Andy Murray reached the semi-finals of the Australian Open for the first time on Tuesday when defending champion Rafa Nadal quit with a right leg injury midway through the third set.
The Scotsman produced a breathtaking display to open up a 6-3 7-6 3-0 lead when Nadal, who had called in the trainer to treat the area just above his knee earlier in the set, shook his head and informed Murray that he could no longer continue.
Murray's win would have given him real hope that he could be on the verge of ending Britain's 74-year wait for a men's grand slam champion and he will take on Croatia's Marin Cilic for a place in the final.
"I've known Rafa since I was 13 or 14 and he is somebody I have always looked up to," Murray said in a courtside interview.
"He is my favourite player to watch because of his energy and I am gutted for him.
"I came through a few difficult moments at the start of the match but I played well and I got my tactics right."
Nadal's exit was a sad note to a match of the highest quality and will raise doubts about his ability to return to the incredible standards he reached in winning six grand slam titles.
He is still only 23 but has been plagued by knee problems over the past nine months after being on top of the world a year ago when he held the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon titles and was ranked number one.
But his retirement on Tuesday should not detract from the performance of Murray, who is in the best form of his life, and a match that whipped the centre court crowd into a frenzy.
