Rafael Nadal

[arti]

[DUN I LOVE]

Rafael wczoraj wygrał swój 56. mecz na Australian Open, czym wyrównał wynik Stefana Edberga.

1. Roger Federer - 95
2. Novak Djoković - 62
3. Stefan Edberg, Rafael Nadal - 56

[arti]

Impressive Nadal Sets Up De Minaur Clash In Melbourne

Spoiler:

Rafael Nadal, the 2009 champion, was impressive on Wednesday night as he advanced to the Australian Open third round with a 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 victory over Australia’s Matthew Ebden.

Nadal served superbly, mixing up his service placement with his refined service motion, throughout the one-hour and 56-minute clash on Rod Laver Arena. The 249th match win of his career at Grand Slam championships (248-36), included losing just 10 of his first-service points (43/53) and 33 winners.

World No. 2 Nadal will next play #NextGenATP Australian Alex de Minaur, who reached the third round of a Grand Slam championship for the third consecutive time after he stifled a comeback from Swiss qualifier Henri Laaksonen 6-4, 6-2, 6-7(7), 4-6, 6-3 in three hours and 52 minutes during the night session. De Minaur held one match point at 7-6 in the third set tie-break.

Nadal leads De Minaur 1-0 in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series, having won their Wimbledon 2018 third-round encounter 6-1, 6-2, 6-4. Last week, 2018 Newcomer of the Year De Minaur won his first title in his third ATP Tour final at the Sydney International (d. Seppi).

You May Also Like: Federer Challenged By Evans

Ebden was comfortable on serve in the opening exchanges and at 3-3 held three break points on Nadal’s serve but was soon left to rue missing a backhand volley on top of the net on the second chance.

Now in the danger zone, Ebden fell under extreme pressure in his next service game and struck two double faults to be broken and Nadal went on to clinch the set, then break twice at 1-1 and 4-2 in the second set.

Nadal stepped inside the court to keep Ebden on the back foot to break for a 2-1 advantage in the third set, but a lapse in concentration meant the Spaniard let slip two chances for 4-1. When serving for the match at 5-2, Nadal one break point but wrapped up victory with a forehand winner. It was their second meeting, seven-and-a-half years on since first playing in June 2011 at the Fever-Tree Championships in London.

Nadal is playing at his first tournament since retiring against Juan Martin del Potro in the US Open semi-finals in September 2018. He underwent right ankle surgery in November and was unable to compete at the Brisbane International in the first week of this year due to a thigh strain.

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/nadal-b ... -open-2019

[arti]

[arti]

[arti]

[Damian]

Rafa po raz dwunasty dochodzi do 4 rundy AO i tym samym wygrywa 250 mecz na poziomie WS! #AO19

[2] Rafael Nadal (ESP) d. [27] Alex de Minaur (AUS) 6-1 6-2 6-4 Statystyki meczu

[arti]

[arti]

[arti]

Nadal Relentless In Pursuit Of 250th Major Match Win

Spoiler:

