This match is gonna be a mash up. Please feel free to debate. I am going for murray because he is simply on fire.

Rafael Nadal...I have little doubt. He may not be as sharp as he can be, but I expect him to have too much for Andy Murray!

Yeh i went for Murray!

I just feel he is a better player on this surface!

I'd gone for Murray if this was a 3 setter. But you have to give it to Nadal as it is a best of 5. Rafa will turn this into a slug fest and Murray may keep up for a set and a half but will run out of steam.
Rafa in 3 tought sets or 4 (with a 6-1 or 6-2 4th set)

I've gone with Nadal on this one ...

I'd like to see Murray do well, but I'm not sure I can see him getting past Rafa here. But no matter who wins, I'd like to see a good fight!

Unfortunately, I'm unlikely to see it as I'll be working. :(

With forecasts of rain, it may well be this is played with a closed roof. That might favor Murray slightly, I think --- certainly more than playing outside in the heat! Any thoughts?

Ohhh Jeeezzzz :yikes: :yikes: ...I have to agree (almost) fully with Chep....

Anyway: Yes I go for Rafa. Two main reasons it is a 5 sets match and it is a slam( experience start to matter a lot at this point..Andy needs an additional year IMO or a great slam in front of his public-Wimbledon-first)...

Still it is very likely Rafa in four with the last 7-5 (Murray will be able to fight until the end)...Let's hope a great match :) . In any case it is already a great result to see both of them there at this stage of the competition (Rafa will be able to reach the final and beat Blake IMO ;) )

Ciao :rolleyes:

I see the BBC have done a complete cover-up of Chela's injury - pathetic.

Murray's done alright so far, but Nadal will beat him in straight sets. It won't be easy, but straight sets nonetheless - the Spaniard was phenomenal against Wawrinka, and as good as Murray's been, this is a level too high for him. He's not a power player in the mould of Berdych or Blake, the players who traditionally cause Nadal difficulties, and I don't really see how he can pose him too much trouble.

I haven't read the reports Wise, but I watched it on BBCi this morning, and the commentators mentioned Chela's injury quite a lot. It didn't look like it bothered him too much to be honest, although the commentators suggested that maybe he was trying to end points more quickly, which is not his usual style of play.

I went for Nadal in this poll - I wouldn't mind getting it hideously wrong though!! :P

I only caught the third set, but Chela seemed quite slow and clearly wasn't at his best. Murray even asked him about the injury at the end of the match, so it must have been pretty noticeable. To be fair you're right about the commentators, but look at what people who didn't see the match get to read courtesy of the Beeb:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tennis/6277549.stm Not even a mention!

But anyway, I wouldn't mind Murray going through, even if the whole hyperbóle and nationality-rows get annoying; he's a nice player to watch. Unless Nadal has an off-day though I don't see a way that the Scot/Brit (keep everyone happy) can trouble him. Nadal annihilated Wawrinka, a player with a 2-0 H2H over Murray, and while obviously I expect Murray to get more than 6 games, I'd be surprised if he won a set.

Yeah, but I have to say, having watched the whole match, Chela was a little.....i dunno....defeatist by the 3rd set. He'd kinda lost a bit of the energy to really fight I guess. But the commentators pointed out that he was grimacing occasionally (especially when having to lunge towards the ball), and I did notice murray ask him about the injury. Mind you, if it was really bothering him, i guess he would have had an injury time out? Murray played well, and there were some amazing rallies in that game - i enjoyed it much more than the Blake vs. Ginepri game!

And as for the BBC, well, you can't believe everything you read on a BBC site, can you Wise? ;)2

when I read the first bit 'gonna be a mash up' - I was ready to charge in and defend Murray... and then realised you were supporting Murray!

I think the fact that I automatically assumed you were going to say Murray is going to get slaughtered by Nadal is an indication of who I feel will win this match - but I hope, against all hope, that Murray will take the win. Both guys have been playing well and Murray must certainly be feeling confident if hes been reading all the nice beeb headlines ;) so, whoever wins, I think it will be tight.

Heres hoping :)

Here's a kid who knnows who he will be voting for! ;)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkaLCm8uiqE

:blink:

roflmao

did you clap? ;)

But of course, Pebs! ;)

*looks around for a certain poster armed with baseball bat*

Do people really think nadal will win this?

Nadal will win. I don't see a debate. Maybe I'm pessimistic cos i'd like to se Murray do well, but Nadal is a tricky customer for anyone. And if you haven't met him before...

