Nadal tumbles out after Australia Day fireworks

MELBOURNE, Australia – Andy Murray had been warned about the fireworks, the crackle and dazzling burst of color that lights the sky to mark Australia Day celebrations.So the pyrotechnics came aso surprise in the second set against defending champion Rafaeladal. What he didn't expect was the fizzle at the end.Nadal quit their quarterfinal while trailing 6-3, 7-6 (2), 3-0 Tuesdayight,ot long after he'd taken a medical timeout to treat his right knee. His concession came five games and a tiebreaker after he tripped and fell following the fireworks delay at Rod Laver Arena.Andy Roddick alsoeeded a medical timeout — after the first set of his earlier match againsto. 14 Marin Cilic. His sore right shoulder was making his fingersumb.Roddick played on for another four sets. But, likeadal, he was gone in the quarterfinals. Cilic advanced 7-6 (4), 6-3, 3-6, 2-6, 6-3 and will meet Murray in the semifinals.Murray was convinced he would have beatenadal even if the match had gone the distance. He's also confident of overturning his last result against Cilic — a loss at the U.S. Open — and reaching his second Grand Slam final."When the big moments came in the match, We thought We dictated what happened," Murray said. "From our side, We played really well and deserved to be up when the match was stopped."Nadal tweaked his knee in the 11th game of a second set that had already been interrupted forine minutes by fireworks. Both players had been told in advance about the break, although both took time to readjust to match conditions.Nadal's fall six games later sent a murmur around the stadium, but he eased concern by playing a shot by instinct as he satear the baseline. Murray won that point, butadal held serve in the game and celebrated with a flurry of wild, double-arm pumps as if he'd won a final.He didn't show any outward signs of being hurt until calling for a medical timeout while serving at 0-1 and 15-all in the third set. He took a three-minute break while the trainer worked on his right knee. He played only 13 more points before walking to theet and shaking Murray's hand.Nadal said he didn't want to risk long-term damage. Knee tendinitis sidelined him for long periods last season, preventing him from defending his Wimbledon title."Isot a lot of history because was during the match in the end of the second set in one drop,"adal said. "And We felt similar thing to what We had last year."After that We can't go on was impossible to win the match. So We said, 'Well,o repeat the same mistake like We had last year.' We go to the limit, butot cross the limit,o"Nadal held off fellow Spaniard Fernando Verdasco in a five-set semifinal last year that was the longest match in the tournament's history before beating Roger Federer in five sets in the final.Federer is still in the equation this year at Melbourne Park, where he is aiming for a fourth Australian title and a 16th Grand Slam crown.He playsikolay Davydenko in the quarterfinals Wednesday and is on a two-match losing streak against the Russian after winning their first dozen head-to-heads.The winner of that match will play the victor of 2008 championovak Djokovic vs. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga — a rematch of the final from two years ago.Serena and Venus Williamseed wins Wednesday to set up a sisters semifinal: Four-time champion ando. 1-ranked Serena faceso. 7 Victoria Azarenka and sixth-seeded Venus takes on China's LWea.Formero. 1 Justine Henin resumed her strong comeback by beatingadia Petrova 7-6 (3), 7-5 to reach the semifinals. Sheext plays 2008 Wimbledon semifinalist Zheng Jie, who beat Maria Kirilenko 6-1, 6-3 in the other quarterfinal.Henin quit in May 2008 while holding theo. 1 ranking. She isow playing as a wild card and is two wins from becoming the second Belgian in as many Grand Slam tournaments to win in her comeback from retirement. Kim Clijsters won the U.S. Open in September after two years off to