By Richard Pagliaro | Tuesday, January 25, 2022
Rafael Nadal now stands six sets away from a record 21st major title after fending off Denis Shapovalov in a fierce four hour Australian Open quarterfinal.
Photo credit: Getty
Suffering is an essential element to Grand Slam success says Rafael Nadal.
Broiling conditions, a queasy stomach and a profound pain in the neck named Denis Shapovalov all plagued Nadal in today’s Australian Open quarterfinal leaving the sweat-soaked Spaniard feeling “destroyed.”
More: Tsitsipas on Italian Stars
Greeting the gut-chek with poise and purpose, Nadal pushed through the pain into his seventh Australian Open semifinal with a gritty 6-3, 6-4, 4-6, 3-6, 6-3 triumph.
Pressed to the limit in his first five-setter since he squandered a two-set lead bowing to Stefanos Tsitsipas in the 2021 AO quarterfinals, Nadal managed wavering energy wisely and withstood heavy strikes from the volatile Shapovalov in a pulsating four hour, eight-minute victory.
“I was completely destroyed,” Nadal told Hall of Famer Jim Courier afterward. “Very tough day, very warm. Honestly I didn’t practice for it. I was little bit unlucky at the beginning of the fifth.
“At the beginning of the match I was playing great. I know how difficult it is to play against a player like Denis. He’s very talented, very aggressive. He was serving huge especially the second serve. So I think I had my chances at the beginning of the third at love-30 then 15-30 passing shot down the line I didn’t get and then I started to feel a little bit more tired.
"For me it’s amazing, honestly, to be in the semifinals.”
The 20-time Grand Slam champion now stands six sets away from history and a men’s record 21st Grand Slam title. Nadal’s 499th-career hard-court wins sends him into his 36th Grand Slam semifinal.
Beneficial scheduling in the top half of the draw means Nadal will have two full days of recovery before he faces either a resurgent Gael Monfils or 2021 Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini for a place in Sunday’s AO final. Nadal has dominated Monfils winning 14 of their 16 meetings; he beat Berrettini in their lone meeting.
"I am not 21 anymore so after this match it’s great to have two days off," Nadal said. "I think I felt quite good physically in terms of movement. It's true that the conditions haven’t been that hot fo the last week and a half.
"At least it was a great test and I hope and I really believe that I’m gonna be ready for that semifinals. So for me it’s everything to be able to play one more time here in the Rod Laver Arena in that semifinal match. So I’m very excited and happy and just can thank everyone for the support."
It’s a remarkable run given Nadal was forced to pull the plug on his 2021 season after aggravating a chronic foot injury last August then battled Coronavirus in December. Known for his meticulous Grand Slam preparation, Nadal said he was unsure if he’d even make the trip to Melbourne this month.
“Of course we can create histories or stuff, but the real truth is that two months ago we didn’t know if we would be able to be back on tour at all,” Nadal said. “Here I am. It’s just a present of life that I am playing tennis again and just enjoying.”
Carrying a 6-7 AO quarterfinal record onto court today, Nadal confronted a punishing physical and tactical test facing Shapovalov’s jolting power and waning pace on his strokes and serve as he battled that upset stomach. Nadal responded by attacking his serve and though he hit 11 double faults he often generated the first-strike forehands he sought.
Trampolining his twisting topspin forehand off the blue hard court, Nadal challenged Shapovalov with height and spin. The Canadian whacked three wild forehands dropping serve in the fourth game.
The 2009 champion torched a forehand winner holding at 15 for a 4-1 lead after 21 minutes.
Nadal rocketed a serve winner out wide slamming shut the 39-minute opener with a bang.
On a scorching day, the Spaniard made the ideal start winning 17 of 19 first-serve points and pumping nine winners against three unforced errors in the opening set. Shapovalov, who swept world No. 3 Alexander Zverev in an impressive fourth-round win, wasn’t feeling his forehand and was growing increasingly ornery.
“Are you kidding me! You guys are all corrupt!” Shapovalov barked at chair umpire Carlos Bernardes at the start of the second set apparently annoyed Nadal was permitted some time to change his wristbands while the Canadian stood ready to serve to start second set.
Shapovalov held to start the second set then he and Nadal had a brief chat at net during the Spaniard’s service game to iron out serve clock issues.
Known as an electric shotmaker prone to streakiness, Shapovalov showed eye-popping defensive gets to test Nadal in the sixth game. Nadal withstood a double fault and some superb running forehand strikes standing tall through an eight-and-a-half minute hold to level after six games.
Struggle strengthened the 20-time Grand Slam champion.
Sweat saturated the Spaniard’s purple shirt as he raced up to a lame Shapovalov drop shot winning a net exchange to start the seventh game. Shapovalov sailed a wild forehand to face a break point. Nadal slammed a leaping smash breaking for 4-3 at the 80-minute mark. An irate Shapovalov continued self-implosion barking at his box as he walked backward toward his court-side seat.
Across the net, Nadal was all business. Hammering his serve into the corner of the box to set up his damaging forehand, Nadal delivered stinging forehand strikes snatching a two-set lead after 99 minutes.
Bouncing on his toes behind the baseline in the third set, Shapovalov earned his first love-30 on Nadal’s serve in the sixth game. Nadal felt the stress clanking his second double fault to face double break point.
Unleashing heavy, high-bounding serves, Nadal denied both break points. Four stinging serves and a blocked backhand volley helped Nadal navigate a tough hold to level at 3-all.
It was Nadal’s 69th hold in 71 service games in the tournament.
Credit Shapovalov for continuing to fight despite the deficit. The 14th seed caught a reprieve when Nadal narrowly missed a forehand pass down the line that would have given him break points in the seventh game.
Nerves struck Nadal who hit his eighth double fault and was frozen by a Shapovalov bullet return right back up the middle that gave the Canadian triple set point. Shapovalov banged a high backhand winner crosscourt earning his first break and the third set in the process.
Seeing his 35-year-old opponent looking labored, Shapovalov was flying around the court with more vigor.
At the start of the second set, Shapovalov asked chair umpire Bernardes to watch for the time violation. Nadal was down a break point at the beginning of the fourth set when the chair umpire hit the Spaniard with a time violation warning. A tense Nadal double faulted away the break and a 3-1 lead.
After Shapovalov held for a 4-1 fourth-set lead Nadal called for the trainer. Sitting on his court-side seat, Nadal pointed to his mid-section signaling an upset stomach and took a couple of tablets before returning to action.
Serving to force a final set, Shapovalov saved double break point with a series of stinging serves. The Canadian closed the fourth set with a shout forcing Nadal to his first fifth set since he squandered that two-set lead bowing to Tsitsipas in the 2021 AO quarterfinals.
Departing the court for a six-minute break, Nadal returned to face immediate pressure. The left-hander lashed an ace wide to save a break point and held with a superb stretch volley to start the final set.
The determined dig paid dividends: Nadal earned triple break point on Shapovalov’s fifth double fault. Spinning a forehand down the line, Nadal drew a shanked reply breaking for 2-0 as he bounced high off the court sending a sign of energy and intent across the net.
Digging in with determination, Nadal nullified a pair of break points flicking back everything Shapovalov hit his way to back up the break for 3-0.
Serving for the semifinal, Nadal dipped a running backhand pass. Shapovalov was there but angled his volley long then spiked his Yonex racquet to the court in disgust ending a fierce four hour, eight-minute fight.