Rafael Nadal was relentlessly brilliant on Friday night in a brutal examination of 19-year-old Alex de Minaur’s game at the Australian Open.
Second seed Nadal, the 2009 champion and three-time runner-up at Melbourne Park, recorded the 250th Grand Slam championship match win of his career (250-36) with a 6-1, 6-2, 6-4 victory over De Minaur in two hours and 22 minutes on Rod Laver Arena.
“I believe that I played a solid match [and] I played a good level of tennis, hitting a lot of good spots, especially during the first two sets,” said Nadal. “I know he's dangerous. He's super quick. He likes to go inside the court fast. [So] I tried to not give him many chances on that.
“Then my serve worked well. I felt more dynamic with my movement tonight, every day a little bit better, in my opinion… Everything is a step forward. So that's positive news for me. I'm very happy for the victory because at the end of the day I won 6-1, 6-2, 6-4 against a player that he was winning seven matches in a row, winning a tournament.”
The 32-year-old, who is through to the fourth round for the 12th time overall, will next challenge Czech Tomas Berdych, who reached the Qatar ExxonMobil Open final (l. to Bautista Agut) in the first week of 2019. Nadal leads 2014-2015 Australian Open semi-finalist Berdych 19-4 in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series, with their last match coming almost four years ago in May 2015 at the Mutua Madrid Open.
Nadal stared down one break point in his opening service game, then, thereafter, moved De Minaur around the court with deep and powerful groundstrokes to 6-1, 5-2, when the Spanish star gave the Australian a glimmer of hope.
Three break points came and went for De Minaur, who was contesting his 11th match of a fine start to the season. Through two sets Nadal, rarely let up on his intense, explosive game, and had hit 26 winners.
Nadal, who is playing in his first tournament since September 2018, broke in the first game of a competitive third set, which saw De Minaur keep in touch with wrong-footing groundstrokes and a change-up in tactics. But, ultimately, Nadal proved too strong, using his heavy topspin forehand to dictate play in their second encounter (which he won 6-1, 6-2, 6-4 at 2018 Wimbledon).

“I got better as the match went on,” said De Minaur. “Obviously, I'm a little bit disappointed that I wasn't able to perform a little bit better. But that's just what Rafa does to you… You've got to be able to go out there and perform your game plan and execute… I felt like I wasn't able to do that today. I fought till the end.”
When asked about the atmosphere on Rod Laver Arena, De Minaur admitted, “It’s things you dream of. This is why you play the sport. My first time playing on Rod Laver. I was able to share the court with someone like Rafa. That's a pretty surreal experience once you sit down and think about it. The crowd support that I've had pretty much the whole way has been insane. At the later stages of that match, it was quite deafening. It was pretty cool. Gave me goose bumps. I'll do everything in my power to keep improving, and hopefully get many more chances to play on that court.”

Nadal, a 17-time major champion, is bidding to become the first man in the Open Era (since April 1968) – and only the third man in history – to win each of the four Grand Slam championship singles trophies twice. Australians Roy Emerson and Rod Laver are the only players to have won each major on two or more occasions.
De Minaur, currently at a career-high No. 29 in the ATP Rankings, captured his first ATP Tour crown last week at the Sydney International (d. Seppi). The 2018 ATP Newcomer of the Year also reached the Brisbane International quarter-finals (l. to Tsonga).
“It's been a great [Australian] summer,” said De Minaur. “I'm just really proud of the whole work that the whole team has put in... The body was good. I felt great. Obviously, I've played a lot of matches this summer. But my body's used to it. That's why I put the hard work in the pre-season for. Obviously, I would love to be as physically fit as Rafa. That's the next step. But still, the body was feeling good. It was just about match-ups today, Rafa being Rafa.”

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/nadal-b ... -open-2019

[arti]

Moya: Rafa's Recovery Is Right On Track

Spoiler:

