Nadal

Rafa Roars To Final Four

... unaffected. Nadal’s level dropped, and when errors streamed from his racquet in the 10 th game, Raonic earned three set points. He couldn’t convert, but when a tiebreak ensued, he held three more thanks to some more assured net play and a delightful lob winner. Again, he failed to convert. From 7-6 up, Raonic committed three errors to hand Nadal a two-sets-to-love lead. In the third set, you could see Nadal had even learned from his previous win two nights ago. In the fourth round, also leading two sets to love, Nadal became passive and let Gael Monfils attack his increasingly short forehand and work his way back into the match. Not tonight. The Spaniard continued to hit out, and as games went on serve, he belted an inside-out forehand winner on his way to a 4-3 lead. Three games later, with Raonic serving to stay in the match, this aggressive approach worked again when a backhand winner seared past the Canadian at net to make scores 0-15. Raonic erred on the next three points to hand Nadal a semifinal spot. There awaits ...

Australian Open Men

... this game to level up in the set. RAONIC 4-6 2-1 NADAL: A similar game to some of those in the first on Raonic's serve, as he moves to 30-0 before a couple of errors brings up 30-all. The Canadian stands firm though and holds once more. RAONIC 4-6 1-1 NADAL: Double fault from Rafa means the Spaniard squanders another game point. Big chance for Raonic as he comes forward but the volley is clumsy and again Nadal has the opportunity to hold, and this time he does just that. A big 16 points in that game - vital hold. RAONIC 4-6 1-0 NADAL: 'He hasn't served this well in many years,' says Mats WIlander regarding Nadal. Appears to be the commentators curse with Raonic taking it to deuce before bringing up a first break point. Time violation warning for Nadal at break point - what timing! But the Spaniard saves it with a huge 'Vamos'. That may well have fired Nadal up at a vital point. Nadal appears to then hold with a backhand but Raonic challenges and it's actually some way out! And how has he picked that one out? Great volley from Nadal brings up game point ...

Fedal

... have doubts you feel ready to work more. You know how tough all the victories is and I think I had a great career. At the same time, I had a lot of tough moments.”. An emotional Rafa Nadal after winning Source: Getty Images. ON HOW HE BEAT RAONIC. “Just fighting and believing just try to win the next point. That is the only way and that is the way I work at all my career. And it worked today, against a very, very difficult opponent. “He beat me two weeks ago in Brisbane in a tough match so I decided to go a little bit more inside the court on the return tonight and then I know that going to be a tough moments in the match with a player like him, that he has one of the top serves in the tour.”. ON ROGER V STAN. “I think it is amazing. After having a tough injury for so many months to have Roger back in the semi-finals again in a grand slam, the first of the season it makes it even tougher for him. That is great. “Great especially for him, but especially for all the people who love tennis. Just congratulate him for a great effort and I wish the best of luck for both of them, Stan and Roger, and we hope to see a great ...

Rafael Nadal Discusses One Key Element He Needs For Successful Comeback

... Monfils plays a forehand to Spain's Rafael Nadal during their fourth round match at the Australian Open on Jan. 23. Andy Brownbill, AP. Rafael Nadal of Spain reacts against Gael Monfils of France at the Australian Open on Jan. 23. Nadal advanced to reach the quarterfinals. MADE NAGI, EPA. France's Gael Monfils reacts after a point against Spain's Rafael Nadal during their men's singles fourth round match at the Australian Open on Jan. 23. SAEED KHAN, AFP/Getty Images. Rafael Nadal of Spain changes his headband in his fourth round match against Gael Monfils of France on day eight of the 2017 Australian Open on Jan. 23. Cameron Spencer, Getty Images. Spain's Rafael Nadal thanks a ball boy for drying the court during his fourth round match against France's Gael Monfils at the Australian Open on Jan. 23. Andy Brownbill, AP. Bulgaria's Grigor Dimitrov celebrates after defeating Uzbekistan's Denis Istomin in their fourth round match at the Australian Open on Jan. 23. Aaron Favila, AP. Karolina Pliskova of Czech Republic plays a forehand in her fourth round match against Daria Gavrilova of Australia on Jan. 23. Cameron Spencer, ...

