Wimbledon 2011: Why Andy Murray Needs a Wimbledon Championship More Than Nadal

Tennis fans worldwide are anticipating the 2011 Wimbledon semifinal between Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal.

The two will meet for the 16th time in this epic semifinal match, as Nadal has won 11 of those matches, leaving Murray with just four.

Both Nadal and Murray are two players with different challenges ahead of them. Nadal needs this win to continue his dominance, as a title here at Wimbledon will mean he will have won an impressive five of the last six grand slam tournaments. With Novak Djokovic taking the number one seed earlier today, Nadal has all the more to fight for in this match.

Andy Murray, on the other hand, is the number four player in the world, but is yet to win a grand slam. Murray has been on a roll here at Wimbledon, cruising through the french-man Feliciano Lopez in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4.

Murray is a player that, unlike Rafael Nadal, has much more to prove. Murray might be a top five  player for years to come, but has never been able to win a grand slam. He has made it to the finals three times, twice at the Australian Open the last two years and once at the U.S. Open. When it comes to Wimbledon, Murray has been to the semifinals the last three seasons, and all three times came up short.

As he continues to come up short of a finals appearance, the pressure only continues to build for the former number two player in the world. Murray plays in front of a home crowd at Wimbledon and knows that there is an added pressure to get over the hump and take home a title. Murray has proved to be a talent that can compete with the best in tennis—Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic—but what separated him from these three is that he is without a title to his name.

Rafael Nadal has won his fair share of grand slam titles. Nadal has 10 grand slams to his name, the second-most of any other active player in men's tennis behind the Roger Federer. He is 30-2 in his last 32 Wimbledon matches and won both the 2008 and 2010 tournaments.

When it's all said and done, there is little doubt that Nadal will regain his number one ranking in the world, as well as win a plethora more grand slams in his career. Nadal could very well pass Federer's mark for grand slam titles.

Yet, Murray is a talent that knows he has to get it done on the big stage, the brightest lights. He knows as well as anyone his moment is now, and he has the chance to do something he has never done before in making the Final at Wimbledon.

Murray needs this win more than any of the last three players remaining, as it could be a career-defining moment for one of tennis's great talents.