Toronto Masters

Semi-final result:

A MURRAY (GB) v R NADAL (Spa)

6-7 (2-7) 3-6

By Caroline Cheese

0301: That's that then. A sterling effort from Murray against the world's best player (rankings be damned). Nadal wins his 28th straight match and will be a strong favourite to beat Nicolas Kiefer in Sunday's final. A thousand thanks for your company tonight. And there was I thinking you'd have better things to do with your time...

Murray 6-7 (2-7) 3-6 Nadal
Murray goes down fighting. He rifles a brilliant backhand down the line to take the first point and then, facing two match points, he stretches and flicks a sizzling forehand winner past the Spaniard. A brave forehand onto the sideline forces an error from Nadal and it's deuce. After a brutal baseline rally, Murray approaches the net - but to agonising screams all round the stadium, he puts the volley into the net. The crowd want more tennis but they won't get it. Murray puts a tired backhand into the net and after a touch over two hours, Nadal books his place in the final.

Murray 6-7 (2-7) 3-5 Nadal
Murray has serious words with himself as he dumps a simple forehand into the net and he follows that by whacking a backhand into the trams. Is this fatigue talking? He's incredibly lucky to see a second serve clip the net and drop on the line, and he takes full advantage, flinging a lovely forehand onto the baseline. He then goes wide on the backhand, challenging wrongly. At break point, he sticks a forehand long and wants to challenge - but he's all out. He's convinced it's in. It's not though, and Nadal will serve for the match.

Murray 6-7 (2-7) 3-4 Nadal
Murray steps into the tramlines and smacks a fabulous forehand return down the line. Nadal rooted to the spot. That makes it 40-30 and the Spaniard then goes long to make it deuce. Rafa goes back to the old routine, serving into the body and then taking control of the point with his forehand. The Brit challenges a call on the last point but it's a desperate one. Miles long.

0239: "To Katie in Edinburgh (see 0143), if Rafa won't marry you I will."
Mark in London, via text on 81111
(Is this quite sweet? Or a bit creepy? I can't decide. Katie?)

Murray 6-7 (2-7) 3-3 Nadal
Neat one-two from Murray, drop-shotting Nadal then putting the lob up. Nadal's attempted through-the-legs inevitably fails. A sumptuous drop shot from Muzza - and you don't often say that - gets him to game point and a big serve draws him level in the set.

Murray 6-7 (2-7) 2-3 Nadal
But hold on a sec, Murray's not done yet. He battles into a 15-40 lead, at which point the umpire kindly gives Nadal a time violation. Nice touch. Nadal double-faults and Murray's back in it. Controversial that - and Rafa's not a happy camper.

0228: "I myself have just got in from work. This one looks like a no cigar moment for Muzza. Boo."
Anon via text on 81111

Murray 6-7 (2-7) 1-3 Nadal
Murray's coming in behind his serve a lot more in this second set, presumably to finish off the points quickly and preserve his knee. One thing's for sure, when the rally goes long, there's only going to be one winner - and Nadal forces the error to earn his first break point of the match, and he takes it when Murray nets. Big ask for the Briton now.

0223: "Are you not really tired?"
Anon via text on 81111
(Aren't you?!)

Murray 6-7 (2-7) 1-2 Nadal
Nadal gets back on track after the trials of his last service game. He holds to 30 and with this worry over his knee, I'm starting to fear for Murray.

0218: "Just got in from singing "Yogi Yogi Bear" on a coach back from a friend's wedding, surely the finest sing-a-long bus tune? Come on Muzza!!"
James, Norwich, via text on 81111
(All these tales of rollicking nights out are beginning to make me feel a tad depressed... Still, I'll be the one laughing come Monday when you lot are back at work and I'm hitting the town... er, on my own)

Murray 6-7 (2-7) 1-1 Nadal
Two crowd-pleasing slam-dunk smashes help Murray into a 40-15 lead - but the Brit lets Nadal back in at deuce. No problemo. Two massive serves get him out of trouble.

Murray 6-7 (2-7) 0-1 Nadal
Hello again. Bet you thought I'd dropped off there didn't you? No, just an epic struggle for Nadal to hold serve. Murray starts the game still looking a bit fed up with life after dropping that set - but he soon perks up when he earns himself the first break point of the match. Nadal saves it with a mind-boggling drop shot. I have no idea how he did that, plucking a loopy Murray backhand out of the air and dinking it onto the sideline. Murray has another - but sees a backhand clip the top of the net and drop his side. Nadal survives after a long, long struggle and Murray may curse not taking his chances there.

0159: As Murray gets some serious taping on his knee, the crowd are entertained by the sounds of Mysterious Ways by U2. Old school. Muzza was a bit upset with the umpire as he wanted treatment at 6-5 but was denied it because Nadal was about to serve. Something like that anyway. We're off again now.

0158: "Re 0147: better than number 19 bus shelter or talula does the hula from hawaii, yes they are real names!"
Anon via text on 81111

0156: Uh-oh. Murray's getting treatment on a knee injury. Perhaps that explains that rather lacklustre tiebreak.

First set

Murray 6-7 (2-7) Nadal
On serve for the first four points until Nadal strikes first, taking a 3-2 lead. Murray smacks his racquet into the court after seeing his return hit the net and they change over with Rafa leading 4-2. The Spaniard flings a backhand right onto the baseline, forcing Murray to mis-hit and that's 5-2. Murray goes for broke but smacks a forehand into the net - his third error on that wing in this breaker and a double-fault hands Nadal the first set. A poor tie-break from Murray.

