Momentous win for magic Murray

5:20am Monday 8th September 2008

Andy Murray reached the first grand slam final of his career with the result of his life to beat world number one Rafael Nadal in a rain-delayed US Open semi-final in New York.

Murray, 21, returned to the court 26 hours after a downpour from Tropical Storm Hanna had left him leading two sets to love but a break down in the third to complete a 6-2 7-6 (7/5) 4-6 6-4 victory over Nadal after three hours and 30 minutes of play across the two days.

Murray now faces four-time defending champion and tournament second seed Roger Federer in Monday night's final, when the Scot will be the first Briton to contest a grand slam final since Greg Rusedski lost to Patrick Rafter in the 1997 US Open final.

Sixth seed Murray will be bidding to go one better than Rusedski and become the first British man to win a grand slam since Fred Perry succeeded at the US Open in 1936.

The top seed came out strongly as play resumed, serving out the first game of the day to love to take a 4-2 lead. Murray was still on top of his game, though, responding with two perfect service games - but the 22-year-old world number one moved back into contention at two sets to one.

The fourth set was a real rollercoaster ride. Having lost the initiative in the first game of the previous set, the pressure was on Murray to hold serve early in the fourth.

A double fault at 30-all looked ominous for the British number one but he saved break point with an ace and worked an advantage when Nadal sent a poor forehand wide before finally holding a crucial first game.

The next game was an epic, 15 minutes in the making. Nadal had to dig deep just to hold serve against the rejuvenated Murray, saving his ninth break point of the set but he could do nothing on the British number one's own serve and Murray moved to 5-4 with his 21st ace of the match, just one game from his first grand slam final.

At 40-30 to Nadal, Murray saved game point by winning a superb rally and he earned match point by winning another after coming to the net and putting away a forehand volley.

Nadal tried a drop shot that Murray scampered to reach and he sealed victory with a winner past the world number one that was straightforward in its execution but life altering for the 21-year-old from Dunblane.

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