Rafael Nadal has looked impressive at the Australian Open, winning his first three matches without dropping a set. Watching carefully from his players' box has been former World No. 1 Carlos Moya, who is one of Nadal's coaches. Coach Moya is not only eager to track Nadal's performance, but to ensure Nadal avoids aggravating any of the injuries he suffered in 2018, including one that required arthroscopic surgery on his right ankle.
Moya spoke with ATPTour.com before the season to describe the hurdles Nadal encountered in 2018, divulge the steps being taken to dodge those obstacles (preventable ones and otherwise) in the upcoming season, and why Nadal will be more aggressive than ever.
Rafa is coming off a very difficult past six months.
It's not the most glamourous part of my job, but it is a requirement and a responsibility I have, to be in his corner through times like these. We're always in preparation mode, whether it's for a match or during recovery time. Matters don't stand still just because Rafa is on the sidelines; we had to plot out his rehab and eventual return.
Obviously times were difficult for us when Rafa was out of action and things were uncertain. The hardest part of it was having to watch Rafa retire from that Grand Slam semi-final match in New York. We knew then that it was unlikely Rafa would compete in Asia. However, the goal was to play Paris (the Rolex Paris Masters) and London (the Nitto ATP Finals).
Things didn't work out as planned; Rafa sustained a small abdominal injury, and his ankle wasn't where we wanted it to be. Once we decided to skip Paris, we decided it was best to change directions and, seeing that he wouldn't be at full strength in time for London, we choose to undergo the foot operation at that time.
All things considered, how would you rate 2018?
When he was on court and competing, Rafa was spectacular. Of the nine tournaments he played, he won five. He lost a total of four matches, and two were matches in which he was forced to retire (Australian Open, US Open). That forces us to look for solutions. What could we have done better? Is there an answer, a solution, to things we didn't get right in 2018?
What type of answer or solution are you talking about?
Mixing things up, changing things. Training systems, for example. The frequency of workouts, the methods, the intensity. We have to find a balance to guarantee results without putting Rafa in the situation he was in during the second half of 2018.
How is that applied on a day-to-day basis?
As a team, we're all thinking the same thing. At this point in Rafa's career, there isn't much overhauling we can do in an hour or a day. That would be more harmful than beneficial. That's something we can all agree on.
Does that mean training won't be as brutal or as punishing?
Well, since I joined Rafa's team, training sessions haven't lasted longer than two hours. That's more than enough time in practice, considering the level of intensity Rafa puts into training. We give his well-being the highest priority and take all precautions necessary to avoid injury. Going three-and-a-half hours would be overkill and wouldn't make for more quality training.
I'm in favour of the shorter workout sessions. As an example, we've reduced the double workout sessions in a day; we reserve that for tournaments and that's because the goal then is to work around the scheduled morning/evening sessions and get work in when it's available.
Nadal turns 33 years old this season. Is the wear and tear on his body a reason for concern among your team, considering his age?
We understand that injuries play a factor in a player's longevity. In fact, 99 per cent of players retire because of injuries and also what that entails, like losing confidence and a drop in desire. Spending more time at the doctor's office than on the tennis court and falling in the ATP Rankings, those things take all sorts of tolls on a player.

I've been through that and I know what it does to a player's spirit. You have to try to avoid it, or at least prolong things as long as possible. That's where we are concentrating our energy. We ensure Rafa spends just the right amount of time in training and [performing] in events has a high priority. We are focused to ensure Rafa doesn't over-exert himself.
Do you plan on reducing his playing schedule?
There's always talk about that and it's always something we take into consideration. He played nine tournaments in 2018. I wonder if any other player has finished the year as World No. 2 after participating in just nine tournaments? Of course, we wish he could have competed in more, but due to the circumstances, that's the most we could handle. If he's at full strength, Rafa can endure 14, maybe 15 tournaments in a calendar year, but no more. Fitting more into his schedule doesn't seem realistic.
The preseason is just about over. You're going into the new season with some unknowns and a lot of time on the sidelines.
The goal has been to take things one step at a time, especially following the foot surgery. In principle it was simple surgery, but we still don't want to rush into anything. So far, we're exactly where we want to be. Recovery is right on track. Nothing has been over the top, and I'm optimistic as Rafa heads to Australia.
You said before that things were spectacular when Rafa was on court and competing in 2018. What have you sought to improve before the start of 2019?
We're working on his shape, his conditioning and on specific on-court tactics. Joan Forcades (Nadal's physical trainer), Francisco Roig and I are preparing Rafa to be a more aggressive player -- even moreso than he has been throughout his career. Matches are settled within four strokes and 70 per cent of that is the serve and how one returns, then what follows, plus the next shot.
It's not the style of play Rafa prefers, but we're working to find a way to make that sort of matchplay fit into his comfort zone. Rafa likes to find the rhythm, although he has shown that he can play just as well when there is no such rhythm to be found. I am very much instrumental when it comes to moulding Rafa in being more aggressive. Sometimes he gets it, other times he doesn't.
I know we'll never turn Rafa into a (Roger) Federer, (Milos) Raonic or (Tomas) Berdych, who all excel as two-shot players, but we have to try and push Rafa to come close to that, without losing the essence of his game. That's why, in practice, we try new things and to instill confidence so that he can implement those techniques during matches.

