Nadal sets up Murray clash

Spain's Rafael Nadal has beaten Mardy Fish of the USA in the quarter-finals of Wimbledon, 6-3. 6-3, 5-7, 6-4.

Nadal took 36 minutes to win the first set 6-3 against a disappointing Fish.

Nadal thought his tournament may have wrecked by a foot injury he suffered against Juan Martin Del Potro on Monday, but he was given the all-clear by doctors yesterday after coming through a training session unscathed.

The Spaniard displayed no sign of discomfort as he moved swiftly across the court to make immediate inroads into Fish’s serve this afternoon on Court One.

The American had lost just one service game at SW19 before today’s match, but that record proved no obstacle to Nadal, who took advantage of his opponent’s questionable decision to come into the net on break point in the first game by powering a forehand that Fish could not return.

A series of huge forehands stretched Nadal’s lead before Fish’s nerves seemed to settle as he sent down two aces in the third game.

Nadal looked mildly shocked as news of Federer’s defeat flashed up on the screens, but it did little to affect his concentration as he won the next game to 15 with another trademark forehand.

The confident game that had taken Fish to the last eight deserted him.

The 29-year-old struggled to land his first serves and Nadal made him pay with a second break to leave him serving for the set at 5-2.

Nadal then suffered a shock break but immediately hit back, dominating on his opponent’s service game for the third time to take the set.

The Nadal Juggernaut continued the seemingly unstoppable destruction of the challenger by breaking in the first game of the third set, thanks partly to two crunching forehand winners.

His joy was to be short-lived, however, as Fish broke back for just the second time in the match – this time attacking the Spaniard’s serve at the net, forcing him to go long from the baseline.

Fish continued to grow in confidence, landing the first serves that had deserted him in the previous two sets.

His attempt to break Nadal’s serve proved difficult though, with the Spaniard’s power and pace proving too much.

A delightful backhand from Nadal was not enough to stop Fish from holding easily as he smashed down a 131mph ace to lead 6-5.

Needing to hold to stay in the match, Nadal then suddenly buckled, planting twice into the net to give Fish two break points.

Fish groaned as his adventurous attempt at a two-handed backhand went wide on the first break point, but he did not fail with the second break, clipping the line with a perfectly placed forehand to take the third set 7-5.

Nadal, fearful of seeing the match slide away, wasted little time in regaining the initiative in the fourth set.

The 10-time slam champion won two break points with a cleverly disguised drop shot before Fish crashed a simple volley into the net to go a 1-2 down.

Nadal took Fish’s third service game of the set to 30-30, but the 29-year-old stayed cool to leave himself one break behind the champion.

Nadal, willed on by the majority of the crowd, won two break points in the seventh, but a wayward return and a clever drop shot rescued the American.

An awesome backhand at the start of the eighth was not enough for Nadal to break for a second time in the final set, leaving the champion to serve for the match at 5-3.

A wayward forehand gave Nadal three match points and he obliged at the first time of asking, dropping a low backhand just over the net to take the set and complete a 6-3 6-3 5-7 6-4 win.