8 Sep 2008

US Open loss cannot dim Nadal's joy

3:58 pm on 8 September 2008

The world tennis number one Rafael Nadal has fallen one match short of his goal of reaching the US Open final, but the 22-year-old Spanish left-hander says he looks back at a landmark season with delight.

The British sixth seed Andy Murray upset the Wimbledon, French Open and Olympic champion 6-2 7-6 (7-5) 4-6 6-4 in Nadal's first US Open semi-final, a match that began yesterday but was halted by rain in the third set.

Nadal says making the final would have a perfect end to the Grand Slam portion of the season after displacing Roger Federer as number one and winning a gold medal at the Olympics,

Next on his agenda is a Davis Cup semi-final in Spain later this month and the season-ending Masters Series event at Shanghai.