Aggression seems to be the ultimate goal.
He accomplished (being more aggressive) in 2017 and was also very aggressive in 2018. The last three matches Rafa played at the US Open — his last three of the season — didn't show the type of attacking game we were trying to achieve. When he was 20 years old, perhaps he could get away with being less assertive. But at this point, Rafa has to force the issue a little more and be the one dictating matters.
Being a former player myself, I understand where he's coming from at times, and I get why sometimes he feels more comfortable pulling back rather than pushing forward. When you lack confidence, it’s difficult to be aggressive. Sometimes Rafa feels that isn't the best form of attack, but one thing we're trying to get him to understand is that he needs to impose his will whenever possible.
Nadal has played a part in three of the best Grand Slam matches contended in 2018. What are your thoughts on that?
Nadal is the undisputed king of epic matches, you can't argue that. His matches tend to be long, drawn-out and suspenseful. But as his coach, I prefer less drama. The more the theatrics, the longer Rafa is on the court and that makes me uneasy. Ten years ago, I'd support Rafa in dragging things out, but that's no longer beneficial to his success. The fans love it, though, when Nadal manages to win when seemingly all hope is lost.
How does Nadal manage to do that — to win, when all hope seems lost? He has a knack for doing that.
I'm his coach and even I don't know how he pulls those wins off. I can't begin to explain it. All I know is that the fans love it, and when the fans are loving it, he's inspired to play his best and no further explanation is necessary. That's the essence of Rafa.
Nadal collided with Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon this year and wound up on the wrong end of their dramatic encounter. Do you look back and question what you could, as a team, have done better?
Things like that always go through your mind. What if Rafa had defeated Novak? [Kevin] Anderson was coming off a brutal semi-final encounter against John Isner and Rafa would have been favoured to win over Anderson. What would it have all meant? Who knows. Djokovic wouldn't have won his first Grand Slam since 2016 (Roland Garros). But still, who knows how things would have played out in the long run?

At this point, do you consider yourself a more influential figure on or off the court?
It's hard to say. It's not easy to analyze myself as his coach... Rafa is better suited to answer that question. All I can say is that I'm doing everything I can. As a coach, you always strive to do the best job possible.
In the past two years, how many times have you been annoyed with Nadal?
Practically none. Of course, there are times we agree and other times we don't see eye to eye. But we always resolve those matters.
Is it hard to get on the same page as Nadal at times?
No, because it's a relationship in which we are always honest and open. If I wasn't always sincere, my credibility wouldn't be worth much. I don't want him to be a robot. I want Rafa to be receptive and understand where I'm coming from when I lend advice but I also want him to provide feedback.

Alexander Zverev was victorious at the Nitto ATP Finals in London. Do you believe this signifies a changing of the guard in 2019?
Djokovic, Nadal and Federer still rule the Grand Slams, but you're seeing new faces capture titles at ATP Tour Masters 1000 events and at the Nitto ATP Finals. There are a lot of strong players on the cusp of making moves.
Were you surprised that Zverev defeated both Federer and Djokovic consecutively in London?
I can't say it surprised me. Defeating both Federer and Djokovic in back-to-back matches is no easy task and I believe [Zverev] is the only player who can do something like that at the moment. We're talking about a player who hasn't been competing at the highest level for very long and, for whatever reason, hasn't been able to find a lot of success at the Grand Slam level just yet. But he’s one who is clearly ready to press forward and contend for titles against the best players in the world.
What are your thoughts on the ATP Cup?
The idea makes sense. We should always support new competitions that are meant to modernize and advance our sport. Sometimes we're reluctant to adapt new formats. The ATP is making this important effort to push forward and I see it as very positive.
With 2018 in the books, what do you want to achieve most in 2019?
All I want is for Rafa to be healthy. If he's at full health, he'll soar to new heights. Being healthy is the No. 1 priority for our team.

