Tennis: Nadal Powers Onwards

As Andrew Murray prepared for his US Open second-round match against Arnaud Clement of France today, Spain's Rafael Nadal, less than a year older than the Scot, eased into the last 32 with a 6-4, 7-5, 6-4 victory over the American wild card, Scoville Jenkins.

A year ago Nadal had never gone beyond the third round of a grand slam, and had one rather insignificant clay-court title to his name. Now, with Russia's Marat Safin having pulled out of the tournament with a knee injury before it began, and with Andy Roddick having slid to an ignominious first-round defeat, the 19-year-old Spaniard and world No2, is recognised as the man most likely to prevent Roger Federer defending his title.

Nadal has had an extraordinary eight months, taking the French Open after a semi-final victory over Federer and winning eight further titles, including the Montreal Masters two weeks ago, beating Andre Agassi in the final.

Those chasing down Federer, such as Lleyton Hewitt, are fond of placing the Swiss on a pedestal way above all the rest, while intimating that the pack are just about running abreast of each other. But this ignores the fact that, the Australian Open apart, the slams and all the seven Masters series to date this year have been won by either Nadal or Federer.

And so the lines have been drawn: it's Federer vs Nadal. All that is lacking is a long list of matches between the two. So far they have met only three times, with Nadal holding a 2-1 lead. But now that they are ranked No1 and No2 in the world the chances of such battles have increased, with every prospect they will meet in their first slam final here a week on Sunday.

Nadal practice sessions are fierce affairs and, although he felt he was not hitting the ball quite as he wanted to in his match, with a swirling wind making timing difficult, he was not too concerned. "It's often usual for me not to feel quite on top of my game in the early stages, but I know that when the big matches come along I will be fine."

Nadal is very much a boy in a man's body, whereas Murray, for all that he is gaining upper body strength, will clearly not develop in the same extraordinary way. Nonetheless his progress this year has been faster than most expected, and the match against Clement represents a significant mark.

"Arnaud is pretty small, so I think he's going to be consistent and quick around the court. I'm going to have to play a patient match, " said Murray. "I will have to make sure that I wait for the right opportunity. It should be a fun match, but I am taller than him so I will probably hit the ball harder."

Murray's matches are almost always emotional, which clearly costs him much energy. It is something he recognises. "I haven't been getting too fired-up at the start of the match, and getting tired too early, and that has been pleasing. I think some of the guys are starting to notice me."

Serena Williams reached the last 32 under the Arthur Ashe floodlights, thereby increasing the possibility of a fourth-round match against her elder sister, Venus. The French Open champion Justine Henin-Hardenne is also through after beating Maria Sanchez Lorenzo 6-3, 6-4.