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Tag Rafa Nadal2019 Australian Open

Sport

Djokovic pummels Pouille to set up Australian Open showdown with Nadal

Open
Melbourne (Australia), Jan. 25, 2019 (Reuters/NAN) A rampant Novak Djokovic completed a stunning 6-0 6-2 6-2 demolition of Lucas Pouille on Friday to storm into his seventh Australian Open final.

The victory set up a mouth-watering title match with arch-rival Rafa Nadal.

The six-times champion was at his devastating best in the one hour-23 minute procession as he gave the hapless Pouille a brutal lesson in Grand Slam tennis.

He thus extended his perfect semi-finals record to 7-0 at Melbourne Park.

Attacking the lines with machine-like precision, Djokovic broke the 28th-seeded Frenchman seven times and yet never looked in danger of conceding a break point.

Top seed Djokovic claimed the match on the second match point when Pouille netted and the Serb will face Nadal in search of a record seventh title in Melbourne.(Reuters/NAN)
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(Edited by Gregory Mmaduakolam and Olawale Alabi)

Sport

Seamless Nadal drubs Australian Duckworth in Melbourne opener

Seamless
Melbourne (Australia), Jan. 14, 2019 (Reuters/NAN) Former champion Rafa Nadal showed no signs of discomfort from his thigh strain as he sailed through to the second round of the Australian Open with a 6-4, 6-3, 7-5 win over local hope James Duckworth on Monday.

The second-seeded Spaniard had pulled out of the Brisbane warmup with a thigh strain to raise doubts about his campaign but he allayed those fears on Rod Laver Arena against an error-prone opponent.

“It’s normal that beginnings are tough, but every day helps and every day makes me feel better, makes me feel more confident,” Nadal told reporters.

“So that’s an important victory because (it) is the first victory since a while and at the same time… gives me the chance to be on court again. And that’s what I need.”

The first meeting between the 17-times Grand Slam champion, a winner at Melbourne Park in 2009, and Australian wildcard Duckworth always had the potential to be an uneven contest.

Duckworth is ranked 238 in the world but the 26-year-old, who reached a career-high ranking of 82 in April, 2015, did not help his cause by looking to attack Nadal from the start.

He therefore committed 40 unforced errors in the process, compared to just 11 from his opponent.

Nadal, who is bidding to become the first man in the Open Era, and only the third man ever, to win each of the four Grand Slams twice, ran his opponent down with his superior court coverage and ability to hit winners under pressure.

“I played against a super-aggressive player. Today he went on court with the determination to not play tennis the way I understand tennis,” Nadal told reporters.

“(It) is not a negative point. Not at all. Believe me. He went on court probably doing a thing that works well for him, and he gives himself some chances. And he played smart and he played well.”

Sporting a yellow sleeveless t-shirt and white shorts, Nadal hit his gear early by breaking Duckworth’s serve in the first game which was enough for him to take out the first set.

After an early trade of breaks in the second, Duckworth served his sixth double fault to go down a break and then lost the second set with his eighth.

Two brilliant winners in the sixth game, which brought about an animated celebration from the Spaniard, gave him a break and a 4-2 lead but Duckworth got the break back in the ninth game.

He then brought an end to the match with a brilliant backhand pass.

In his pre-match news conference Nadal said he has brought a remodelled serve to Melbourne aimed at generating more pace.

After losing two service games in the match, Nadal was pleased with it.

“My serve worked well. I don’t know my percentage, but was a lot of good positions after the first serve,” he said. “I felt solid with the second.” (Reuters/NAN)
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Sport

Nadal shrugs off injury concerns, pays tribute to Murray

Nadal

Melbourne (Australia), Jan. 12, 2019 (Reuters/NAN) Former champion Rafa Nadal shrugged off concerns about his fitness ahead of the Australian Open on Saturday.

He also paid tribute to fellow ‘Big Four’ rival Andy Murray, a day after the emotional Briton revealed plans to retire.

The 2009 winner Nadal pulled out of the Brisbane International warmup with a thigh strain, raising fears about his campaign at Melbourne Park after his 2018 season ended early with ankle surgery.

However, the 32-year-old Spaniard declared himself ready to throw himself into a 14th campaign in Melbourne, starting with a first round match against Australian wildcard James Duckworth.

“If I am not feeling good, I will not be here,” the 17-time Grand Slam champion said at Melbourne Park on Saturday.

“I have good feelings in terms of the surgery that I have in the foot. I can say it’s almost done.

“Then, of course, after surgery, after months without competing, having troubles to practise, of course there are always issues when you come back.

“But nothing new for me. I had a couple of (times) of this. Just accept the challenges the body presents and the tennis presents.”

In an emotional media conference on Friday, a tearful Murray revealed the pain from his troublesome right hip was proving too much to bear.

He then said the Australian Open could be his last tournament as a professional.

Of the many banged-up players on tour, Nadal may be the most able to empathise with Murray, having spent long periods on the sidelines with serious knee problems.

“It will be a very important loss for us, for the world of tennis, for the tour, for the fans, even for the rival that he has been part of and a great competitor,” Nadal said of the three-times Grand Slam champion.

“But that’s life. Seems like he has not (had) a very long career because today players are playing that long.

“But he’s 31. 10 years ago, if he retired at 31, we will say he had a great and very long career. That’s the real thing. So all the best for him. We will miss him.”

Nadal was forced to retire hurt in the fifth set of last year’s quarter-final against eventual finalist Marin Cilic.

It was eight years after he pulled out midway through his last-eight clash against Murray with a knee injury.

Doubts about the second seed’s ability to withstand seven matches on hardcourts were reinforced when he retired in the U.S. Open semi-final against Juan Martin del Potro last year.

Despite that, Nadal is leaving no stone unturned in Melbourne and brings a remodelled serve aimed at generating more pace and, hopefully, shortening points.

“You need to make yourself feel alive, you know?” he said.

“There are always things to improve … I didn’t compete with this new serve, so let’s see how it works.

“I am confident it’s going to work well.” (Reuters/NAN)

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