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

... Grand Slam, and the top two seeds, Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic, are already out of the tournament. GOFFIN DOWNS THIEM. Earlier, David Goffin slayed powerful Austrian Dominic Thiem to become the first Belgian man to ever reach the quarterfinals of the Australian Open. The 11 th seed won through to the last eight with a 5-7 7-6 (7-4) 6-2 6-2 victory on Monday afternoon, achieved in two hours and 43 minutes. The win - achieved in sweltering Melbourne conditions - was Goffin's first against top-10 opposition at a grand slam, at his 10 th attempt. Goffin said momentum swung in the second set. "The second set was definitely the key. It was a tough first set," the 26-year- old said. "I continued and kept fighting. Served really well. And I made some good returns in the tiebreak. "I continued to push, push myself in the rallies and I got better ...

Nadal Sees Off Raonic In Straight Sets To Reach Australian Open Semi-finals

... second grand slam semi-final in Melbourne. But Nadal has won seven of their eight career match-ups and looks to have rediscovered his groove after a turbulent 2016, which was hampered by a niggling wrist problem. His dismantling of Raonic, the highest seed left in the tournament, was impressive and another indication he may be ready to reclaim the title he won on Rod Laver Arena eight years ago. Nadal lost here in the first round to Fernando Verdasco 12 months ago and admitted to wondering if he might never challenge for major honours again. "I am not a very arrogant person so I always have doubts," Nadal said. "It is normal, even when I was winning a lot I have doubts so you can imagine I have more when I am not winning and have injuries. "The good thing is when you have doubts you feel ready to work more, you know how tough all the victories are. "I had a great career but had a lot of tough moments that makes me enjoy even more the good moments like today.". Raonic squandered six set points in a tight second set, three ...

Rafa Nadal Is Into Australian Open Quarter-finals, For The Ninth Time

... Five things I learnt at the Australian Open. Play Video. Five things I learnt at the Australian Open. Sports writer Scott Spits learns five things from day ten of the Australian Open 2017 in Melbourne. Up Next. Nadal downs Raonic to enter semi-finals. Play Video. Nadal downs Raonic to enter semi-finals. Rafael Nadal powers his way to win in three straight sets despite a strong push from Canadian Milos Raonic bringing the second set to a tie-breaker, with the Spaniard reaching his grand slam first semi-final since 2014. Up Next. Serena Williams steamrolls Jo Konta. Play Video. Serena Williams steamrolls Jo Konta. Serena Williams made light work of Jo Konta to reach the Australian Open semi-finals, while in the men'€™s draw Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov eliminated Belgian David Goffin in straights sets. Up Next. Mirjana Lucic-Baroni's fairytale comeback. 34-year-old Mirjana Lucic-Baroni breaks down on Rod Laver Arena after winning through to a grand slam semi ...

Nadal Breaks Fifth-set Hex With Confidence-building Win Over Zverev

... so many other close contests over the last two years, to come up with the right shot when he needed it most, and win the point he had to have. The 30-year-old was unable to do what his 20-year-old self had been so famous for doing: Go in for the kill. In Nadal’s first 18 five-set matches at the Grand Slams, he had come away the winner in 14 of them. But he had lost the last three. By the fourth set, Rafa himself had to admit that he had seen—and starred in—this four-hour movie one too many times before, and he wasn’t up for another tragic old-guy ending. He didn’t need any more meditations on the cruelty of age, and the inevitable decline of the great athlete. “I’ve been losing a lot of these five-setters,” Nadal said. “I said to myself, ‘Today’s the day.’”. As he had against Pouille, Nadal played his best when he was in ...

Nadal Stops Big-serving Raonic In Bare-knuckle Brawl

... on his first serve and 75 per cent on his second. Raonic, conversely, found his fabled trump card letting him down. Nadal broke him in the seventh game of the first set, but cracks had appeared as early as the Canadian’s shaky opening service game of the match, which he held with an almighty struggle before offering up a break point in his next as well. At that point Nadal was turning rallies into bare-knuckle brawls, subtly shifting gears from defence to attack, and going on mini-sprees with his signature forehand winners. After taking it 6-4 in 43 minutes he pumped his fist, stared down his opponent and then pedantically called for his towel before he was prepared to exit the court for the changeover. Such obsessive control of his work environment extended to an almost complete eradication of unforced errors. Nadal had only two for the set, and it mattered not that Raonic was leading 16-12 for winners and 6-0 in ...

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