Melbourne: The easy part is over for Andy Murray. The Australian Open is about to get a whole lot tougher for the great hope of British tennis.
Murray coasted through his first four matches without dropping a set but his quarterfinal opponent in Monday's feature night match presents a much bigger challenge.
By his own incredible standards, Rafael Nadal is not at his best. The Spaniard has struggled with injuries since winning last year's Australian Open and is only just regaining his confidence.
There have been plenty of indicators to suggest he is getting back to his old form and his clash with Murray could be a watershed for both men.
"I think I am okay," Nadal said. "But I have to play better next match if I really want to have chances to win. "Andy is one of the more difficult players to play against. I have to play my best tennis."
Nadal has won five of his previous seven meetings with Murray but the Scotsman is not without hope. Nadal has won just one of his last 11 matches against players ranked in the top 10.
"I'm playing well, there's no question about that," said Murray, the only player in the top five yet to win a grand slam title.
Confident
"I'm happy to have won the matches comfortably. I know the match against Rafa is going to be difficult, but I think I can win."
The winner of that match will advance to the semifinals against either American Andy Roddick or Croatia's Marin Cilic.
Their match, also scheduled today, is shaping as a battle of the fittest after both were pushed all the way in their fourth round encounters.
Cilic upset Argentina's US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro in five sets while Roddick also went the full distance before wearing down Chile's Fernando Gonzalez.
Roddick and Cilic have played each other twice before, winning one apiece, but the American said those matches would have no bearing on their next clash.
