? Tomas Berdych conquered the Swiss 6-2, 7-6
? Mardy Fish beat Nadal and will face Murray next
Ten days before the US Open Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, humbled in straight sets after their travails in Montreal only a week ago, are looking as vulnerable as they have ever done since Novak Djokovic became world No1 at Wimbledon.
Defeat in Friday's quarter-finals for the one-time unchallenged rulers of the game not only leaves the Cincinnati Open to the next generation, including Andy Murray, but signals another significant power shift.
Murray was heartened by another improved showing in defeating the stylish Gilles Simon 6-3, 6-3 and play's Nadal's buoyant conqueror, Mardy Fish, in the first semi-finalon Saturday.
It was the manner of Nadal's 6-3, 6-4 defeat by the late-rising American, as well as Federer's 6-2, 7-6 by Tomas Berdych, that set the tournament buzzing with speculation about their chances in New York. One would not give a lot for them at the moment.
Nadal looked more troubled, nursing a blistered finger on his right hand from a cooking accident and clearly weary after a marathon against Fernando Verdasco as well as a doubles match the previous day. "I am playing a little bit worse now," he admitted. "Everything you say seems like an excuse. The only excuse is he played better than me."
The day, though, belonged to Fish. Immediately after beating Nadal he rewarded himself with a change of shirt, revealing to the crowd a torso that, while not ready for Mr Universe, was a significant improvement on the one that made him Lardy Mardy until a couple of years ago.
The American is 29, lean, hungry and the form player of the season. Patrick McEnroe reminded Fish of a text he recently sent the former US Davis Cup captain with the prediction, "I'm going to get one of these big guys. It's coming soon." He did not get Djokovic in the Montreal final last weekend but he got Nadal yesterday and he almost made the world No 2 look pedestrian. It was a powerful performance, glittering with memorable ground strokes on both wings and 12 aces.
His results this week secured him the Olympus US series and give him the chance to pick up an enhanced purse of $2.8m (�1.7m), the largest single payout in the history of the game, if he wins the US Open, which starts on 29 August. He is more than a worthy outsider.
Federer, who had returned to something like his fluent best this week, started listlessly and was off-key towards the end in the delivery of his trademark forehand. If that shot is not working for him, he struggles. "I definitely didn't get a great read on his first serve today," Federer said of Berdych, who was winning nearly eight out of 10 towards the end. "He was better than me today. All in all, I feel OK, better than Montreal."
Having beaten the mercurial Czech eight times in a row, Federer has now lost three of their past four matches, a sequence that must concern even the ice-cool Swiss. His aura has not just faded; it has disappeared. Federer mentioned, pointedly, the hold that Djokovic has imposed on Nadal this season; Berdych is fast becoming Federer's Djokovic.
The winner, not always a model of graciousness, was reluctant to bury Federer twice. "We are very far after those moments," he said when asked to reflect on the win over Federer in Miami nearly 18 months ago that set his current run going. "I like to live in this time, not going that far back. I was playing probably the best match this year for me."
Murray has had an anonymous tournament by comparison but his game is in good shape. It will need to be if he is to stop Fish.
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2011/aug/19/andy-murray-gilles-simon-cincinnati
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