Take a bow, Mr Murray

I just witnessed, a few minutes ago, Rafael Nadal beat Andy Murray in 5 sets to move into the quarters of the Australian Open. In the end, Rafa simply bullied Murray with sheer physical strength. Murray just didn't have much left in the tank by the 4th set, while Nadal had that same pit bull look that Mike Tyson used to have when he was just about to knock someone out.

But I'll tell you what, Andy Murray is the guy who will get me excited about tennis again. If tonight was a taste of things to come, he's going to be awesome. Maybe not Federer good, but very very good nonetheless. He's what every tennis purist dreams of. At 19 years of age, he's already a master tactician. He's ridiculously flexible on the court. Not particularly fast, not particularly strong. Not even particularly consistent. And he's shown tonight that he lacks the stamina. But he's a thinker. Uber creative. Yet he's also emotional and expressive.

Not since Pat Rafter and Gustavo Kuerten has anyone gotten me so excited about tennis. The other two never quite made the most of their talents (mostly due to injuries). Let's hope Andy does better.