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Murray lifts title against injured Nadal

TENNIS NEWS: ANDY MURRAY had mixed feelings after clinching the World Indoor Tournament title with a 6-3, 4-6, 6-0 win over …

Mon Feb 16 2009 - 00:00

TENNIS NEWS:ANDY MURRAY had mixed feelings after clinching the World Indoor Tournament title with a 6-3, 4-6, 6-0 win over world number one Rafael Nadal in Rotterdam yesterday. The Scot put on a solid display to earn his second ATP title of the year but his cause was helped by a knee injury Nadal suffered during the match.

The 22-year-old Spaniard had to receive treatment to his right knee after the third game in the second set, which included seven service breaks. Murray was happy to have defeated the world number one for the second time this year, but admitted he would have liked to have beaten a fully-fit Nadal.

“It is a shame for him after he injured his knee at the start of the second set. The play was up to a good standard in the first set,” Murray said. “I’m happy to win but I would have preferred it if he wasn’t hurt.

“I have started well this year. I would have liked to have done better in the Australian Open (he lost in the fourth round) but I got better here as the week went on and I’ll try and keep it going now.”

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Nadal soldiered on to take the second set but his injury caused him to struggle with his serve before capitulating in the third.

Murray admitted he still found it hard going despite his opponent’s injury, struggling as he was with an ankle injury of his own sustained in the quarter-final victory over Marc Gicquel. “It was tough in the second set. He was still managing to beat me on one leg, ” the Scot added.

“He was hitting his serve at 150 kilometres per hour which is obviously very slow for him, but he was still hitting his groundstrokes very hard. He was still managing to generate some pace despite the injury.

“He’s obviously started the season right with the win at the Australian Open and he’ll go on to bigger and better things in the year.”

Murray’s own injury has forced him to withdraw from the defence of his Marseille Open title next week, but the Scot was hopeful he could recover soon. “I can still feel it, it’s pretty swollen but the physio did a very good job in keeping it under control,” he said.