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/moya-in ... ember-2018

[Damian]

AO19: 43. występ w IV rundzie WS.


The Telegraph

Federer 63
Djokovic 46
Nadal 43

[Nadalito]

AO 2019: 37. wielkoszlemowy ćwierćfinał Hiszpana.



3. Jimmy Connors 41
4. Rafael Nadal 37
5. Andre Agassi 36
6. Ivan Lendl 34
7. Andy Murray 30

[arti]

[Lucas]

Technology, At Nadal’s Service

Spoiler:

Coach Carlos Moya utilizes video, data to further refine Rafael Nadal's form in 2019
During a preseason training session, Rafael Nadal’s physiotherapist, Rafael Maymo, whipped out his iPhone while Rafa executed a serve as coach Carlos Moya looked on. It wasn’t that Maymo was distracted or tending to a text message; instead, he was recording the 17-time Grand Slam champion’s serve. Immediately after, the player and his coaches huddled on the sidelines to watch the video. The purpose: To analyze, frame by frame, the mechanics of his swing. Video is just one tool the team is utilizing in the hopes of producing a more potent serve and improve his overall game.

“We record video, then review each frame with Rafa to get his thoughts on our progress,” Moya said ahead of his charge’s fourth-round match against Tomas Berdych at the Australian Open on Sunday. “The tweaks we’ve made so far might appear small, but we consider them as fundamental improvements. As a team, we’re constantly modifying the execution of his serve to get it to where we want it to be.”

Francisco Roig, also coach to the World No. 2, watched the videos shot during those practice workouts at the Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar in Mallorca, Spain, via WhatsApp. Despite being over 100 miles away in Barcelona at the time, Roig was still able to provide input on how to revamp the swing to produce more velocity and put opponents on the back foot by studying those videos.

On top of video analysis, statistical analysis has also been an integral part of Team Rafa’s quest to constantly improve. And no one is better at making sense of stats than coach Moya. After his retirement in 2010, the former World No. 1 made his coaching debut during the 2016 season, helping Milos Raonic climb to No. 3 in the ATP Rankings and guiding him to the Wimbledon final. When Moya and Raonic parted ways 11 months later, Moya agreed to join Nadal’s team, bringing with him a wealth of knowledge and ideas. The addition of Moya breathed new life into his countryman’s career.

One of Moya’s goals from the outset was to avoid any dips in form as a season wore on by molding Nadal into a more aggressive player. He proposed a less grueling schedule with fewer tournaments and a nutritional regimen that would result in lower weight without burning muscle. To achieve the next level of transformation, though, Moya surrounded himself with data and devoured all the stats he could find following Nadal’s matches.

“I've always liked using technology, but in my time as a player there was not much access to data,” said Moya. “In this area, tennis was a bit behind compared to other sports, but now it has caught up. Stats are by no means the most important thing to rely on, because there are a multitude of factors that make a player who he is and what he achieves, but it definitely helps to have some knowledge to go by in terms of data when looking at our strengths and weaknesses, and of those of our rivals.”

Among one of Moya’s challenges was to get Nadal to accept technology as one method of improving, and to understand the benefit of using stats during training. By nature, Nadal has always been a player who preferred to let his instincts command his approach on the court. Slowly, however, the Spaniard is grasping the concept of how science and numbers are another way to boost his level of play and how to react in certain situations.

“If I tell him he can sharpen one aspect of his game by doing something differently and I have data to back it up, he’s more likely to support the change,” Moya said. “If I see something that needs work, obviously my job is to point it out to Rafa — we’re always looking to hone his game.

