A PHILOSOPHICAL Andy Murray yesterday admitted he had no answer to Rafael Nadal’s awesome firepower in Wimbledon’s last eight.

Jul 4 2008 by Andrew Welsh, Perthshire Advertiser Friday

A PHILOSOPHICAL Andy Murray yesterday admitted he had no answer to Rafael Nadal’s awesome firepower in Wimbledon’s last eight.

The brave 21-year-old from Perthshire bowed out of the championships after finding the physicality and precision ground strokes of his Spanish rival too hot to handle in Wednesday evening’s centre court quarter-final at the All England Club.

“He played so much better than me,” Murray conceded yesterday.

“I don't feel I played my best, but regardless he was playing too well for me.

“His forehand was ridiculous. He was hitting the ball so close to the line and I felt rushed on every point.”

Earlier, the British number one from Dunblane had bounced back from two sets down against Frenchman Richard Gasquet in an exhausting contest on Monday night, to set up the Nadal clash.

After suffering a comprehensive 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 defeat against the world number two, Murray now expects Nadal (22) to stake a serious claim for defending champion Roger Federer’s Wimbledon singles title.

“If he (Nadal) plays like that and returns like that, he’s very close to being the favourite,” said Murray.

“He was close last year and he’s playing better than that now.”

Following his best-ever Grand Slam performance, the Scot said he still believed he could return to Wimbledon and win the title.

“I can improve so many things in my game and it's up to me to do that,” he said.

“I have to try to be positive. The Gasquet match is one of the best I've ever played in and I played three solid matches before that.

“I got further than my seeding and I'm going to be back in the top 10 next week.”