Andy Murray handed a massive boost to his chances of reaching the Wimbledon final
Updated: 19th June 2021
Andy Murray was handed a massive boost to his chances of reaching the Wimbledon final yesterday as Rafael Nadal was incredibly knocked out of the tournament.
After Murray had booked his place in the third round with victory over Ivo Karlovic, he was widely expected to be joined by Nadal. However, the Spaniard was on the receiving end of a tremendous performance from world number 100 Lukas Rosol.
Latest New Betting Sites & Bonuses
Best Tennis Betting Sites & Bonus Offers
Why does it benefit Murray though' Well, the Scotsman was seeded to meet Nadal in the semi-finals. This led to many believing that the British No.1 could fall at the same hurdle he has done in the last three years at SW19.
The Murray camp won't be thinking too much about this at the moment though. Regardless of whether Nadal was still involved, Murray needs to win a few matches yet to make the final four.
This includes his third round match with Marcos Baghdatis on Saturday. Another tough test for Murray, he will look to remain calm and let his superior ability do the talking.
To succeed at Wimbledon, he needs to use the home crowd to his advantage, but not get caught up in the moment. He certainly doesn't want to read too much into the fact Nadal has been knocked out.
If anything is to be taken from it, it is that shocks can happen. Murray may be the world No.4 and the home favourite, but he doesn't have a right to progress.
In fairness to Murray, his attitude has been fantastic so far. Remaining calm and professional, he has got the job done. Getting the basics right is the priority ‘ such as having a high first serve percentage ‘ and then he has the quality to produce magic moments.
As for Baghdatis, the man that will take on Murray on Saturday afternoon, he certainly has some pedigree. Back in 2006, he reached the semi-final of Wimbledon and the final at the Australian Open and this propelled him to No.8 in the world rankings.
The 27-year-old has failed to reach these heights since, but he will be confident of competing with Murray and perhaps take some inspiration from Rosol's unlikely victory.
Relevant news
England vs New Zealand Cricket 1st Test preview
England vs New Zealand Cricket 1st Test preview - Lords Cricket Ground on June 2nd,…
Premier League manager sack race; Roy Hodgson latest favourite
Next Premier League manager to get the sack odds update: Palace's Roy Hodgson is the…
Borussia Monchengladbach vs Manchester City
2020-21 UEFA Champions' League Round of 16 First-Leg preview: Borussia Monchengladbach vs Manchester City -…
Wales v Ireland Rugby 6 Nations Preview, Prediction, Odds – Ireland to Edge encounter by 5
Wales v Ireland Rugby 6 Nations Sunday the 7th of February 2021 3pm Kick off…
Rugby 6 Nations Preview & Odds 2021 – Time for Les Blues to shine!
The 2021 Six Nations Championship will be contested between the 6th of February and the…
Chelsea vs Wolverhampton Prediction 27/01/2021 – Score Draw for Blues without Lampard
2020-21 Premier League preview: Chelsea vs Wolverhampton Wanderers - Stamford Bridge - Wednesday, 27th January…
