Rafael Nadal vs. Roger Federer: Semi-Final Preview – Australian Open 2012
Spanish number one, Rafael Nadal, will collide with the 16-times Grand Slam champion, Roger Federer, in a final-four clash at the Australian Open 2012 on Thursday. The Swiss Ace crushed the Argentinean Challenger, Juan Martin Del Potro, in straight sets while Nadal overpowered the seventh seed, Tomas Berdych of Czech Republic, in a four-set thriller to set up this epic encounter.
Both former world number one tennis stars will face each other in a clash which is not just an ordinary match but a battle for supremacy and power. A lot is at stake as both veterans are fighting to regain their top spot at the South African Airways ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) World Rankings.
Combating each other for the 27th time, Nadal leads the head-to-head lead by 17-9 against the Swiss number one. However, Federer flashed past the Spaniard in their last meeting at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in London last year. He smacked six aces, dominated throughout the match and plucked in entire serves without facing any hindrance. The 30-year-old also capitalised on four out of six break opportunities to register an assuring 6-3, 6-0 victory in 61 minutes.
Bidding to become the second man to win five Australian Open titles, Federer reached his 30th Grand Slam semi-final after trashing Del Potro at his 1000th Tour level match. He clobbered a lower first serve share of 57 percent but clicked spectacular 39 out of 44 points on it. The Swiss dusted away five out of six breakpoints he came across and cashed in five out of eight break chances, sealing the deal with a 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 victory.
"I'm moving well. I'm serving well. I'm hitting the ball clean. Today, I thought it was a very hot day with fast conditions. From now on basically it's only night sessions...It's going to be more athletic and tougher. I'm ready for that," said the Swiss Master after the match.
The Swiss legend ended 2011 with a 17 match winning streak which saw him lifting titles at the Swiss Indoors, Paris Masters and Barclays ATP World Tour Finals. This year, he cruised to the final eight before withdrawing at the Qatar Open due to a back injury. Federer has yet to lose a set in this first Grand Slam event.
World number two, Nadal, also reached the quarter-finals without losing a set. However, the Spaniard lost the opener against Berdych in a tie-breaker. He struggled in the second set too but found his rhythm as he progressed. Nadal manipulated a higher first serve share of 71 percent and registered an amazing 77 out of 101 points on it. He also warded off 11 out of 13 breakpoints he encountered and converted 5 out of 13 break chances to his advantage, ultimately earning a 6-7(5), 7-6(6), 6-4, 6-3 score line in 256 minutes.
Left-handed Spaniard enjoyed a successful 2011 season as he conquered the French Open after overwhelming resilience posed by the Swiss and made title-round showings at the US Open and the Wimbledon Championships (lost to Novak Djokovic in both tournaments). In addition to this, Nadal made several final showdowns and grabbed titles at the Barcelona ATP and Monte Carlo Masters 1000 event.
"All the matches against [Federer] are special," said the high spirited Nadal about his duel against the Swiss. "Every match is different, and I know I will be on court playing against probably the best [player] in the history [of the sport]. So obviously my only way to win is play aggressive [and to] play very well. That's what I'm going to try."
After looking at their current passion and form, world number three-Federer is expected to rise and shine again. The Swiss will register a 7-6(5), 7-5, 3-6, 6-3 victory over the 25-year-old if he plays with a similar way. However, the Swiss Ace needs to manifest a higher first serve share and focus on cashing in more break opportunities in order to ease past the Spaniard.
Winner of the match will advance into the title-round and inch closer to not only bag $2.3 million prize money but will also earn 2000 ATP ranking points.
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