“The added bonus of using all this information we have nowadays is that we have this intel on our opponents. Speed of serve, percentages, directions; everyone develops patterns. Maybe not those at the highest level, but in tense moments, most fall back on what they know best. If you do your homework, that’s one way of having an advantage during pressure points and not falling into a trap and just going with your gut.”

Moya is fully aware that this abundance of knowledge works both ways.

“I know there are a lot of players out there who look at Rafa’s numbers as well,” Moya said. “It’s a game of chess, even before the match starts, and you have to try and surprise your foe without going overboard. It can get crazy; you have to stay up to date and use all the information at your disposal but you also better know how to manage it. You’re seeing more and more players rely on data for an edge.”

On Saturday, Nadal and Moya practised on Court 8 of Melbourne Park to prepare for the No. 2 seed and 2009 Australian Open champion’s upcoming match against Berdych. Meanwhile, three Tennis Lab sports scientists stood in one corner of the court and gathered information from the session. Tennis Lab, in conjunction with Tennis Australia and the University of Victoria, processed data collected by cameras and sensors connected to Hawk-Eye, including the speed and trajectory of balls. After the hour-long workout and while Nadal hit the showers, Moya approached the Tennis Lab scientists to assess Nadal’s performance.

“In this era of advancement, where science and technology go hand in hand, the more information you obtain, the more power to you,” one Tennis Lab scientist said. “Mechanical changes are being made to shots. Players want to know how to avoid injury while still getting the most out of themselves.

“Among many factors, one for players over 30 years old to optimize their games is through this sort of science.”

It is something Moya seems to completely understand.

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/austral ... technology

[arti]

[arti]

Ruthless Rafa Romps Into Quarter-finals

Spoiler:

Rafael Nadal turned in one of the more dominant performances of his career on Sunday, streaking past Tomas Berdych in their fourth round encounter at the Australian Open.
Nadal took the Round of 16 meeting 6-0, 6-1, 7-6(4) in a mere two hours and five minutes, barely putting a foot wrong to rout the former World No. 4. Berdych has impressed in his return to action from a back injury, but he was no match for the 2009 champion on a sun-kissed Sunday afternoon.
With the victory, Nadal advances to his 11th Australian Open quarter-final, claiming sole ownership of second place for most appearances in the last eight at Melbourne Park. He also surpassed Andre Agassi for fourth place on the list of most Grand Slam quarter-finals, reaching his 37th in total at the major level.
"I'm happy to be in [the quarter-finals]," said Nadal. "I played some good matches until that round, and now is the moment to keep doing steps forward to... give myself chances to keep going."
Nadal won the first nine games, sprinting to a 6-0, 3-0 lead on Rod Laver Arena, before Berdych finally got on the scoreboard. The Spaniard's agility and penetrating shotmaking rattled the Czech throughout the encounter, and he refused to allow him to find any rhythm from the back of the court.
Contesting the ninth match in his comeback, Berdych was visibly fatigued and Nadal capitalised. The Manacor native fired 32 winners, including five aces, while denying both break points faced.
"[Rafa] was playing well," said Berdych. "Nevertheless, the first two sets it was me back [to where I was] six months [ago]. For the third set, I finally showed up on the court, so that's good."
It was Nadal's 20th match win in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series, improving to 20-4. He exacted revenge on Berdych after the Czech prevailed in straight sets in the 2015 quarter-finals. Nadal has now recorded 20 match wins against four players: Berdych, David Ferrer (25), Novak Djokovic (24) and Roger Federer (23).
Competing in his first tournament since the US Open, Nadal is looking as healthy as ever as he continues to blitz the Melbourne field. He has won a perfect 12 of 12 sets through his first four matches, also including impressive performances against a trio of Aussies - James Duckworth, Matthew Ebden and Alex de Minaur.
Next up for the World No. 2 is #NextGenATP American Frances Tiafoe. It will be their first meeting.
"[Frances has been] on the Tour for a while. He's young. When you have younger players coming, they have always more attention," said Nadal. "He has everything. He's quick. He serves well [and has a] very quick forehand. He's a very dynamic player, an aggressive one. Of course, he's dangerous. He's in the quarter-finals. He won great matches during the whole event. [It is] going to be a tough one."