0147: "Is your name really Caroline Cheese? Ludicrous."
Anon via text on 81111
(Yes. And I know)

Murray 6-6 Nadal
Murray switches racquets after the first point but the change of weapon makes no difference. Rafa holds to 15 and a top-notch set gets just what it deserves - a tie-break.

0143: "Was just checking the score quickly after coming in from night out and am now hooked. I want to marry Nadal, think he'll win in two sets."
Katie in Edinburgh, via text on 81111

Murray 6-5 Nadal
Murray likes that - and so does everyone else. The Brit hammers a forehand winner onto the sideline, with Nadal stranded. He gets to 30-0 but a couple of loose shots let Rafa back in. Just as you would expect Nadal to pounce - he sticks a lame backhand into the net. Odd. Murray back in front.

0138: "Just on way back from the 20/20 finals day at the Rose Bowl. Only two and a half hours to get out of the park and ride car park. Shambles. Come on Murray."
JT on the M25, via text on 81111

Murray 5-5 Nadal
Belting start from Murray, cracking a backhand winner off the return, but he ruins the good work by missing the court after a long rally. Nadal moves to 30-15 but then he makes an error. Yep, you read that correctly, an error. Gasps all round. "No," says Muzza, to no-one but himself after a mistake of his own gives Rafa game point and we're all square again.

0132: "Just woken up by my three-year-old laughing his head off after falling out of bed, am now wide awake! I think Murray in three."
Si, Leeds, via text on 81111

Murray 5-4 Nadal
Cracking stuff from Murray, holding to love for the second service game in a row. Not a sniff of a break point for either player so far. I smell a tie-break.

Murray 4-4 Nadal
Murray might be on top of his game - but he's up against the world's best player (in all but the rankings). Nadal's serve is setting up the points nicely, allowing him to take control with his forehand. His first ace levels up the score.

0126: "I just got back from the pub, and am also relying on Jaffa Cakes to keep me awake. My prediction: a tight first set but Nadal to win fairly easily in two."
Jamie via text on 81111

Murray 4-3 Nadal
In the blink of an eye, Murray rattles through a love service game. The Brit is on top of his game right now - but we're still on serve.

0124: "Re 0043: there is no such thing as an excess of Jaffa Cakes... Anyway, aren't we supposed to have five a day or is that glasses of red wine?"
Graham via text on 81111

Murray 3-3 Nadal
Murray spanks a two-hander cross-court to make it 30-15 but that's his only joy of the game. He makes his first Hawkeye challenge on the last point but no cigar.

0118: "I just got home and decided to check the BBC Sport website only to find Murray-Nadal. I am saved from the terrible abyss that is sleep."
Tim, Hertfordshire, via text on 81111

Murray 3-2 Nadal
There's Murray's missus Kim Sears, looking a bit concerned. I don't know why. This is a terrific start from Murray, pretty much untroubled on serve so far.

0115: "Rafa is unbeatable. He will show Murray up to be the second tier player he is. Which is no shame, as the first tier is quite good."
Steo via text on 81111

Murray 2-2 Nadal
Murray gives Rafa a taste of his own medicine, scrambling across the baseline to retrieve a Nadal forehand and forcing the Spaniard into an error. Rafa's back on track though with a quite brilliant drop shot and closes out the game to 30.

0109: "Caroline, me and my 13-day-old baby Imogen are relying on you getting us through the next feed peacefully!"
Martin on the muggy Isle of Wight, via text on 81111

Murray 2-1 Nadal
Boof. Tremendous forehand from Murray gets him to 40-30 and he finishes the game off with an unreturnable first serve. Lots of you asking for my prediction: I actually think Murray might do it. Crazy I know.

0105: "Come on Andy. I think tonight is the night he shows the world the great player we know he is."
Neil, Leeds, via text on 81111

Murray 1-1 Nadal
I don't know whether to be pleased or worried about the amount of texts coming in. Keep it up though people, I'll get them all in here in the end (except the libellous ones). At 30-15, Nadal shows just what Murray's up against as he scrambles back two shots which would have been winners against any other player, and eventually snatches the point. A fizzing backhand return winner helps Murray get back to deuce but some more phenomenal scrapping from Rafa gets him the game.

0058: "Hey Caroline, how do you manage to pep yourself up at this hour? I'm knackered."
Alan, Glasgow, via text on 81111
(Jaffa Cakes)

Murray 1-0 Nadal
Nadal is on the attack from the off, forcing Murray back behind the baseline to earn the first two points. But Murray battles back well from 0-30 - ending it with a booming ace.

0053: I haven't even had time to talk about head-to-heads and stats and all that chat, but we'll be under way in a sec. Nadal won the toss and elected to receive.

0051: "Oh Caroline, I am a lonely man doing his shorthand and about to keep abreast with the tennis. I'll be there for you this evening..."
David, Stockport, via text on 81111

0050: I've got two texts already. I am not alone! More of that later. Nicolas Kiefer awaits the winner of this second semi-final. The German beat Fed-conqueror Gilles Simon in a horribly scrappy match - which meandered on for three excruciating hours.

0043: Here come the gladiators... sorry, players, to the rockin' sound of Eye of the Tiger. I'm pumped... that may be an excess of Jaffa Cakes though. (Other orangey sponge-based snacks may be available)

0040: Hello? Anyone out there? Course you are! What else would the people of Britain be doing early on a Sunday morning other than following their top tennis player in action eh? Andy Murray, fresh from a breakthrough win against Novak Djokovic, meets Rafael Nadal, the man who ended his Wimbledon dreams a few weeks back. Massive.