To appreciate Nadal, watch what Murray endured
LONDON — To appreciate fully just how outstanding Rafael Nadal is at the moment — 28 consecutive completed sets won in Grand Slam play — consider what Andy Murray went through at Wimbledon on Friday.
Murray’s title defense appeared to be on shaky ground in the third round, particularly through a stressful stretch at Centre Court against Fabio Fognini, the 28th-seeded Italian who won their most recent encounter and had five set points to force this one to a fifth.
No telling whether the No. 1-ranked Murray, or his vocal backers, could have handled that test. Didn’t need to find out, because Murray was steady enough to grab the last five games and beat Fognini 62, 4-6, 6-1, 7-5 as the sunlight faded.
“The end of the match was tense,” Murray said, in his typically understated way. “It was a very up-and-down match. I didn’t feel like it was the best tennis at times.”
The set he did drop was the first ceded so far this week by the Big 4: Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Nadal and Murray. That all-conquering quartet combined to win the past 14 Wimbledon championships — half by Federer, three by Djokovic, two apiece by Murray and Nadal. Ah, yes, Nadal. He is coming off a record 10th French Open title, claiming all 19 full sets he contested in Paris with as overpowering a performance as can be (one opponent quit because of injury in the middle of the second set). Tack on the nine collected at the All England Club, including a 6-1, 6-4, 7-6 (3) victory over 30th-seeded Karen Khachanov on Friday, and Nadal’s set streak in majors equals the third-longest of the Open era.
“I mean, if you don’t hit hard and fast, he’s going to destroy you,” the 21-year-old Khachanov said. “If he has time, he’s dominating with his forehand. And he can play all the angles.”
With his friend Sergio Garcia seated in the Royal Box, wearing the green jacket earned as Masters champion, Nadal put on quite a show. He whipped that big forehand of his; managed to dull serves that topped 130 mph (210 kph) enough to earn 15 break points, converting four; and played skillfully at the net, winning the point on 17 of 21 approaches, 4 for 4 when he decided to serve-and-volley.
The closest Nadal has come to conceding a set over his past 10 matches came in the third. Facing a set point while down 6-5 and serving at 30-40, Nadal produced a brilliant power-and-touch combination, hitting a 122 mph (197 kph) serve followed by a welldisguised drop shot winner.
In Monday’s fourth round, Nadal faces No. 16 Gilles Muller, who beat Aljaz Bedene 7-6 (4), 7-5, 6-4, while Murray meets unseeded Benoit Paire, a 6-2, 7-6 (3), 6-3 winner against Jerzy Janowicz. Other matchups: 2014 U.S. Open champion Marin Cilic against No. 18 Roberto Bautista Agut, and unseeded Kevin Anderson vs. No. 12 JoWilfried Tsonga or No. 24 Sam Querrey, whose match was suspended Friday night in the fifth set because of darkness.
Women’s fourth-rounders: Venus Williams vs. No. 27 Ana Konjuh, No. 2 Simona Halep vs. two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka; French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko vs. No. 4 Elina Svitolina; No. 6 Johanna Konta vs. No. 21 Caroline Garcia.
Against the sometimesvolatile Fognini, who beat him on clay at Rome in May, Murray fell behind 5-2 in the fourth set as dusk approached. Murray figured that if the match went to a fifth, play would be interrupted so the retractable roof could be closed and the tournament’s only artificial lights switched on.
“You’re thinking a little bit about that, as well — a change of conditions and a 20-minute break to think about things before playing a fifth set,” said Murray, whose 2013 title was the first at Wimbledon for a British man in 77 years. “So, obviously, pleased to get off in four.”
He barely did that against Fognini, who mixed in effective drop shots and lobs with pounded groundstrokes.
“I felt superior,” Fognini said. “He didn’t have many options. I had more.”
Fognini, who drew a warning for throwing his racket earlier in the match, was docked a point for sticking a finger in his mouth — chair umpire Damien Dumusois termed it a “visible obscenity” — and that gave Murray a game for 2-all. Rather than discourage Fognini, or distract him, it seemed to provide fuel. Roughly 15 minutes later, he’d won three games in a row, aided by Murray’s double-fault on a break point, and soon held five set points.
Couldn’t convert any, though. And so Murray will play on at the All England Club, much to the delight of the locals.
NUITS-SAINT-GEORGES, France — After a stage decided by millimeters and sprinters, it’s time to see some significant gaps between the leaders in the Tour de France.
The race heads into the mountains this weekend and yellow-jersey holder Chris Froome is looking forward to taking measure of his challengers.
“This weekend, we will see exactly where everyone’s at,” Froome said, explaining that the top 10 riders are still too close together for him to clearly identify one sole rival.
Stage 8 from Dole on Saturday finishes at the Rousses ski station in the Jura Range, close to the border with Switzerland. Three climbs on the 187.5-kilometer (116-mile) route will serve as a warm-up for the extremely tough Stage 9 in the Alps on Sunday, which has seven climbs, including three with the “hors categorie” or beyond rating.
The last climb on Saturday “could shake things up a bit,” Froome said.
“The bigger obstacles will come on Sunday. It should be a big weekend of racing. That’s what we spend all season training for.”
Froome remained 12 seconds ahead of Sky teammate Geraint Thomas and 14 seconds ahead of Stage 5 winner Fabio Aru of Italy.
Dan Martin of Ireland was fourth, 25 seconds behind, and Froome’s former teammate, Richie Porte, was fifth at 39 seconds back.
“Fabio Aru is certainly threatening,” Froome said. “But I certainly wouldn’t say he’s any more of a threat than Richie Porte.”
Back down in the flats on Friday, the wine-themed Stage 7 was won by Marcel Kittel in a photo finish.
The German made his move nearly too late and edged Edvald Boasson Hagen of Norway by six millimeters to win his third stage of the race, and second in two days.
Kittel seemed sure he won, holding up three fingers to celebrate his three stage wins.
“It was super, super close,” Kittel said. “When there’s a photo finish, you have your doubts. I was lucky.”
It was Kittel’s 12th career win in the Tour, tying him with Erik Zabel for the German record.
Kittel clocked slightly more than five hours over the mostly flat 213.5-kilometer (132-mile) leg from Troyes in champagne country to Nuits-Saint-Georges in the heart of the Burgundy winemaking region.
Michael Matthews of Australia crossed third.
Boasson Hagen took over the leadership duties at Team Dimension Data after Mark Cavendish abandoned the race with a broken shoulder this week. World champion Peter Sagan was disqualified from the Tour for causing Cavendish’s high-speed crash.
The victory helped Kittel take the green points jersey from French national champion Arnaud Demare, who finished 11th.
Kittel is aiming to wear green all the way to the finish in Paris on July 23.
Sagan won the green jersey in the past five Tours.
Froome said the stage wasn’t as easy as it looked, under the searing sun. He said he drank nearly 15 bottles of water.
“Every kilometer you think about what can happen that could change the race,” Froome said. “If you turn left or right or if there is wind. It was a day for staying in front.”
The southeasterly route passed by the mustard capital of Dijon then concluded with a circuit through picturesque vineyards of Burgundy.
Like in the other three sprinting stages, an early breakaway — this one featuring Manuele Mori, Yohann Gene, Dylan van Baarle and Maxime Bouet — was caught shortly before the finish.