Murray beats hurt Roddick; Nadal topped by Djokovic in Miami QFs
Miami, FL - Second seed Rafael Nadal and third seed Andy Roddick were both sent packing from the $3.45 million Sony Ericsson Open on Wednesday, but for different reasons.Andy Murray was leading Roddick in the first set on Wednesday when the American star retired with a strained upper left leg injury in quarterfinal action.A 12th-seeded Murray was leading a third-seeded Roddick 5-3 in the first set when the American called it quits. Roddick suffered the injury earlier in the stanza, later headed to the locker room for treatment while trailing
3-4, and then ultimately exited the draw after playing one more game at Crandon Park.Murray is now 2-1 this season against Roddick. The Scottish teenager upset the American in a final last month in San Jose, while Roddick returned the favor with a victory in a semifinal in Memphis the following week.The former world No. 1 Roddick, last year’s U.S. Open runner-up, titled here in Miami in 2004. His status for next week’s Davis Cup quarterfinal showdown against Spain in North Carolina is in question.The 19-year-old Murray will appear in his fifth semifinal in six ATP events this season.Murray will now face 10th-seeded Novak Djokovic of Serbia in Friday’s semifinals. Djokovic upended the 20-year-old reigning two-time French Open champion Nadal, 6-3, 6-4. It was less than two weeks ago that Nadal beat the 19-year-old Djokovic in a Masters Series finale at Indian Wells.Nadal was the 2005 Miami runner-up to Roger Federer.Two other quarterfinals will be staged here on Thursday, when sixth-seeded Spaniard Tommy Robredo takes on giant-killer Guillermo Canas and seventh- seeded Croat Ivan Ljubicic faces 23rd-seeded Argentine Juan Ignacio Chela. Canas shocked the great Federer in the last two ATP events. The gritty Argentine stunned Federer in straight sets earlier this month at Indian Wells and duplicated the feat here on Tuesday when he sent the mighty Swiss packing in three sets. Ljubicic was last year’s Miami runner-up to Federer.Miami marks the second of nine ATP Masters Series events this year.© 2007 The Sports Network