I also choose Nadal this time. :ok:

I think Nadal will win it in 4 sets........but I won't be surprised if he takes it in straight sets ;)

I'm curious what gameplan will Gilbert pull out of his hat, to me he's tactically superior to Nadal's team so there will be something to gain there. I'm also curious we will get to see something of Murray's new fitness program, compared to last year there has been a awful lot to gain. So i'm sure Andy gets his changes...

This match is as tough as they come for andy but no doubt andy has a pretty good chance in this match having already beaten so many great players in the past.

I think you're all totally underestimating Murray. I think he may pull an upset. Nadal is vulnerable as we all know and I'm sure Brad has figured out what weaknesses to go for. Murray is a very deceptive player and I think he may shock Nadal.

I hope it's a fight and not a one-sided affair. Can't wait.

I don't even know if they're going to show it on tv here (Canada) as they tend to just show the American players and Sharapova and Blake is playing also. I'll be sooooo disappointed if they don't show it.

God.I hope they show it.
Stupid TSN cuts of the espn coverage whenever they feel like it. :(

ESPN will not show this match :angry: . They are a total american biased network and will prefer to show some god foresaken college basketball game rather than this. Star Sports on sopcast will be telecasting so you can watch it there.

Roast Lamb, you're the most pessimistic Rafa fan ever! ;)2 Murray will give Nadal trouble, but if Rafa even drops a set I'll streak across the Rod Laver court with a 'Fed the GOAT' placard.

Apparently the match is being shown live on BBC2 - if anyone lives near their central depot, you'll be able to get a bargain on fresh, pre-cracked eggs tomorrow.

Espn wont show it :(
What time is this match btw?

I think if Murray plays well he might get a set otherwise its probably gonna be straight sets win and Nadal will totally outclass him

its the night session after Sharapova so approx 5 AM eastern (10 am gmt I think). Gonna miss it as its an early work day tomorrow unless as Wise predicted, could be over in an hour with Rafa winning in straight sets.

I predict a striaght sets victory for my boy (Nadal!) :D

Murray will be bamboozled from the first point. And then we'll all admit what a king :bow: rafa really is! B)

roflmao roflmao

Please Andy take at least a set: It would be so nice to see Wise running (you can do this duty as well on the Central Court of Wimbledon) with a 'Fed the GOAT' placard roflmao

PLEASE ANDY Take a SET

Come on Murray!!!! ;)2

hey wise, what would you do if Murray won???? :P

Tattoo 'Federer would triple bagel Sampras' all over my body then superglue myself naked to the Centre Court net this summer.

Fortunately, barring injury to Nadal, this has no chance of happening.

I understand that BBC2 are showing tennis from 10am to cover the Nadal v Murray match.

Go MURRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYY :clap: :clap:

Nadal will win, even thought they look pretty even at the moment, Rafa will have the strength to finish the game off in the end.

If Murray doesn't win this 4th set, and it goes to a fifth, then I think Nadal will win as he has more stamina than Murray. But at the moment it looks as if Murray could take the 4th set!

GO Murray :yahoo:

Can Andy stop Nadal giving out a bagle?

My Nadal is doing what he does best - outlasting his opponent! Come on Rafa!

Bagel coming up, Mr. Murray.

Like some cheese wiv it?

Wow, must have been quite a match.

Unfortunately, I had too much work to watch it, but had the radio on in the background.

Nadal's got to be favorite to come out of the bottom half of the draw now into the final. So much for people claiming he is finished ...

And how about Andy. In the end I guess he just had a little bit less in the tank than Rafa, but I think most of us couldn't have hoped for more. A scintillating five-set match that would've been worthy of a final. Rafa's reaction at the end was worthy of winning the title as well ... testament to how far Andy pushed him.

I wish I had had the time to watch it. Anyway, I expect we will have to wait until the final to see a match this exciting again this AO, if then (unless Fed v Roddick proves to be a thriller in the semis).

Please warn us before you do it, Wise, OK? ;) ;) :P

To be honest, I was surprised to see Murray play so well against Nadal; somehow I wasn't sure he was quite there yet. I expect some good slam performances from him this year, after that!

Sorry if I am not the first to re-quote this. Off you go Wise, and make sure it's not BA.

A lot of positives for Murray in this match. His hair do is looking a bit better for a start ;)