Andy Murray advances to Australian Open semi-finals
Published:Tuesday | January 26, 2010 | 1:11 PM
Andy Murray has advanced to the Australian Open semi-finals, after defending champion, Rafael Nadal was forced to retire hurt, ending a pulsating last eight clash.
Murray was 6-3, 7-6, 3-0 when a right knee injury forced Nadal to quit.
The British Number One took a tense first set in 53 minutes and fought back from 4-2 down in the second, eventually running away with the tie break.
Nadal battled on and after treatment to his knee at the start of the third set, but could not continue for long.
Murray is now through to the last four for the first time in Melbourne where he will meet 14 seed Marin Cilic.
Cilic advanced after beating Andy Roddick in five sets.
The Croatian won 7-6, 6-3, 3-6, 2-6, 6-3.
In the women\'s draw, former World Number One Justine Henin kept her Australian Open dream alive with a scrappy win over 19th seed, Nadia Petrova in the quarter-finals.
Henin is a wildcard in Melbourne as she is playing only her second tournament since coming out of retirement.
She had to dig to beat Petrova 7-6, 7-5 to reach the last four.
The 27-year-old Belgian, goes on to face Jie Zheng of China, who beat Russian Maria Kirilenko 6-1, 6-3 in the second of the day\'s women\'s quarter-finals.