31st of January

After 5 hours, 14 minutes of unbelievable tennis, Rafa Nadal made history in the Australian Open…..Verdasco was on his knees in disappointment, and Rafa was flat on his back with delight.

Only the fans were on their feet, cheering with appreciation for the longest recorded match in an Australian Open, and also one of the best, an epic 6-7 (4-7), 6-4, 7-6 (7-2), 6-7 (1-7), 6-4 semifinal victory for our champion and world number 1 tennis player in the world.

SO, WHAT DID THE REST OF THE WORLD THINK OF THIS EPIC SEMIFINAL?

“Rafael couldn't hold back the tears when he pulled within a point of making the Australian Open final” said the Associated Press about the amazing match.

Nadal serves up marathon floor show ,was the title for the independent website in the UK, “An extraordinary display of stroke-making and athleticism provided wonderful entertainment for the crowd, but the happiest spectator must have been Roger Federer, who had won his semi-final in straight sets 24 hours earlier. Nadal is the strong man of tennis, but can he recover in time to beat the game's greatest fast-court player, who will be aiming to equal Pete Sampras's record of 14 Grand Slam titles?”…

Match looms as final for the ages 

“Five hours, fourteen minutes: that's the biblical epic of a tennis match just played by Rafael Nadal and Fernando Verdasco in the Australian Open. Nadal won the longest match in the history of the event 6-7 6-4 7-6 6-7 6-4, collapsing to his back in relief when Verdasco double-faulted to end a match that was half-tennis, half-Russian novel” were the words used by sportingnews.com.

Nadal wins epic to reach Australian Open final

“Nadal's superior fitness, both mental and physical, was finally demonstrated in the 10th game of the fifth set as he earned three match points after a clearly tired Verdasco made some mistakes.

An exhausted Verdasco fired another double faults on the third match point to give the epic victory to Nadal, who said at the courtside after the match that Verdasco also deserved the win.”

WHAT ABOUT TOMORROW’S FINAL?

“With a few obvious exceptions, Federer and Nadal almost seem to have made an unspoken gentleman's agreement: Nadal wins on clay and Federer wins on faster surfaces. Yet, for the first time in a Grand Slam, they'll be meeting halfway and playing on a court made of rubber but playing fairly slowly -- a "democratic surface" if you will. This could be a true test of supremacy” Sports Illustrated said about tomorrow’s final.

RAFA’S WORDS

"I feel very happy more than tired," Nadal said. "For sure, it's going to be a tough final in one day and a half, because my opponent will be very difficult. But it was amazing for me to play here in this match. It was one of the best matches in my career." Said Rafa about tomorrow’s final.

What a match!

31st of January

After 5 hours, 14 minutes of unbelievable tennis, Rafa Nadal made history in the Australian Open…..Verdasco was on his knees in disappointment, and Rafa was flat on his back with delight.

Only the fans were on their feet, cheering with appreciation for the longest recorded match in an Australian Open, and also one of the best, an epic 6-7 (4-7), 6-4, 7-6 (7-2), 6-7 (1-7), 6-4 semifinal victory for our champion and world number 1 tennis player in the world.

SO, WHAT DID THE REST OF THE WORLD THINK OF THIS EPIC SEMIFINAL?

“Rafael couldn't hold back the tears when he pulled within a point of making the Australian Open final” said the Associated Press about the amazing match.

Nadal serves up marathon floor show ,was the title for the independent website in the UK, “An extraordinary display of stroke-making and athleticism provided wonderful entertainment for the crowd, but the happiest spectator must have been Roger Federer, who had won his semi-final in straight sets 24 hours earlier. Nadal is the strong man of tennis, but can he recover in time to beat the game's greatest fast-court player, who will be aiming to equal Pete Sampras's record of 14 Grand Slam titles?”…

Match looms as final for the ages 

“Five hours, fourteen minutes: that's the biblical epic of a tennis match just played by Rafael Nadal and Fernando Verdasco in the Australian Open. Nadal won the longest match in the history of the event 6-7 6-4 7-6 6-7 6-4, collapsing to his back in relief when Verdasco double-faulted to end a match that was half-tennis, half-Russian novel” were the words used by sportingnews.com.

