Nadal

Rafael Nadal Sets Up Classic Aussie Open Final With Roger Federer As He Edges Tough Semi Wearing £720k Watch

... It has been a long time coming to see Nadal back to his best but he looked rejuvenated and his selection of shots were a quick reminder as to why he was classed as one of the greatest players of all-time. But Dimitrov, ranked 15 th in the world and still seeking his first Grand Slam title bounced back in a nail-biting second set to win 7-5. Coming out all guns blazing, he broke Nadal in the fourth game before being broken back in the seventh in an end-to-end clash. Roger Federer shows Andy Murray how it’s done as he blasts past giantkiller Mischa Zverev. Rafael Nadal stopped a match to help a distraught mum find her toddler daughter. For all of Nadal’s resilience in the second set, Dimitrov held his nerve as they went into the third set all square. Once again there was barely anything between the duo who were putting their all into making the final. As the crowd roared on Nadal, the Spaniard used all his experience to ...

Nadal Advances To Set Up Showdown With Raonic

... would have to beat him and either Stan Wawrinka or Jo-Wilfried Tsonga - the other quarterfinalists playing Tuesday - to advance to the final. Nadal's 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 win over US Open semifinalist Monfils in the fourth round was his first over a top-10 player at a Grand Slam since that run to his last title at Roland Garros. It also ended a four-match losing streak against top-10 players. "Being in the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam after couple of years not being there is very special for me," said Nadal, who last progressed this far at the 2015 French Open. Rafael Nadal defeated Gael Monfils 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 in a fourth-round match at the Australian Open to reach his 30 th Grand Slam quarterfinal. Cameron Spencer/Getty Images. It also showed that after a couple of months off to rest his injured left wrist, he is still a contender at the majors. He hasn't won an Australian title since 2009. He went up a break early in the first two sets, had his chances in the third before Monfils rallied, and then traded breaks in the fourth before breaking the ...

Milos Raonic Knocked Out Of Australian Open By Rafael Nadal

... her career. She was once considered a prodigy with as much promise as the Williams sisters. She won the first tournament she entered as a 15-year-old in 1997 and several months later captured the 1998 Australian Open doubles title with Martina Hingis. After her run to the Wimbledon semifinals the following year, however, Lucic-Baroni's career was sidetracked by personal issues and financial problems. She was largely out of the sport for several years before launching a comeback in the late 2000 s. "I know this means a lot to every player to reach the semifinals, but to me, this is just overwhelming," she said, in tears, after the match. "This has truly made my life and everything bad that happened, it has made it OK.". The 79 th-ranked Lucic-Baroni is the third-lowest-ranked player to reach the ...

Rafael Nadal Vs Grigor Dimitrov, Australian Open Result

... Excellent net play from Nadal, a really tough volley to make, low to his left, but he gets it over the net. Long on the return from Dimitrov down the line. 30-0. Forehand flies over the baseline from Nadal. He was nailing them in the first set. 30-15. Good length from Nadal and Dimitrov drifts into the tram lines. Some real bullets coming down from Nadal. He draws level. VIEW FROM MELBOURNE. MIKE DICKSON: This match continues to confound. Nadal perhaps affected by what could lie ahead on Sunday, although he has a superb semi-final record and is used to this kind of thing. Nadal *6-3, 5-7, 4-5 Dimitrov. Nadal moving forward more on Dimitrov's serve, but the Bulgarian is still hitting it deeper than the Spaniard. Rips a backhand winner down the line, and eases to 40-15 up. Nadal goes long, and Dimitrov holds well. Nadal 6-3, 5-7, 4-4* Dimitrov. Nadal now has to hit back. What has he got? Big hitting, forcing ...

