January 28, (THEWILL) – Rafael Nadal advanced to the Australian Open final by defeating seventh seed Matteo Berrettini and is closing in on a record-breaking 21st Grand Slam singles triumph.
On Rod Laver Arena, the Spaniard, who is chasing a record major triumph in unlikely fashion, pushed aside the big-hitting Italian in four sets, 6-3 6-2 3-6 6-3, in what turned out to be an amazing semi-final victory
After dealing with injuries for a long time leading up to the competition, the 35-year-old had no idea if he would even be in Australia to compete. At Melbourne Park, Nadal has now reached his sixth final.
Berrettini threw everything he had at Nadal, but the Spaniard never looked troubled, and the third set was barely a blip on the radar as he pushed on in front of exuberant supporters cheering him on at a tournament where he is extremely loved.
With a 21st singles Slam in Melbourne on Sunday, Nadal may surpass rivals Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. It will be a major win for the Spaniard who now awaits the winner of Daniil Medvedev’s last-four match against Stefanos Tsitsipas.
Despite all of his major championships, the sixth seed has only one Australian Open Grand Slam title to his name, which he won in 2009. He will be in with a chance to win his second in Sunday’s showdown.
In his on-court interview, Nadal said: “The first two sets were some of the best I’ve played for a long time.
“I had to suffer and I had to fight, but to be in the final again means a lot. I think I started the match playing great, one of the best in a long time.
“I know how good Matteo is, very solid, and I knew in the third [set] he was going to go for the shots. He’s a very charismatic player on tour. I wish him all the best, I think he has a very good future.
“We need to suffer and we need to fight. That is the only way to be where I am today. It means a lot to be in the final again today.
“For me, it’s all about the Australian Open. It’s an amazing event, but I have been a little unlucky with my injuries. I was close a couple of times and was lucky I won in 2009. I will try to enjoy the victory today and then afterwards I will just try to do my best.”
Last year’s finalist and current US Open champion Medvedev is a “heavy favourite” to win the tournament. Novak Djokovic, who was deported from Australia earlier this month, defeated the Russian in the finals last year.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
