Share

Nadal sets up Murray duel

London - Defending Wimbledon champion Rafael Nadal booked his place in the semi-finals here Wednesday, overcoming American 10th seed Mardy Fish 6-3, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4.

The Spanish world No 1, who suffered an injury scare in his fourth round victory over Juan Martin Del Potro on Monday, showed no sign of discomfort as he eased past his Florida-based opponent.

Nadal, chasing an 11th Grand Slam title at Wimbledon this week, will now face British fourth seed Andy Murray in Friday's semi-finals.

Nadal had not lost in five previous encounters against the 29-year-old Fish, and his perfect record was never seriously threatened.

Fish had dropped only one service game in his four matches leading to the quarter-final, but his game suffered a brutal mauling from Nadal's groundstrokes as the 25-year-old raced into a two-set lead.

Fish was broken three times in the first set alone as Nadal took total control, and the American journeyman was soon in trouble in the second set.

The decisive break came in the fourth game, when Fish fought back from 0-40 down only to see Nadal break him yet again.

With Fish making little impression on Nadal's serve it was left to the top seed to serve out for the set at 6-3.

The third set began ominously for Fish he was broken in the opening game. But Fish suddenly began to find his range, and against the run of play conjured up a vital break.

Serving with far greater consistency, Fish grew with confidence. The set went with serve until the 12th game, when the American produced a wonderful return to take two break points before clinching the set with a driven forehand.

But Nadal was quickly back on track in the fourth set, securing a break in the third game to regain the initiative which he was never to surrender.

Results at Wimbledon on Wednesday:

Men's

Quarter-finals

Novak Djokovic (2), Serbia, def. Bernard Tomic, Australia, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3, 7-5.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (12), France, def. Roger Federer (3), Switzerland, 3-6, 6-7 (3), 6-4, 6-4, 6-4.

Andy Murray (4), Britain, def. Feliciano Lopez, Spain, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4.

Rafael Nadal (1), Spain, def. Mardy Fish (10), United States, 6-3, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
26% - 1272 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
30% - 1470 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2240 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE