Melbourne, Australia
Australian Open Semi-Final Preview
ATP World No. 1 Rafael Nadal meets Spanish compatriot Fernando Verdasco in the Australian Open semi-finals on Friday. ATP stats and information guru Greg Sharko previews the match-up. SEMI-FINALS PREVIEW – This is the seventh time the two Spaniards are meeting in a Tour level tournament and Nadal has won 13 of the past 14 sets. Nadal, who has yet to drop a set in Melbourne (15-0), is appearing in the Australian Open semi-finals for the second straight year and fifth consecutive time in a Grand Slam tournament. Nadal is attempting to reach his eighth career Grand Slam final (5-2), the first on hard courts. Verdasco is making his first Grand Slam semi-final showing in his 23rd career Slam tournament. This is the fourth all-Spanish semi-final in a Grand Slam in the Open Era and the winner will become the third Spaniard to reach the Australian Open final, joining Carlos Moya in 1997 (l. to Sampras) and Andres Gimeno in 1969 (l. to Laver). Both players have broken their opponents 32 times while Nadal has lost serve six times and Verdasco nine times. Here is a look at their career meetings and how they have performed at the Australian Open going into the semi-finals:
Rafael Nadal
Aces 26
Sets W-L 15-0
Break Points Saved 15 of 21
Break Points Converted 32 of 61
Winners 186
Unforced Errors 78
Fernando Verdasco
Aces 32
Sets W-L 15-3
Break Points Saved 32 of 41
Break Points Converted 32 of 66
Winners 173
Unforced Errors 124
Rafael Nadal (ESP) vs Fernando Verdasco (ESP) Nadal Leads 6-0
05 Doha (Qatar) Hard R16 Rafael Nadal 6-2, 6-4
05 ATP Masters Series Miami (U.S.A.) Hard R32 Rafael Nadal 6-2, 6-2
05 Stuttgart (Germany) Clay R16 Rafael Nadal 6-3, 6-2
06 London / Queen's Club (England) Grass R16 Rafael Nadal 2-6, 7-6(3), 7-6(3)
07 ATP Masters Series Indian Wells (U.S.A.)Hard R32 Rafael Nadal 6-4, 6-4
08 Roland Garros (France) Clay R16 Rafael Nadal 6-1, 6-0, 6-2
Other Meetings:
03 Hamburg CH (Germany) Carpet QF Rafael Nadal 6-2, 7-5
Rafael Nadal | Fernando Verdasco
Sets Won: 13 | 1
Tiebreak Sets Won: 2 | 0
Match Wins By Surface:
Clay: 2 0
Hard: 3 0
Grass: 1 0
Nadal:
- The Mallorca native is attempting to become the sixth player at age 22 in the Open Era to reach three different Grand Slam finals…The others were Andre Agassi, Bjorn Borg, Jimmy Connors, Jim Courier and Pete Sampras…Connors and Sampras won three
- Nadal is 36-3 lifetime against left-handers and last year he went 13-0 against lefties…His last loss came to Chris Guccione in ’07 Sydney in the 1st RD when he retired (also lost to Gilles Muller in ’05 Wimbledon 2nd RD and to Feliciano Lopez in ’03 Basel 1st RD)
- Has a 47-6 record against Spaniards since 2004, losing to David Ferrer three times, Juan Carlos Ferrero twice and Carlos Moya once
Verdasco:
- The Madrid native will break into the Top 10 South African Airways 2009 ATP Rankings for the first time next Monday, climbing from No. 15 to No. 9 (will jump to No. 6 IF he wins the title AND Roddick loses in the semi-finals)
- Came into Melbourne with a 7-31 career record (1-5 in Grand Slams) against Top 10 opponents before defeating No. 4 Murray (4th RD) and No. 7 Tsonga (QF)…This is the first time in his career he’s beaten two Top 10 players in the same tournament
- He enters the semi-finals with a 9-1 record on the season after opening with a runner-up in Brisbane (l. to Stepanek) in his first ATP World Tour hard court final…Has a 2-5 career mark in ATP World Tour finals, winning on clay in 2004 (d. Montanes) and Umag last year (d. Andreev)
POTENTIAL FINAL HEAD-TO-HEADS –
Rafael Nadal (ESP) vs Roger Federer (SUI) Nadal Leads 12-6
04 ATP Masters Series Miami (U.S.A.) Hard R32 Rafael Nadal 6-3, 6-3
05 ATP Masters Series Miami (U.S.A.) Hard F Roger Federer 2-6, 6-7(4), 7-6(5), 6-3, 6-1
05 Roland Garros (France) Clay SF Rafael Nadal 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3
06 Dubai (U.A.E.) Hard F Rafael Nadal 2-6, 6-4, 6-4
06 ATP Masters Series Monte Carlo Clay F Rafael Nadal 6-2, 6-7(2), 6-3, 7-6(5)
06 ATP Masters Series Rome (Italy) Clay F R. Nadal 6-7(0), 7-6(5), 6-4, 2-6, 7-6(5)
06 Roland Garros (France) Clay F Rafael Nadal 1-6, 6-1, 6-4, 7-6(4)
06 Wimbledon (England) Grass F Roger Federer 6-0, 7-6(5), 6-7(2), 6-3
06 Tennis Masters Cup (China) Hard SF Roger Federer 6-4, 7-5
07 ATP Masters Series Monte Carlo (Monaco) Clay F Rafael Nadal 6-4, 6-4
07 ATP Masters Series Hamburg (Germany)Clay F Roger Federer 2-6, 6-2, 6-0
07 Roland Garros (France) Clay F Rafael Nadal 6-3, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4
07 Wimbledon (Great Britain) Grass F R. Federer 7-6,(7), 4-6, 7-6(3), 2-6, 6-2
07 Tennis Masters Cup (China) Hard SF Roger Federer 6-4, 6-1
08 ATP Masters Series Monte Carlo Clay F Rafael Nadal 7-5, 7-5
08 ATP Masters Series Hamburg Clay F Rafael Nadal 7-5, 6-7(3), 6-3
08 Roland Garros (France) Clay F Rafael Nadal 6-1, 6-3, 6-0
08 Wimbledon (Great Britain) Grass F Rafael Nadal 6-4, 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-7(8), 9-7
Rafael Nadal | Roger Federer
Sets Won: 37 | 25
Tiebreak Sets Won: 6 | 9
Match Wins By Surface:
Clay: 9 | 1
Hard: 2 | 3
Carpet: 0 | 0
Grass: 1 | 2
Synthetic Turf: 0 | 0
Fernando Verdasco (ESP) vs Roger Federer (SUI) Federer Leads 2-0
05 ATP Masters Series Hamburg (Germany)Clay R64 Roger Federer 6-4, 6-3
08 ATP Masters Series Hamburg (Germany)Clay QF Roger Federer 6-3, 6-3
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