Wimbledon Championships
Venue: All England Club, London Date: 21 June - 4 July
Coverage: Live on BBC One and Two, HD, Red Button, BBC Sport website (UK only), Radio 5 live, 5 live sports extra; live text commentary online and on mobile phones; watch again on BBC iPlayer
Full details of BBC coverage
I can beat Nadal - Murray
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By Caroline Cheese
BBC Sport at Wimbledon |
Andy Murray insists he will be the underdog against Rafael Nadal in the Wimbledon men's semi-finals on Friday.
Hopes that Murray can end Britain's 74-year wait for a men's champion are high, but world number one Nadal is unbeaten in 12 matches at Wimbledon.
"I think he would definitely be the favourite," said Murray, whose match follows the first semi-final between Novak Djokovic and Tomas Berdych.
"It will be incredibly difficult, but I believe I can win if I play well."
Murray is burdened with the task of becoming the first British man since Bunny Austin in 1938 to reach the Wimbledon final, while Fred Perry was the last winner two years earlier.
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ANDY MURRAY v RAFAEL NADAL
23-----------Age-----------24
14----------Titles----------40
£8m---Prize money---£21m
3------Head-to-head------7
(2----In Grand Slams----2)
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The 23-year-old Scot has been in impressive form in reaching the semi-finals for the second year running, dropping only one set so far, but he faces his toughest opponent yet in the world number one and seven-time Grand Slam champion.
Nadal has won seven of their 10 previous meetings, but they are level at two wins apiece in Grand Slams.
Following a straight-sets thrashing in the Wimbledon quarter-finals two years ago, Murray knocked Nadal out of the US Open later that year and was leading 6-3 7-6 3-0 at the Australian Open in January when the Spaniard retired with a knee injury.
"I hope I'm much better [than at Wimbledon 2008]," Murray told BBC 5 live.
"I'm physically a lot stronger. I went into that match after a long match with Richard Gasquet and physically I wasn't ready to win a Grand Slam.
"I knew after that match I had to go away, work hard and get fitter and stronger. I went away and did that."
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ANDY MURRAY COLUMN
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Since then, Murray has reached two Grand Slam finals, losing both to Roger Federer, but the six-time Wimbledon winner no longer lies in his path after Tomas Berdych's shock win in the quarter-finals.
"I don't care whether he's in or out of the tournament," was Murray's response. "Doesn't affect me unless I win the next round. I'm playing the number one player in the world in the next round, so it would be a bit silly for me to look past him in any way."
Nadal regained his world number one status and his French Open title in the lead-up to Wimbledon, putting a year of knee problems behind him.
The Spaniard missed the chance to defend his title at the All England Club last year, meaning his last defeat was by Federer in the 2007 final.
The 24-year-old needed treatment on his troublesome knee during a five-set battle with Philipp Petzschner on Saturday, but the Spaniard was in superb form as he came from a set down to beat the dangerous Robin Soderling in the quarter-finals.
View from Spain on Murray v Nadal
"I am fine, after the third round, I didn't have any problem," said the second seed.
"It's a dream to be in the semi-finals here again. I know I'm going to have a difficult match against Andy, but I am playing well."
The other semi-final will be contested by Tomas Berdych, the man who ended Federer's hopes of a seventh Wimbledon title, and third seed Novak Djokovic.
Djokovic has won their past two meetings, but Berdych appears to have come of age this season after reaching the last four of the French Open, beating Murray en route, and now Wimbledon.
"You win a couple of matches in the beginning of the year, and then you get confidence. It keeps going and going," said the 24-year-old Czech.
"I get a little bit older to be, you know, more focused, mentally stronger than before. That's what you need."
Highlights - Murray too strong for Tsonga (UK only)
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