Nadals title defence ends in pain

Andy Murray reached the semi-finals of the Australian Open for the first time when defending champion Rafael Nadal quit with a right leg injury midway through the third set.

ANDY Murray reached the semi-finals of the Australian Open for the first time on Tuesday when defending champion Rafael Nadal quit with a right leg injury midway through the third set. The Scotsman produced a breathtaking display to open up a 6-3 7-6 3-0 lead when Nadal,who had called in the trainer to treat the area just above his knee earlier in the set,shook his head and informed Murray that he could no longer continue.

Murrays win would have given him real hope that he could be on the verge of ending Britains 74-year wait for a mens grand slam champion and he will take on Croatias Marin Cilic for a place in the final. Ive known Rafa since I was 13 or 14 and he is somebody I have always looked up to, Murray said in a courtside interview. He is my favourite player to watch because of his energy and I am gutted for him.

Nadals exit was a sad note to a match of the highest quality and will raise doubts about his ability to return to the incredible standards he reached in winning six Grand Slam titles. But his retirement on Tuesday should not detract from the performance of Murray,who is in the best form of his life,and a match that whipped the centre court crowd into a frenzy. Nadal struck the first blow when he broke Murrays serve in the third game to lead 2-1 but the Scotsman won the next four on the trot before wrapping up the first set after 53 absorbing minutes.

The second set was interrupted by a fireworks display but the explosions continued on court even after the Australia Day celebrations died down. The pair traded early breaks but held their remaining service games,though none were routine.

Nadal took a tumble in the 11th game,but got back to his feet. He played a terrible tie-break,allowing Murray to take a two-set lead and it was evident he was in serious trouble when he called for a medical timeout. Murray then moved in for the kill,winning the first three games of the third set,before Nadal threw in the towel.

First-timer

Cilic advanced to his first Slam semi-final after the Croat resisted a dogged fightback from Andy Roddick to edge their quarter-final 7-6 6-3 3-6 2-6 6-3. Roddick struggled with a shoulder injury he picked up in the first set and despite needing medical treatment throughout the second,the seventh seeded American battled bravely to take the match into a deciding set. Cilics previous best performance at a Slam was in reaching the quarter-finals at the 2009 US Open.

Rishika loses

Indias Rishika Sunkara was dealt a crushing defeat in the second round of the girls singles,losing to Russian Daria Gavrilova 6-0 6-2. The 16-year-old had qualified into the main draw.