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  • Rafael Nadal vs. Andy Murray

    5/15/08 3:53 AM | Cheryl Murray
    - In one of the marquee match-ups of the third round, Andy Murray will try to solve the puzzle that is Rafael Nadal on clay.

    Rafael Nadal is the undisputed king of clay. By the final in Hamburg, he had amassed an 81 match win streak on the dirt that shattered the old record of 53 set by Guillermo Vilas. Whenever the Spaniard steps onto the terre battue, he is the favorite, no matter how many times he says otherwise. Thursday is no exception.

    Andy Murray is still not completely comfortable on clay. His best result of the 2008 season came in Monte Carlo, where he reached the third round only to get crushed 6-4, 6-0 by Novak Djokovic. His main issue seems to be a lack of a real game plan for clay. The Scot's tendency to revert to a passive game has been his downfall so far, and until he rectifies that, he will be easy pickings for Nadal.

    Nadal's second round match again Potito Starace was not as easy as he probably would have expected, but there was nothing to suggest that Murray has any kind of edge due to the Spaniard's form. Expect Nadal to yank Murray around the baseline with his killer forehand. Murray, who is a smart player, will probably try to drop shot Nadal as Starace did on Wednesday, with great success. The problem for Murray is that Nadal is a smart player too, and will no doubt be expecting it. Nadal to win in two.

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