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/austral ... al-berdych

[Damian]

Jak już zostało wspomniane, Hiszpan osiąga swój 37 ćwierćfinał w WS i pod tym względem przesuwa się na samodzielną 4 pozycję w tej klasyfikacji

53 Federer
42 Djokovic
41 Connors
37 Nadal
36 Agassi
34 Lendl
30 Murray
29 Sampras
26 McEnroe, Edberg

Ponadto uzyskuje już 11 ćwierćfinał w Melbourne, czym ustępuje tylko Federerowi (14).

[2] Rafael Nadal (ESP) d. Tomas Berdych (CZE) 6-0 6-1 7-6(4) Statystyki meczu

[Damian]

AO19: 6 wielkoszlemowy półfinał w Melbourne i 30 w Wielkim Szlemie!


@AustralianOpen

[2] Rafael Nadal (ESP) d. Frances Tiafoe (USA) 6-3 6-4 6-2 Statystyki meczu

Hiszpan staje się tym samym trzecim tenisistą (po Federerze i Djokoviciu), który ma na koncie co najmniej 6 półfinałów w każdym ze szlemów!

6 Australian Open
11 Roland Garros
6 Wimbledon
7 US Open

[arti]

Nadal Sweeps Past Tiafoe Into Australian Open Semi-finals

Spoiler:

Rafael Nadal was business-like and at times ruthless in his victory over Frances Tiafoe on Tuesday night at the Australian Open. The 2009 champion ended the run of the #NextGenATP American 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 in one hour and 47 minutes for a place in his 30th Grand Slam championship semi-final.

The second-seeded Spanish superstar, who is bidding to capture his 18th major crown in his first tournament since September 2018 at the US Open, won 84 per cent of his first service points and struck 29 winners past Tiafoe, who committed 34 unforced errors.

Nadal will next challenge No. 14 seed Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece for the third time. He leads their FedEx ATP Head2Head series 2-0, with final wins in 2018 on the clay of the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell and on the hard courts of the Rogers Cup.

Tennis Radio

Nadal won 14 of the first 17 points — including the first service break in the second game — in an electric start by keeping his groundstroke length consistently deep to push Tiafoe around the court and behind the baseline. At 0-3, Tiafoe slowed down his serve to settle his nerves, and began to work his way into the match, but Nadal went 15 for 15 on first serve and finished the opener with consecutive forehand winners.

From 5-3 up in the first set, Nadal won 12 of the next 13 points to maintain control against Tiafoe, who missed out on two break point chances — due to forehand errors — when his Spanish opponent served at 2-1 in the second set. Tiafoe found his service rhytmn, but at times he rushed and hit closer to the lines. Nadal was simply ruthless in striking anything short for a winner, yet Tiafoe resisted the pressure to save three set points when serving at 3-5. Nadal closed out to love in the next game, finishing with a smash winner from the baseline.

Tiafoe, with a 1-5 record in fifth sets, lost his first service game for the third time to immediately be placed on the back foot in the third set. Three groundstroke errors handed Nadal another break for a 5-2 advantage, before the World No. 2 closed out to 15 with Tiafoe hitting a backhand wide.

Only Roger Federer (43), Novak Djokovic (34), who plays Kei Nishikori in the quarter-finals at Melbourne Park on Wednesday, and Jimmy Connors (31) have reached more major semi-finals than Nadal in the Open Era (since April 1968).

Tiafoe had been bidding to become the youngest American man to reach the semi-finals at the Australian Open since Andy Roddick (20 years, 149 days) in 2003.

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/nadal-b ... -open-2019