Not today. Today it was dead simple. Rafa and his side of the court was as impregnable as you might expect. But if Murray had started off playing with the aggression he displayed from 2-5 down in the second set, we may have had a three setter. That Rafa would still have won.
Instead he broke the second law of playing Rafael Nadal on clay (the one that comes right after "Don't play Rafael Nadal on clay"): "Never try to take on Rafa from the back of the court". I say 'take on', but I think we all know that's very quickly reduced to 'struggling to stay in the rally' as you're forcibly manhandled on to the 'Rafael Nadal Treadmill'. Federer knows a thing or two about that.
But what got me was that it almost looked a conscious decision on the part of Corretja and the rest of Team Murray to open proceedings in this laid back way. A kind of reverse psychology ploy maybe: Goodness knows, no one else DARES to play that way against Nadal, so what better way to keep him confused and 2nd guessing what you're really up to?
It's got to be hasn't it? Murray's surely smart enough to know that that kind of passive play is not sustainable for even a couple of games.
Whatever crafty games they may have been up to, Murray overplayed his hand. To be fair, he did look to be trying to crank things up earlier on, but his efforts were thwarted by not being able to put enough first serves in and perhaps more shockingly his trademark cross court double hander deserting him.
And then it happened. In a puff of smoke the terrier emerged and started serving bombs, running down balls and finding the lines in rallies he had no right to even be part of. It was all rather reminiscent of that US Open semi last year.
Of course it's completely ridiculous to suggest that anyone play that way for 2 or 3 sets. For one thing Nadal probably won't let you. And if you do manage to find some rhythm, he raises his game in that frustratingly effective way. Like he did in that 2nd set tie break.
***
Had Wawrinka made the final, there's no question he'd be part of this week's winners list. He'd built up some great momentum this week, even if you chose to ignore that win over Mirka's husband; and he almost had me convinced.
But then it happened. Losing his way completely in the 2nd set and then handing back a break in the final set. Novak may still be finding his way back to that unfathomable curiosity we call 'his best', but he's playing too well to let a double-choke-on-the-rocks like this slip by.
Singles - Semi-finals
[1] R Nadal (ESP) d [4] A Murray (GBR) 62 76(4)
[3] N Djokovic (SRB) d [13] S Wawrinka (SUI) 46 61 63
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