Nadal wins epic to reach Australian Open final

“Nadal's superior fitness, both mental and physical, was finally demonstrated in the 10th game of the fifth set as he earned three match points after a clearly tired Verdasco made some mistakes.

An exhausted Verdasco fired another double faults on the third match point to give the epic victory to Nadal, who said at the courtside after the match that Verdasco also deserved the win.”

WHAT ABOUT TOMORROW’S FINAL?

“With a few obvious exceptions, Federer and Nadal almost seem to have made an unspoken gentleman's agreement: Nadal wins on clay and Federer wins on faster surfaces. Yet, for the first time in a Grand Slam, they'll be meeting halfway and playing on a court made of rubber but playing fairly slowly -- a "democratic surface" if you will. This could be a true test of supremacy” Sports Illustrated said about tomorrow’s final.

RAFA’S WORDS

"I feel very happy more than tired," Nadal said. "For sure, it's going to be a tough final in one day and a half, because my opponent will be very difficult. But it was amazing for me to play here in this match. It was one of the best matches in my career." Said Rafa about tomorrow’s final.

What a match!

31st of January

After 5 hours, 14 minutes of unbelievable tennis, Rafa Nadal made history in the Australian Open…..Verdasco was on his knees in disappointment, and Rafa was flat on his back with delight.

Only the fans were on their feet, cheering with appreciation for the longest recorded match in an Australian Open, and also one of the best, an epic 6-7 (4-7), 6-4, 7-6 (7-2), 6-7 (1-7), 6-4 semifinal victory for our champion and world number 1 tennis player in the world.

SO, WHAT DID THE REST OF THE WORLD THINK OF THIS EPIC SEMIFINAL?

“Rafael couldn't hold back the tears when he pulled within a point of making the Australian Open final” said the Associated Press about the amazing match.

Nadal serves up marathon floor show ,was the title for the independent website in the UK, “An extraordinary display of stroke-making and athleticism provided wonderful entertainment for the crowd, but the happiest spectator must have been Roger Federer, who had won his semi-final in straight sets 24 hours earlier. Nadal is the strong man of tennis, but can he recover in time to beat the game's greatest fast-court player, who will be aiming to equal Pete Sampras's record of 14 Grand Slam titles?”…

Match looms as final for the ages 

“Five hours, fourteen minutes: that's the biblical epic of a tennis match just played by Rafael Nadal and Fernando Verdasco in the Australian Open. Nadal won the longest match in the history of the event 6-7 6-4 7-6 6-7 6-4, collapsing to his back in relief when Verdasco double-faulted to end a match that was half-tennis, half-Russian novel” were the words used by sportingnews.com.

Nadal wins epic to reach Australian Open final

“Nadal's superior fitness, both mental and physical, was finally demonstrated in the 10th game of the fifth set as he earned three match points after a clearly tired Verdasco made some mistakes.

An exhausted Verdasco fired another double faults on the third match point to give the epic victory to Nadal, who said at the courtside after the match that Verdasco also deserved the win.”

WHAT ABOUT TOMORROW’S FINAL?

“With a few obvious exceptions, Federer and Nadal almost seem to have made an unspoken gentleman's agreement: Nadal wins on clay and Federer wins on faster surfaces. Yet, for the first time in a Grand Slam, they'll be meeting halfway and playing on a court made of rubber but playing fairly slowly -- a "democratic surface" if you will. This could be a true test of supremacy” Sports Illustrated said about tomorrow’s final.

RAFA’S WORDS

"I feel very happy more than tired," Nadal said. "For sure, it's going to be a tough final in one day and a half, because my opponent will be very difficult. But it was amazing for me to play here in this match. It was one of the best matches in my career." Said Rafa about tomorrow’s final.

What a match!

31st of January

After 5 hours, 14 minutes of unbelievable tennis, Rafa Nadal made history in the Australian Open…..Verdasco was on his knees in disappointment, and Rafa was flat on his back with delight.

