
But not close enough to prevent the second set moving to a tie-break where, to mounting hysteria in the crowd, Murray served successive aces to put himself within reach of winning it. Nadal then double-faulted, leaving the Scot at set point, but he could not clinch it. Nadal swept the next three points, one fortunately with a net cord and then went two sets up when his howitzer forehand delivered another unreachable shot.
Defiantly, Murray opened the third set by breaking Nadal to love and then conceding just two points in his next three service games. But he needed to avoid dropping serve for just two more games when leading 4-2, and it proved beyond him as his first service percentage dropped right down to 40%. Murray never won another game in that third set as Rafa revved up to his most dynamic level.
In final, Rafa will meet Thomas Berdych. Berdych beats Novak Djokovic 6-3. 7-6 (11-9), 6-3 in the other semifinal.
http://www.wimbledon.org/en_GB/news/match_reports/2010-07-02/201007021278092190999.html?promo=sl_toparticles
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