Serena, Nadal Bookend Stellar Day Down Under

... to join Venus in the quarterfinals of a major for the 24 th time. In 18 of the previous 23 majors in which they've both made the elite eight, one of them has won the title. No. 8 Dominic Thiem versus No. 11 David Goffin , following Williams-Strycova ( Watch ). They've split two matches in majors, with both meetings coming last year. Goffin won at the Australian Open, Thiem at the French Open. No. 9 Johanna Konta versus Ekaterina Makarova , second match on Margaret Court Arena ( Watch ). Konta might be the hottest player on tour in 2017, having strung together an 11-1 record heading into her fourth-round match. No. 15 Grigor Dimitrov versus Denis Istomin , following Brady-Lucic-Baroni ( Watch ). Not only did Istomin stun Novak Djokovic in the second round here, but he is the only Uzbek player, male or female, to ever reach the second week of a major. No. 3 Milos Raonic versus No. 13 Roberto Bautista Agut , fourth match on Hisense Arena ( Watch ). Raonic is 4-0 all time versus Bautista Agut, while the Spaniard has never made it past the fourth round of a major in six tries. No. 5 Karolina Pliskova versus No. ...

Rafael Nadal V Roger Federer Australian Open Final In The Making With Both Into Quarterfinals

... am dead, because he plays aggressive. "You know finally he going to have chances on the return because he decides to play with going for the shots.". RAONIC BATTLES FLU TO WIN. Raonic advanced after escaping with a 7-6 (6), 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 win over Roberto Bautista Agut. Raonic, who's been ill with the flu for the past few days, struggled at the outset against the 13 th-seeded Spaniard. He rallied from 5-1 down in the first-set tiebreaker to win the opening set, then was broken twice in the second set. But Bautista Agut began to falter midway through the third set when the roof at Hisense Arena was closed due to a passing rain shower, and he later had to call for a trainer to work on his leg. "I was very fortunate to get through today," Raonic said. "There were moments where it wasn't looking so good.". The Canadian had 75 winners, but also 55 unforced errors, including nine double faults. Raonic is seeded third for the first time at a Grand Slam, and the top two seeds, Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic, are ...

Imagine If Federer And Nadal Exchanged Letters

... (he's been doing great work, BTW). To which Nadal might reply. Dear Roger. I was very surprised to receive your letter, but my reply must be short because it is late and we have big match to play Sunday, no? You have an extra day of rest after the semifinals, but that's OK - I might be 30, but you are five years older! LOL. I am feeling very sentimental about this final. It is our ninth meeting at this stage in a major, and no two men in the Open era have equaled that. It is true that I prefer you as my opponent in the final. That isn't because I've won six of our eight finals, but the contrast you speak about. That contrast doesn't exist when I play against Novak Djokovic , who made my life so difficult starting in 2011. It has been so nice this last week not having him around. It has been very fun, like old times. Do you remember what I said about you when you defeated me in the semifinal of the Tennis Masters Cup in 2007. "If he is playing very good, I have to play unbelievable. ...

Federer-nadal Could Be Nureyev And Fonteyn Dancing For Last Time

... something fragile about Roger god help us all”. It becomes personal then. I also have to say, from a metrosexual perspective, my man-crush on Roger grows. He’s much better looking as the years have passed. He’s more handsome. He used to be very goofy and almost unprepossessing with his blubbering and crying and his big nose. Now he’s much more of a style icon. He’s growing into looking like a super hero. I was standing about 15 feet away from him in Dubai once. He was doing a TV interview. I considered going up to him and doing a fan thing but decided to leave him alone. The thing I noticed about him was he looked much taller in real life. He’s 6 ft 1 in but he looks 6 ft 3 in or 6 ft 4 in. He’s really long. He was other-worldly. There are very few that have a body shape like him. He’s extremely slender, extremely long. Sinewy. Muscley. Even in sports clothing he is different. There is something other-worldly about his physical presence. He’s like this thoroughbred. When he walks, its slow and languid. I’m sure it is similar to watching someone like Usain Bolt walking. They have this incredibly athletic gait and it’s different to most ...