After reaching the final of the Australian Open, Rafael Nadal is just one win away from the record Grand Slam title
Nadal won his semi-final in impressive fashion after defeating Italy’s Matteo Berrettini in four sets 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 and will now face Sunday’s final Daniil Medvedev.
Nadal currently shares the Grand Slam record in men’s singles (20). Roger Federer and Novak Djokovicbut now has the chance to surpass its historic rivals.
The 35-year-old played down his chance to make history and said he was only focused on winning the Australian Open, a title he has won only once in his illustrious career.
“For me it’s all about the Australian Open,” said Nadal after the match.
“It’s just a great event where, as I said a few days ago, I was a little unlucky with a few injuries.
“There were times when I played amazing finals with good chances – against Novak in 2012, against Roger in 2017 – I came close a few times.
“I feel very lucky to have won it once in my career in 2009, but I never thought about another chance in 2022.”
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Best thing I’ve played in a long time
Ahead of the tournament, there were questions about Nadal’s fitness after he struggled with injuries and Covid-19 illness last year.
In the quarterfinals he had to play a five-set thriller against Denis Shapovalovsurvive, but the 20-time Grand Slam champion looked surprisingly fresh against Berrettini.
With the roof of Rod Laver Arena closed because of Melbourne’s storms – creating an atmosphere that would have favored Berrettini – Nadal took a straight-set lead after playing what he said was his “best tennis in a long time”.
The Italian, known for his power, eventually won the third set, but too many mistakes cost the 25-year-old and he could do little to curb Nadal’s intensity.
“We have to suffer and we have to fight. That’s the only way I can be where I am today. To be honest, it means a lot to me to be in the final again,” said Nadal, who is now looking forward to the 29th Grand Slam -will prepare for the finale of his career.
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Those: edition.cnn.com
2024-01-04 05:12:20
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