Murray takes down Nadal, advances to first career Grand Slam final

Lost in the middle of Week 1 NFL hype, Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal finished out their semifinal match late Sunday afternoon, a time typically reserved for the Men’s Singles Finals. Murray held a 6-2, 7-6 (5), 2-3 lead when play resumed this afternoon, and while Nadal took the third set, Murray clinched the match in set four.

Murray was paced by 21 aces on the way to winning 73 percent of his service points. He also hit 44 additional winners, and while he failed to convert on16 break point opportunities, his four (out of 20) were still more than most get off of the always stellar Nadal.

Murray’s 6-2, 7-6 (5), 4-6, 6-4 win sent him into his first Grand Slam finals appearance where he will meet four-time defending champion Roger Federer. Murray holds a 41-13 record on the year, while Federer stands at just 53-12. While Federer may have been happy to see Nadal fall to Murray, the Scot does hold a 2-1 record against Federer. Federer won in their first meeting back in 2006, but Murray took out the top seeded Federer in the round of 32 at both Cincinnati in 2006 and Dubai earlier this year.