French Open 2014, semi-final: Andy Murray vs Rafael Nadal - As it happened...

Zee Media Bureau/Chaitan Papnai THIRD SET: Rafael Nadal won the match 6-3, 6-2, 6-1. Murray to serve. Murray comes to the net to put some pressure on Nadal and Rafa commits a mistake 15-0. Powerful down the line winner by Rafa, 15-15. After a long rally, Murray's shot lands long, 15-30. Nadal's return hits the net, 30-30. Murray is all over the place against the eight time French Open champion. 40-40Deuce Murray's forehand goes wide. Advantage Nadal. Game point for the Spaniard. And with a smash Nadal sealed the match against Murray to reach the final of the French Open. Clinical win for Rafa who has beaten the Wimbledon champion in straight sets 6-3, 6-2, 6-1. THIRD SET: Nadal leads/5-1 Nadal to serve. Murray caught Rafa on the wrong foot by hitting a forehand winner, 0-15. Murray's slice hits the net, 15-15. Murray hits down the line winner, 15-30. Next point goes to Nadal, 30-30. Powerful forehand winner by Rafa, 40-30. Nadal's cross-court forehand lands wide, 40-40, Deuce. Nadal wins two consecutive points to hold his serve. THIRD SET: Nadal leads/4-1 Murray to serve. After a 24 stroke rally, Nadal eventually managed to grab the point, 0-15. Murray's shot lands long after another long rally, 0-30. Next point to Murray, 15-30. Murray's shot hits the net, 15-40. Two break points for Nadal. Murray's shot goes wide and Nadal once again breaks his serve. It's so far a lop-sided battle between the two. THIRD SET: Nadal leads/3-1 Nadal to serve. Murray shot hits the net, 15-0. Weak shot by Murray and it didn't cross the other side of the court. 30-0. Murray's backhand goes long, 40-0. Nadal ends the game with a forehand winner. THIRD SET: Nadal leads/2-1 Murray to serve. After a decent rally, Nadal's shot goes long, 0-15. Nadal plays a forehand winner, 15-15. Nada's backhand lands wide, 15-30. Next point to Murray, 30-30. Double fault by Murray, 30-40. One break point for Nadal. And with a forehand smash he breaks Murray's serve for one more time. THIRD SET: Score level/1-1 Nadal to serve. Nadal comes to the net to play a successful drop shot, 15-0. Nadal makes it 30-0 now. Murray fails to return the serve, 40-0. Murray's shot land long. THIRD SET: Murray leads/1-0 Murray to serve. Murray has to raise his bar in the match to make a comeback. Nadal plays a awesome forehand winner, 15-15. Nadal's return goes wide, 30-15. Next point goes to Nadal, 30-30. Nadal fails to cover the ground 40-30. Murray plays a cracking forehand to hold the serve. ==================================================================================== SECOND SET: Nadal wins the second set. Nadal to serve. Down the line backhand by Rafa, 30-0. Murray's cross-court forehand goes wide, 40-0. Three set points for Nadal. After a decent rally, Murray's shot lands long. And Nadal wins two back-to-back sets. SECOND SET: Nadal leads/5-3 Murray to serve. Murray's shot goes wide, 0-15. Nadal's shot goes wide, 15-15. Eventually, Nadal once again breaks Murray's serve. SECOND SET: Nadal leads/4-2 Nadal to serve. Murray's shot lands long, 15-0. Double fault by Nadal. Wide backhand return by Murray, 30-0. Murray's shot hits the net, 40-0. Murray backhand goes wide. SECOND SET: Nadal leads 3-2 Murray to serve. For a change Murray won the first three points 40-0. Murray's shot lands wide, 40-15. After a long rally, Murray's forehand goes long, 40-30. Nadal's forehand goes long. Murray holds his serves. SECOND SET: Nadal leads 3-1 Nadal to serve. Muray's lob shot went long, 15-0. Nadal caught Murray on the wrong foot, 30-0. Murray earns the next point, 30-15. Murray's forehand hits the net, another unforced by the Scott, 40-15. Nadal finishes the game with an ace. SECOND SET: Nadal leads/2-1 Murray to serve. Murray is looking a bit tired, 0-15. Nadal's forehand goes long, 15-15. Nadal played