The Australian Open Day 12: Nadal Breaks Verdasco by Nadya Vlassoff
Epic is not a word that usually comes to mind when thinking about tennis. The misconception is that it is a gentleman’s game, played in private clubs in white outfits with spectators sipping tea and eating biscuits. Enter Rafael Nadal and his monstrous forehand volley, a stereotype that gets smashed in less time than it takes him to smack a crosscourt winner.
On day 12 of the Australian Open, in front of 15,000 fans, Rafael Nadal showed why he is truly deserving of his number 1 ranking. Facing his toughest opponent of the last 2 weeks in fellow Davis Cup teammate, Fernando Verdasco, Nadal took to the court and put on a sizzling display of grit and determination in a match that lasted five hours and 14 minutes.
Verdasco, playing in his most successful slam appearance to date, seemed ready to take on the challenge of knocking out the number 1 seed of the tournament in the same fashion as he had done with the number 5 seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and the number 4 seed Andy Murray. The first set was an exchange of points as each player failed to break serve until Verdasco found a little luck as his backhand return clipped the net, bounced into the air and fell onto the other side. Nadal could only look on in defeat as Verdasco went on to win the set 7-6 with a 7-4 win in the tiebreak..
The next set was an exchange of the same points with heavy hitting from both players as they sliced, hit drop shots, attacked the angles and hit deep, penetrating shots from the baseline in an attempt to break the other’s serve and concentration. It was Rafael Nadal who broke in the 9th game and was able to hold serve to take the second set.
As the match continued, neither player gave an inch knowing that any mistake would be crucial. With Nadal taking the third set and Verdasco taking the fourth, all eyes were glued to the court as the fifth set began. The crowd was practically on its feet as the spectators cheered at every winner and groaned collectively at every error. But it was Nadal, the champion of champions, who came out victorious.
Nadal began to expose the weakness in Fernando Verdasco’s game and pounced when Verdasco hit an error. From there, with Verdasco facing break point at 4-5 and Nadal crouching at the baseline waiting for the serve, Verdasco hit a double fault at match point to give Nadal the match. Rafael, exhausted fell to the ground on his back as he had won the toughest match of the tournament and one of the most challenging of his career. Verdasco, heartbroken, knew that he had lost to the best player in the world and he played the match of his life. Nadal, jumped over the net and hugged his countryman in a display of respect and affection knowing what Verdasco was feeling.
Epic is not a word that usually comes to mind when thinking about tennis. The misconception is that it is a gentleman’s game, played in private clubs in white outfits with spectators sipping tea and eating biscuits. Enter Rafael Nadal and his monstrous forehand volley, a stereotype that gets smashed in less time than it takes him to smack a crosscourt winner.
The next set was an exchange of the same points with heavy hitting from both players as they sliced, hit drop shots, attacked the angles and hit deep, penetrating shots from the baseline in an attempt to break the other’s serve and concentration. It was Rafael Nadal who broke in the 9th game and was able to hold serve to take the second set.