Only the fans were on their feet, cheering with appreciation for the longest recorded match in an Australian Open, and also one of the best, an epic 6-7 (4-7), 6-4, 7-6 (7-2), 6-7 (1-7), 6-4 semifinal victory for our champion and world number 1 tennis player in the world.

SO, WHAT DID THE REST OF THE WORLD THINK OF THIS EPIC SEMIFINAL?

“Rafael couldn't hold back the tears when he pulled within a point of making the Australian Open final” said the Associated Press about the amazing match.

Nadal serves up marathon floor show ,was the title for the independent website in the UK, “An extraordinary display of stroke-making and athleticism provided wonderful entertainment for the crowd, but the happiest spectator must have been Roger Federer, who had won his semi-final in straight sets 24 hours earlier. Nadal is the strong man of tennis, but can he recover in time to beat the game's greatest fast-court player, who will be aiming to equal Pete Sampras's record of 14 Grand Slam titles?”…

Match looms as final for the ages 

“Five hours, fourteen minutes: that's the biblical epic of a tennis match just played by Rafael Nadal and Fernando Verdasco in the Australian Open. Nadal won the longest match in the history of the event 6-7 6-4 7-6 6-7 6-4, collapsing to his back in relief when Verdasco double-faulted to end a match that was half-tennis, half-Russian novel” were the words used by sportingnews.com.

Nadal wins epic to reach Australian Open final

“Nadal's superior fitness, both mental and physical, was finally demonstrated in the 10th game of the fifth set as he earned three match points after a clearly tired Verdasco made some mistakes.

An exhausted Verdasco fired another double faults on the third match point to give the epic victory to Nadal, who said at the courtside after the match that Verdasco also deserved the win.”

WHAT ABOUT TOMORROW’S FINAL?

“With a few obvious exceptions, Federer and Nadal almost seem to have made an unspoken gentleman's agreement: Nadal wins on clay and Federer wins on faster surfaces. Yet, for the first time in a Grand Slam, they'll be meeting halfway and playing on a court made of rubber but playing fairly slowly -- a "democratic surface" if you will. This could be a true test of supremacy” Sports Illustrated said about tomorrow’s final.

RAFA’S WORDS

"I feel very happy more than tired," Nadal said. "For sure, it's going to be a tough final in one day and a half, because my opponent will be very difficult. But it was amazing for me to play here in this match. It was one of the best matches in my career." Said Rafa about tomorrow’s final.

What a match!

31st of January

After 5 hours, 14 minutes of unbelievable tennis, Rafa Nadal made history in the Australian Open…..Verdasco was on his knees in disappointment, and Rafa was flat on his back with delight.

Only the fans were on their feet, cheering with appreciation for the longest recorded match in an Australian Open, and also one of the best, an epic 6-7 (4-7), 6-4, 7-6 (7-2), 6-7 (1-7), 6-4 semifinal victory for our champion and world number 1 tennis player in the world.

SO, WHAT DID THE REST OF THE WORLD THINK OF THIS EPIC SEMIFINAL?

(CLICK ON TITLE OF ARTICLE TO READ THE FULL REPORT)

“Rafael couldn't hold back the tears when he pulled within a point of making the Australian Open final” said the Associated Press about the amazing match.

Nadal serves up marathon floor show ,was the title for the independent website in the UK, “An extraordinary display of stroke-making and athleticism provided wonderful entertainment for the crowd, but the happiest spectator must have been Roger Federer, who had won his semi-final in straight sets 24 hours earlier. Nadal is the strong man of tennis, but can he recover in time to beat the game's greatest fast-court player, who will be aiming to equal Pete Sampras's record of 14 Grand Slam titles?”…

Match looms as final for the ages 

“Five hours, fourteen minutes: that's the biblical epic of a tennis match just played by Rafael Nadal and Fernando Verdasco in the Australian Open. Nadal won the longest match in the history of the event 6-7 6-4 7-6 6-7 6-4, collapsing to his back in relief when Verdasco double-faulted to end a match that was half-tennis, half-Russian novel” were the words used by sportingnews.com.

