Murray stuns Nadal to set up US Open final with Federer

SCOTLAND THE BRAVE: Andy Murray held his nerve against Nadal to book his place in the US Open final against Roger Federer. (AFP)

Britain's Andy Murray advanced to his first Grand Slam final by stunning world number one Rafael Nadal on Sunday in a US Open semi-final, booking a date with reigning champion Roger Federer on Monday.

The 21-year-old Scotsman defeated the reigning Wimbledon, French Open and Olympic champion 6-2, 7-6 (7/5), 4-6, 6-4 in a match that began Saturday but was halted by rain in the third set.

That storm pushed the showdown with 12-time Grand Slam champion Federer to Monday, the first time since 1987 that bad weather has postponed the year's last Grand Slam tournament to an extra day.

Murray became only the third British man to reach a Slam final in the 40-year Open era, after Greg Rusedski in the 1997 US Open and John Lloyd at the 1977 Australian Open, and will be the first to win a title by beating Federer.

"He's probably the greatest player ever," Murray said of Federer. "To get the chance to play against him in a Slam final is an honor. I've played well against him in the past. Hopefully I can do the same again."

Murray owns a 2-1 lead over Federer in their career rivalry, losing their first meeting 6-3, 7-5 at the 2005 Bangkok final but winning 7-5, 6-4 at Cincinnati in 2006 and 6-7 (6/8), 6-3, 6-4 in Dubai six months ago.

Nadal carried a 19-match Slam win streak into his first US Open semi-final against a foe he had beaten in all five of their prior meetings, taking 11 sets in a row off Murray before Saturday.

Sixth seed Murray will rise to fourth in the next rankings, matching Tim Henman and Rusedski for the top ranking ever achieved by a British man.

Murray slept on a two-set lead but was down a break at 2-3 in the third set with Nadal serving when play resumed at Arthur Ashe Stadium after a delay of about 26 hours from Saturday's stoppage at adjacent Louis Armstrong Stadium.

"I'm very relieved to come back," Murray said. "Obviously tough to sleep on it but I'm very glad I came through in the end."

Nadal held serve three more times to take the third set 27 minutes after the resumption, although he was pushed to a break point by Murray in the last game of the set before blasting three forehand winners to force a fourth set.

The drama grew in the second game of the fourth set when Murray, who saved a break point to hold in the prior game, squandered seven break chances and allowed Nadal to hold when Murray sent a forehand wide and netted a backhand.

Murray's misfires and mistakes allowed Nadal to escape, leaving the Briton 2-for-17 in break chances at that point, and the Spaniard responded by breaking Murray at love for a 2-1 lead thanks to more unforced errors from the Scotsman.

But Nadal handed back the break in the sixth game, netting a forehand drop volley and then firing a forehand long to pull Murray level 3-3.

Nadal fired a forehand wide to give Murray another break chance in the eighth game but Murray pushed a forehand long and Nadal held to level at 4-4.

Murray held and, aided by two favorable net cord bounces, reached match point on Nadal's serve with a forehand volley winner capping an extended rally.

On match point, Nadal tried a drop volley that Murray pounded with a backhand volley past the shocked Spanish left-hander to claim the greatest victory of his career after 90 minutes of Sunday play, 3 1/2 hours overall.

Murray declared the US Open his favorite event, citing the noisy atmosphere and celebrity spectators as superior to his beloved home-nation Wimbledon.

"It was tough but the atmosphere in here was unbelievable. They only got a set and a half worth of tennis and I thought they were unbelievable. They helped me," Murray said.

"This is my favorite tournament and it has been since I was a junior. It's awesome. You don't get that back home."

No lefthander has won the US Open men's title since John McEnroe in 1984 and no Spaniard since Manuel Orantes in 1975 when the event was played on clay.

The only prior British winners in the 128-year history of the US event were Laurie Doherty in 1903 and Fred Perry, who won three titles in the 1930s.

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