Melbourne - Fernando Verdasco almost denied Rafael Nadal a first-ever final at the Australian Open, but the top seed survived to win the longest match ever played at Melbourne Park, 7-6 (7-4), 4-6, 6-7 (2-7), 6-4 on Friday.
The 14th-seed Verdasco, munching on apples during changeovers instead of the customary bananas, came close to stunning the normally invincible Nadal in a record-breaking marathon match lasting five hours, 14 minutes.
Melbourne, Jan. 30: World Number One Rafael Nadal has said that he will be wary when facing Fernando Verdasco and Nadal in today's semi-final, which has just begun.
Nadal, the French Open master and Wimbledon champion, is the world No. 1 and the greatest player Spain has produced and has not lost to Verdasco in six meetings. Verdasco has not reached anything like those heights but is in career-best form, having beaten tournament favourite Andy Murray and crowd favourite Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
The two Spaniards are great mates, both are left-handers and both have impressive, heavily top-spun, forehands.
Melbourne - A group of 65 sportsmen already challenged it before Belgian courts, but the new World Anti-Doping Code received a severe blow Wednesday from one of the biggest names in sport, tennis world number one Rafael Nadal.
The Spaniard is outraged about a rule that forces high-performance sportsmen to say where they are going to be for an hour each day, 365 days a year.
"I think it shows a lack of respect for privacy," Nadal said after qualifying for the semifinals of the Australian Open. "I think it's a disgrace, particularly knowing what our sport is like."
Melbourne - Men's draw with qualifiers inserted for the 15.5-million-dollar Australian Open starting Monday. <# Rafael Nadal, 1, Spain v Christophe Rochus, Belgium
Florent Serra, France v Roko Karanusic, Croatia
Eduardo Schwank, Argentina v Tommy Haas, Germany
Flavio Cipolla, Italy v Dmitry Tursunov, Russia
Richard Gasquet, France v Diego Junqueira, Argentina
Vince Spadea, US v Denis Istomin, Uzbekistan
Guillermo Canas, Argentina v Dieter Kindlmann, Germany
Melbourne - Rafael Nadal Saturday followed the lead of Roger Federer, saying he would prefer if the Australian Open were played in February instead of its traditional January date.
"I would love (to) have the first Grand Slam of the season a little bit later," said the top seed. "You start the season and after one week you are playing one of the most important tournaments of the year."
Sydney - New number one players Rafael Nadal and Jelena Jankovic line up as top seeds for the first time when the Australian Open begins on Monday.
Nadal, practising privately this week at Melbourne as is Jankovic, opens against Belgian Christophe Rochus as the Spaniard tops a Grand Slam draw for the second time since dethroning Roger Federer from the lead spot last August.
Jankovic, who holds a narrow points margin over Serena Williams, opens with Austrian Yvonne Meusburger.
Melbourne - Fernando Verdasco almost denied Rafael Nadal a first-ever final at the Australian Open, but the top seed survived to win the longest match ever played at Melbourne Park, 7-6 (7-4), 4-6, 6-7 (2-7), 6-4 on Friday.
Melbourne, Jan. 30: World Number One Rafael Nadal has said that he will be wary when facing Fernando Verdasco and Nadal in today's semi-final, which has just begun.
Melbourne - Men's draw with qualifiers inserted for the 15.5-million-dollar Australian Open starting Monday. <# Rafael Nadal, 1, Spain v Christophe Rochus, Belgium
Melbourne - Rafael Nadal Saturday followed the lead of Roger Federer, saying he would prefer if the Australian Open were played in February instead of its traditional January date.
Sydney - New number one players Rafael Nadal and Jelena Jankovic line up as top seeds for the first time when the Australian Open begins on Monday.