Nadal wins epic to reach Australian Open final

“Nadal's superior fitness, both mental and physical, was finally demonstrated in the 10th game of the fifth set as he earned three match points after a clearly tired Verdasco made some mistakes.

An exhausted Verdasco fired another double faults on the third match point to give the epic victory to Nadal, who said at the courtside after the match that Verdasco also deserved the win.”

WHAT ABOUT TOMORROW’S FINAL?

“With a few obvious exceptions, Federer and Nadal almost seem to have made an unspoken gentleman's agreement: Nadal wins on clay and Federer wins on faster surfaces. Yet, for the first time in a Grand Slam, they'll be meeting halfway and playing on a court made of rubber but playing fairly slowly -- a "democratic surface" if you will. This could be a true test of supremacy” Sports Illustrated said about tomorrow’s final.

RAFA’S WORDS

"I feel very happy more than tired," Nadal said. "For sure, it's going to be a tough final in one day and a half, because my opponent will be very difficult. But it was amazing for me to play here in this match. It was one of the best matches in my career." Said Rafa about tomorrow’s final.

What a match!

29th of January

Rafa Nadal has set up the first all-Spanish semi-final in Australian Open history after blasting past sixth seed Gilles Simon in straight sets on Wednesday night, 6-2 7-5 7-5 in a little under two-and-a-half hours to further press his claims for a sixth grand slam.

Rafa will meet good friend and fellow left-hander Fernando Verdasco in the semis after the 14th seed continued his surprise run through the tournament with a victory over last year's finalist Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in four sets.

Their match is scheduled first in the night session of Rod Laver Arena which means it will start no later than 7:30pm (local Melbourne time)

(CLICK ON THE TITLE HEADER TO READ FULL ARTICLE)

“Fernando is playing at his best level. I (have) never played against him when he’s playing at the level he’s at right now, because I think he never played at this level before, beating Murray, beating Tsonga”. said Rafa about his friend.

“Sometimes in the past he had some mistakes in important moments and he lost a bit of concentration but he’s changing these things, no?”... “It will be very tough”.

Rafa is yet to drop a set this tournament and takes a 6-0 record into the clash with Verdasco, who also beat tournament favorite Andy Murray on his way to the semis. 

After the loss, Simon praised Rafa's mental strength and ability to hit winners from anywhere on the court.

He's doing everything very well on the court. He has improved his game a lot. He's able to run. He can attack. He can come to the net when it's important. Every time I play against him, he's the best player, I think. He's still improving," Simon said.

"He has a good chance to win (the tournament). He's No.1. He's playing very good. Maybe Roger because he (played) a very nice match yesterday. But I don't know. If he's playing like this, he has a really good chance to win."

January 28

Rafa Nadal powered his way through the quarterfinals of the Australian Open and booked himself the last ticket available in the men’s draw after beating Gilles Simon from France, 6-2, 7-5, 7-5.

“Today was though, because playing against Simon is always difficult. I couldn’t always play my rhythm because when I play my rhythm with the forehand trying to chance directions with the forehand, it’s good for him, no?” then he continued.

”I think he feels very well two meters behind the baseline and running all the time”. “I think I had to change a little bit the strategy, trying to play a little bit more slice, short balls, try to change the rhythm, no? Play higher, play lower, so that’s what I did today”.

With this victory Rafa set up an all-Spanish semi-final clash with Fernando Verdasco, who has continued an impressive march through the Australian Open after beating Jo-Wilfred Tsonga from France in four sets. 

RAFA –VS- SIMON

Rafa broke the Frenchman in the opening game of the match, then held his own serve to love to quickly assert his dominance, racing through the set with little pressure.

The pattern continued when the Rafa picked up an early break of serve in the second set and later in the third an unforced error from the Frenchman set up two break points, with the Spaniard clinching the second before serving out the match to love.

Rafa and Fernando have met 6 times in the past, with Rafa winning all of the encounters. Their last meeting was in last year’s Roland Garros where Rafa breezed past him in straight sets. However, everyone knows those stats don’t count as Fernando Verdasco is a completely different player now and one to watch in the future without doubt.

