It didn’t show much either as Nadal ran along the baseline to hit numerous passing shots to counter the American’s strategy of repeatedly attacking the net. He appeared to be cruising toward an easy victory after breaking Fish to start the third set, before a momentary lapse let his opponent back into the match.
Nadal hit several uncharacteristic errors to help Fish break right back, and the American broke again in the 12th game, hitting a forehand winner down the right sideline on his second set point.
But unlike Roger Federer — who lost in five sets to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga earlier yesterday — Nadal wasn’t about to let a two-set lead slip away.
In the third game of the fourth set, he set up two break points with a perfect drop shot, and converted the first when Fish netted a forehand volley. He was never threatened after that and served out the match at love, finishing off his first match point with an easy volley.
He will face Andy Murray in the semifinals for the second year in a row, having beaten the Briton at the same stage at the French Open as well.
“I believe I can win against him. I had chances last year,’’ Murray said after beating Feliciano Lopez in straight sets in their quarterfinal match. “I just have to have a better game plan. Sometimes it comes down to strategy. Sometimes it comes down to having more experience.’’
Murray is the only semifinalist to go through the past two rounds without dropping a set, and Nadal has been impressed with the Briton’s play so far.
“Probably this year he has a little bit more experience,’’ Nadal said. “He’s playing very well, having [reached the] final in Australia, semifinals in Roland Garros, now semifinals another time here. So he’s having a very successful season, in my opinion. So he’s with big confidence. Anyway, the previous matches doesn’t affect [tomorrow’s] match.’’
