Murray Through As Nadal Retires Injured
January 26th, 2010
A right knee injury has forced Rafael Nadal to withdraw from his quarter-final clash with Andy Murray in the Australia Open, he retired while trailing 6-3, 7-6, 3-0.
It was after two hours of play that Nadal took the decision to leave the Rod Laver Arena, where last year he became the first Spaniard to win the Australia Open. Nadal felt a twinge in the muscle above his right knee late in the second set, and although he received treatment he decided not to continue soon after. “I felt a sting and knew that something was wrong. Later it hurt when I bent down. I could not continue,” said Nadal.
The defeat will also mean the loss of his world number two status at the end of the tournament and, depending on results, he could drop down to fourth. Although “rankings count for little,” Nadal said, “games are won or lost.”
Indeed, world rankings are not something that will be worrying Nadal at the moment. After losing last year Queen’s and Wimbledon because of tendinitis in his knees, and then suffering a ruptured abdominal in the U.S. Open, his injuries are major worry though. “All injuries concern,” said Nadal, who was nevertheless positive, “I will not make the same mistakes of the past. The difference between this injury and those in the past is that the previous problems were the result of overload, it hurt every day, and this was a bad sign.”
Nadal’s retirement means that Andy Murray has reached the semi-finals without dropping a set and will now face Marin Cilic, the first Croatian player to reach the semi finals of an Australia Open, he beat American Andy Roddick 7-6, 6-3, 3-6, 2-6, 6-3.
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