TENNIS – Rafa Nadal beat Tomas Berdych 7-6 (7-3) 6-1 after 1 hour and 44 minutes in the first semifinal to qualify for his seventh appearance final at the Madrid Mutua Open. Diego Sampaolo
Berdych started well taking a 3-2 lead after Nadal failed to convert on a break point as Berdych fought back from 0-30 to hold his serve with a 217 km/h ace. Berdych saved a second break point in the 11th game to take a 6-5 lead. Both men remained on serve and a tiebreak was needed to decide the opening set. Berdych played a good match until the tie-break when Nadal reeled off four of the last 5 points from 3-2 to win 7-3 with a series of forehand winners.
Nadal broke serve twice in the second set to take it 6-1. The four-time Madrid champion has reached another final without dropping a set in the whole tournament. Nadal took revenge against Berdych for his Australian Open loss this year after winning 17 consecutive matches against the Czech player. Berdych has now made it to his seventh semifinal of the year in eight tournaments
“Berdych was dangerous as he is playing very well in every tournament. This is the best match I have played this year. When I started this tournament I was not sure if I was able to get through the second round”, said Nadal
Nadal won the Madrid Mutua Open in 2005 when this tournament was held indoors, 2010, 2013 and 2014.
Nadal will take on Andy Murray who beat last year’s finalist Kei Nishikori 6-3 6-4.
Nishikori, who won his second consecutive title in Barcelona on clay two weeks ago, saved two break points in the third game. Murray broke serve in the seventh game for 4-3 with a drop shot before betting a second break in the final game of the first set to clinch it 6-3.
Nishikori broke Murray early in the second set but the Scotsman broke straight back before breaking again in the final game of the second set at 5-4 to wrap up the second set.
Murray will be bidding to win his second consecutive title on clay six days after beating Phillip Kohlschreiber in Munich for his first even clay title.
“I returned well and put him under a lot of pressure on his serve. My backhand was really good. I did a few things. Kei has a fantastic backhand and I won the exchanges on cross-court”, said Murray.
Nadal leads 15-5 in the previous head-to-head matches and has not lost to Murray since the 2011 Tokyo final. Murray won two of the three finals played so far by these two players.