Nadal ends Murray's hopes again

By Piers Newbery
BBC Sport at Wimbledon Venue: All England Club, LondonDate: 20 June-3 JulyCoverage: Live on BBC One, Two, 3D, HD, Red Button, online (UK only), Radio 5 live, 5 live sports extra; live text commentary from 0900 BST on BBC Sport website (#bbctennis); watch again on iPlayer Nadal beats Murray at Wimbledon

Rafael Nadal ended the Wimbledon hopes of British number one Andy Murray for the second year in a row with a four-set victory in their semi-final.

The defending champion from Spain came through 5-7 6-2 6-2 6-4 and will play Novak Djokovic in Sunday's final.

And while Nadal targets a third Wimbledon and 11th Grand Slam win, Murray is still without a major title.

The Scot has now lost three successive Wimbledon semi-finals, and the wait for a British champion goes on.

Fred Perry remains the last homegrown men's singles champion with his 1936 triumph, and there is every chance that Murray will one day have to find a way past Nadal - one year his senior at 25 - if he is to ever get his hands on the Wimbledon trophy.

Murray had won only four of his previous 15 matches against Nadal, and lost in straight sets at the same stage of Wimbledon last year.

There was an early scare for the Briton when the trainer was called at 2-1 to deliver pain killers as a hip injury appeared to have flared up, but he waved the assistance away when he returned at the next changeover.

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A first half-chance came for Murray at 3-2, 30-30, but he missed with a forehand and it was Nadal who then pressed hard at 5-5, twice getting to deuce in a lengthy game.

A tie-break loomed but Nadal, who came into the match with a lingering foot injury, played a loose game at 5-6 to fall 0-40 down, and gave up the set with a backhand into the net.

The momentum was well and truly with Murray and he had a great chance at 2-1, 15-30, in the second set but fired an inviting mid-court forehand long and it appeared to derail him.

A double-fault gave Nadal a break point in the following game and Murray blazed a smash over the baseline to fall 3-2 behind, before another sloppy service game all but handed over the set.

It might only have been one set all, but Murray's hopes seemed to be hanging in the balance as early as the start of the third and, after saving two break points with a volley and an ace, he missed with a forehand on the third to lose his sixth straight game.

Nadal sympathy for Murray

Nadal was in the groove now and made it seven in a row, clamping down on unforced errors to such an extent that a loose forehand at 3-2 was his first since the opening set.

The Spaniard powered through the rest of the set and tore into Murray at the start of the fourth, ripping a forehand down the line for 15-40 and getting the break when the Briton netted a forehand.

Murray had a lifeline with two break points in game four but Nadal chose the moment to attack the net and volley into the open court, before pummelling his way to safety with some heavy forehands on the second.

Nadal will lose his number one ranking to Djokovic no matter the result of Sunday's final, but he looked supreme as he finished off Murray after nearly three hours and extended his winning run at Wimbledon to 20 matches.

Murray breaks Rafa to win first set

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Dizaei hopes to return to force

16 May 2011 Last updated at 19:04 GMT Former police commander Ali Dizaei:"My integrity is completely intact"

Former Metropolitan Police commander Ali Dizaei has said he hopes to return to the force one day after winning an appeal against charges of misconduct and corruption.

Mr Dizaei, 48, was freed after 15 months in jail and now faces a retrial.

He was accused of making threats, assault, false arrest and faking evidence against Waad al-Baghdadi, over a money dispute.

Mr Dizaei said he had left prison "with my integrity completely intact".

He was let out of Leyhill open prison on Monday after Lord Justice Hughes and two other judges said the Court of Appeal had been "driven to the conclusion" that his conviction "cannot be regarded as safe".

'Faith in God'

At a press conference in London on Monday evening, Mr Dizaei praised his wife for helping secure his appeal and added: "I will remain determined to clear my name."

He said his time in prison was like "putting a hand in a wasps' nest".

He said he was assaulted on a number of occasions and it was his faith in God and faith in his innocence that assisted him to go through "what I can best describe as hell".

He said: "I remain determined not to be bullied out of my job. It is my intention to go back to the Metropolitan Police, clear my name, and retire like any other (officer)."

Lord Justice Hughes and two other judges at the Court of Appeal in London made the ruling after fresh evidence cast doubt on Mr al-Baghdadi's credibility as a witness.

The earlier hearing was told that Mr al-Baghdadi was a fraudster who had lied to investigators and at the trial last year.

Police also confirmed that he was arrested on 6 March on suspicion of benefit fraud.

Solicitor Stephen Fox: "Mr Dizaei and his family are very pleased the Court of Appeal has quashed the conviction"

Michael Mansfield QC, for Mr Dizaei, also accused Mr al-Baghdadi of lying to obtain residence in the UK.

Lord Justice Hughes said fresh information about benefit claims would obviously have had some impact on the jury's deliberations.

He said the Court of Appeal "simply do not know whether this conviction is soundly based or not".

He concluded: "In those circumstances we are driven to the conclusion that it cannot be regarded as safe."

A CPS spokesperson said: "The court has said that a jury should have the opportunity to decide whether the prosecution evidence is sufficient to prove the case against Mr Dizaei, considering the new material relating to the alleged victim.

"The Crown Prosecution Service accepts the judgement and will prepare for the retrial."

Earlier Mr Dizaei's solicitor Stephen Fox, from Ralli Solicitors, said his client was "relieved" his conviction had been quashed and he could again "call himself an innocent man".

Mr Fox said: "He and his family are very pleased that the Court of Appeal quashed this verdict against him."

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