With Roger Federer put to the sword in stunning fashion, the fight for the Wimbledon title is more open than ever and that means Rafael Nadal will go on the offensive when he faces Andy Murray in the semifinals on Friday.
The chief beneficiary of Federer’s exit could be 2008 champion Nadal, who is desperate to regain the title he was unable to defend last year due to knee tendinitis.
Next in Nadal’s firing line is British fourth seed Murray, who defeated France’s Jo-Wilfried Tsonga to book his place in the semifinals, and the Spanish second seed plans to take the attack to an opponent who is sometimes more cautious than he should be in big matches.
“My game is try to play aggressive and the important thing is serve well,” Nadal said. “I am happy with how I’m playing, so I’m going to try to do my normal game. I don’t want to change a lot of things.
Murray is just two victories away from becoming the first British man to win Wimbledon since Fred Perry in 1936 and he looks capable of going all the way after dropping just one set en route to the last four.
The 23-year-old Scot, who was beaten by Andy Roddick at this stage last year, can take heart from his wins over Nadal at the US and Australian Opens and he won’t fear the world number one on Centre Court.
In the other semi-final, Serbian third seed Novak Djokovic takes on Berdych.
Djokovic now has an excellent chance to reach a Grand Slam final for the first time since he won the 2008 Australian Open.
He made the semifinals here in 2007, but was forced to retire due to back and foot injuries.
“This time I’m ready mentally and physically. Just barely waiting to get on the court,” the Nadal said.
“Playing a semis of any Grand Slam is a huge result. But having the opportunity to reach the final is even more encouraging, of course, and more challenging. I’ll definitely fight till the last moment.” — AFP