Australian Open quarter-final curse fells Nadal again as Cilic advances

Marin Cilic of Croatia and Rafael Nadal of Spain embrace after Nadal retired from their match. REUTERS

Melbourne (Reuters): RafaNadal’s Australian Open quarter-final curse struck again on Tuesday, an injury forcing the top seed to retire in the fifth set against Croatia’s Marin Cilic.

A wincing Nadal struggled with a muscle strain in his upper right thigh from late in the fourth set before abandoning the match at 3-6 6-3 6-7(5) 6-2 2-0, leaving a packed Rod Laver Arena crushed with disappointment.

It was only the second time the world number one has retired in over 250 grand slam matches, his last, coincidentally, during the 2010 quarter-finals against Andy Murray.

“It’s not the first time here,” an ashen-faced Nadal told reporters. “I am a positive person ... but today is an opportunity lost to be in a semi-finals of a grand slam.” Of the seven grand slam quarter-final defeats of his career, five have now come on the blue hardcourts at Melbourne Park.