It was bound to happen and it couldn't have happened against a better opponent.
It's fitting that on his way to his first Grand Slam final, Andy also has ascended to the #4 ranking during this tournament. Is there really any doubt that he is in fact the #4 player in the world? His awesome display of counterpunching against the ultimate counterpuncher was proof positive that Andy is on his way to breaking up the elite threesome and making it a foursome. He needed to beat Rafa in order to make it legit, and he did it in convincing fashion. Have you EVER seen Rafa doubled over in exhaustion as he did during the last game of the fourth? I was absolutely shocked!
Even if Rafa was fresh I don't think the result would have been different. Murray's game is pretty to watch when it's on, but positively pretentious when it's off. His drop shots, lazy striking, and cracking winners can be mesmerizing. At one point I wondered aloud to myself "Why don't more people play like this?"
Monday's final should be a cracker if Muzza brings his A game. He actually has a winning record against Fed, beating him earlier this year. If Fed is a step slow, which I think he still is, Andy has a very good shot. Fed's strategy has to be to rush the net to put pressure on Murray early. He'll also need to serve big, obviously.