“ Fernando is playing at his best level. I (have) never played against him when he’s playing at the level he’s at right now, because I think he never played at this level before, beating Murray, beating Tsonga”.

“Sometimes in the past he had some mistakes in important moments and he lost a bit of concentration but he’s changing these things, no?”... “It will be very tough”.

Best of luck to you in the semifinals Rafa!

Vamos!! 

28th of January

UPDATE: Rafa will be arriving at the Australian Open premises around 4:00pm (local time) where he will practice for an hour at around 5:30pm and then will get ready for his quarterfinal match later tonight. 

Rafa Nadal pummeled Chile's Fernando Gonzalez, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4, on Monday to move into the Australian Open quarterfinals. Rafa hit 33 winners of varying angles and touch, fast and slow, on the lines, languid lobs, monstrous power shots. He had only 11 unforced errors, a testament to his precision and deadly calm.

"I am playing well, but you never know if it's going to be enough, I just hope I can continue to do the same and then we’ll see because each match is very, very difficult and the next one is not an exemption”.

“Last year I made it to the semifinals but I think I’m playing a bit better now.  Saying that though, I don’t mean I will get to play the final or that I’m going to make it to the semis again.  It only means that I feel much better than last year”, said Rafa after his win.

Rafa’s next opponent is the number 6 seed, Frenchman Gilles Simon who classified into the quarterfinals of the Open after his friend and compatriot, Gael Monfils retired with a wrist injury.

Rafa and Simon have played 3 times in the past, with Rafa coming out on top in their head-to-head stats by 2 victories against 1. They played in Madrid (2008), Australian Open (2008) and Marseille (2006) - All hard court events.

Their match is scheduled first in the night session of Rod Laver Arena which means it will start no later than 7:30pm (local Melbourne time)

Vamos Rafa!

26th of January

Rafa Nadal only needed 1 hour and 55 minutes to book a ticket into the quarterfinals of the Australian Open after beating Chilean Fernando Gonzales 6-3, 6-2, 6-4.

Rafa was in great form during the whole match, and only went down a break in the third set after some incredible shot-making by the Chilean. From there, Rafa rallied back into the match to win five straight games and eventually held to claim the victory.

Rafa was very happy with the way he played, especially from the baseline. He’s particularly happy with his forehands and backhands, however, he thinks he could improve his serve a bit more. “It wasn't very bad, but I think I was serving better the last matches”.

What about the playing conditions?

Rafa certainly doesn’t like the shadow that covers up the court when the sun starts to set. “That's terrible, no?  All the time was good, but when the shadow came in the third set, was very tough.  Very, very difficult to see the ball.  A lot of distraction”.

What about the weather forecast for the week?

For those that don’t know, it will be the hottest week in the Australian Open history with 3 days set to reach 40 degrees. But Rafa doesn’t seem to mind, he knows “it will be the same for my opponent…you just have to hang in there”. He said at the press conference.

Rafa’s next opponent is the number 6 seed, Frenchman Gilles Simon who classified into the quarterfinals of the Open after his friend and compatriot, Gael Monfils retired with a wrist injury.

Rafa and Simon have played 3 times in the past, with Rafa coming out on top in their head-to-head stats by 2 victories against 1. They played in Madrid (2008), Australian Open (2008) and Marseille (2006) - All hard court events.

Their last meeting in the ATP Madrid Master Series in 2008, went to Simon after a three set battle. 

Vamos Rafael!

26th of January

Today's Australian Open fourth round clash between Rafa Nadal and Fernando Gonzales is scheduled third in Rod Laver Arena. It will be the seventh time they’ve played against each other, with Rafa winning 4 of the encounters. (the last of these victories  was at the Olympic Games In Shanghai which was played on hard courts). 

Rafa is expecting a confident man whose been able to overcome two amazing players like Hewitt (in the first round), and Gasquet (5 set thriller 2 days ago). “He's coming with confidence. Going to be a very tough opponent” said Rafa at the press conference.

"But I gonna try my best to change the situation from two years ago... try to play the same level like last year in Olympics."

Vamos Rafa!