2011 Australian Open: Preview – Rafael Nadal vs Marin Cilic
The Grand Slam Down Under enters its second week of play on Monday. With most of the fourth round matches already over, only a few berths in the quarterfinal round remain.
Wrapping up men’s singles play for the day will be world number one, Rafael “Rafa” Nadal as he plays Croat icon Marin Cilic.
Currently competing at the Australian Open, Nadal hopes to win the final match and hold all four titles. Having won the 2010 Wimbledon Championship, Roland Garros and United
States Open, Rafa looks to win the 2011 Australian Open so as to hold all four titles at once. This feat, termed by the media as the “Rafa Slam”, was last achieved in 1969 by Aussie legend Rod Laver.
This is the Spaniard’s fifth straight year at the event after his debut in 2004. Rafa was absent from the event in 2006 on account of an injury. His career best at the event
came in 2009 when he defeated former world number one and long time rival, Roger Federer to win his first Aussie Open title.
Coming from a semi-final run at the Doha event where he was ousted by defending champion Nikolay Davydenko, Rafa started his quest for a “Rafa Slam” with an uncontested
bid.
Meeting Marcos Daniel in the opening round last Tuesday, the Spaniard won eleven straight games before Daniel retired on account of a shoulder injury giving Nadal an automatic
bye in the second round. Pitted against qualifier Ryan Sweeting in the second round, Nadal was able to clinch a straight sets victory with a loss of only four games, sandwiching a 6-2 victory in between to breadstick wins.
Having enjoyed smooth sailing so far into the event, Nadal’s most challenging match of the event came on Saturday when he met local wild card entrant Bernard Tomic. What
should have been another comfortable straight sets victory sent the Spaniard running all over the court sweating profusely. Nadal did away with the local after much resistance to edge past his way into the fourth round.
Coming into the fourth round, Nadal is set against Cilic. Meeting for their fourth round match, the pair would be hitting the court for the second time on the ATP Tour.
Their last meeting on the courts came in 2009 at the Beijing event where Nadal was defeated in straight sets. The 6’6'' Croat giant is one of only four active players who hold the lead in their career head-to-head against the world number one.
Many diehard fans would argue Nadal was under the weather then. Maybe the Croat would have the situation repeated for him today as Nadal is still feeling the after effects
of the illness he contracted in Doha. We might witness tonight the biggest upset of the event.
A rising Croat, Cilic returns to the event for the fifth straight year after his debt in 2007. His career best at the event came last year when he made it all the way to
the semi-finals before being ousted by Brit Andy Murray.
Returning to the event with the hopes of going one step further, Cilic made his way to the fourth round after doing away with marathon man, John Isner. The two giants met
for almost four and a half hour long match with Cilic eventually outlasting the American and prevailing 4-6, 6-2, 6-7(5), 7-6(2), 9-7.
The winner of this match will go on to play either qualifier Milos Raonic or David Ferrer.
Prediction:
Although Nadal is clearly the favourite to win the match, Cilic does have a few factors playing to his advantage. With Nadal still fatigued from his illness and Cilic already enjoying the statistical c*m psychological advantage of having defeated the
Spaniard once before, crowd at Rod Laver Arena might just witness a surprising upset.
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