a cracking cross-court forehand, 15-30. After a long rally Nadal played another powerful forehand winner, 40-15. Two break points for Rafa. Murray's shot goes wide. SECOND SET: Score level l-1 Nadal to serve. Two poor shots by Murray, 30-0. Murray's shot hits the net, 40-0. Too many unforced errors by Murray. Another shot at net by the Scott. SECOND SET: Murray leads/1-0 Murray to serve. Nadal's crosscourt forehand goes wide, 15-0. Nadal's shot hits the net, 30-0. Well disguised drop shot by Murray, 40-0. Rafa's forehand goes way wide. ==================================================================================== FIRST SET: Nadal wins it 6-3 Nadal to serve. Double fault by Nadal, 15-15. Murray's shot lands long, 30-15. Murray's backhand drive hits the net, 40-15. Set point for Nadal. And Nadal plays a forehand drop to win the first set quite comfortably. FIRST SET: Nadal leads/5-3 Murray to serve. Nadal's backhand hits the net, 30-0. This time Murray's forehand hits the net, 30-15. Excellent backhand drop by Nadal, 30-30. Murray forces Nadal to commit a mistake, 40-30. Ace by Murray. Nadal will serve for the set. FIRST SET: Nadal leads/5-2 Nadal to serve. First two points to Nadal, 30-0. Murray's shot hit the net, 40-0. Ace by the Spaniard to finish the game. FIRST SET: Nadal leads/4-2 Murray to serve. Murray wins the first point as Nadal's shot goes wide, 15-0. Drop shot by Murray and Nadal was caught on a wrong foot, 40-0. Next point goes to Nadal, 40-15. Murray finishes he game with a powerful winner. FIRST SET: Nadal leads/4-1 Nadal to serve. Murray is looking clueless at the moment, as Nadal is dictating the terms, 30-15. Forehand winner from Nadal 40-15. With a power pact shot Nadal wins the game. FIRST SET: Nadal leads/3-1 Murray to serve. Murray earns the first point as Nadal's for forehand goes wide, 15-0. Nadal played an exceptional forehand shot to make it 15-15. First ace by Murray, 30-15. Murray's forehand lands long, 30-30. Murray plays a powerful forehand down the the line to earns a point, 40-30. Nadal's shot goes long. FIRST SET: Nadal leads/3-0 Nadal to serve. Nadal holds his serve with the help of some exceptional forehand shots. Murray is struggling at the moment. FIRST SET: Nadal leads/2-0 Murray to serve. And Nadal managed to break the serve as Murray is looking a bit rusty. FIRST SET: Nadal leads/ 1-0 Nadal to serve. First point goes to Murray, which he earned through a down the line winner, after a decent rally, 0-15. Murray hits the net, 15-15. Murray's forehand cross court goes wide, 30-15. Another point to Nadal, 40-15. And Nadal holds the serve. ============================================================== Both the players are in the middle and have started their warm up. In the first semi-final Novak Djokovic beat Ernests Gulbis 6-3, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 to enter the final. ============================================================== Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal are all set to lock horns on Philippe Chatrier court at Roland Garros to reach the final of men`s singles event. Whoever will come out triumphant in the match will play against Novak Djokovic in the final. King of clay, Rafa is on a winning streak and has lost just one out of 65 matches at Roland Garros. On top of it, the Spaniard has eight French Open titles under his belt and is quite desperate to make it nine this time around, especially after losing the Australian Open 2014 final to Stanislas Wawrinka. Last time when Murray met Nadal in the French Open was in 2011, and that too was a semi-final clash. And as expected, Nadal came out with flying colours. Nadal is simply the favourite to win today`s encounter but one can`t write off the Wimbledon champion. In fact, Rafa himself would be quite aware of this fact. So it`s going to be an interesting battle between the two.