Australian Open: Rafael Nadal - The Matador in old splendor and glory
Rafael Nadal has so far shown no weaknesses at the Australian Open 2019. In his semi-final against Stefanos Tsitsipas, the 2009 champion goes as a clear favborit.
by Jörg Allmeroth
last edit: Jan 23, 2019, 08:27 am
The Grand Slam machinery has been spinning under the Melbourne sun for a week and a half. Such a major tournament has long been a 24-hour discussion forum in which people, games, sensations are negotiated and negotiated. There are artificial scandals, real excitement, more or less fascinating topics, types and trends.
Much was already back on the agenda and debate at the 2019 Australian Open Championships. The decisive tie-break in the fifth sentence, the commercial dictation on the game plan, the many night or even dawn matches, the demise of the German flagship figures Kerber and Zverev, the tearful announcement of Andy Murray, the Federer defeat in the round of 16 and, logically , the possible changing of the guard at the top of men's tennis.
Rafael Nadal almost under the radar
But somehow a name seemed almost forgotten in the middle of the whole Grand Slam spectacle, and only now that the show is turning onto the home stretch, a certain Rafael Nadal really comes back into the consciousness of the tennis caravan. However, it also has to do with the quiet, discreet way in which the 32-year-old Matador advanced to the semi-finals of the Australian Open: safe at all times, always in control of the situation, Mister reliable at all times. "He's in a bomb condition. The best player here so far, ”says Boris Becker, the head of men's tennis at the DTB. "The title is only awarded through him."
Some of his previous Center Court rivals were in the headlines and also had great ambitions before he met the "steam roller Nadal" (The Australian). The Czech Tomas Berdych, for example, in brilliant shape at the comeback, was literally shot out of the arena by the beefy Mallorcan in the round of 16. The American Frances Tiafoe, the highly traded 20-year-old top talent, was hardly better in the round of the last eight, after 107 minutes of free training by the "cannibals" (L`Equipe) he also made the Grand Slam departure.
More difficult match against Tsitsipas
However, the 17-time Grand Slam champion will no longer have such an easy game - presumably: On Thursday evening (around 9:30 a.m.CET) Nadal will be dealing with the newly emerging tennis star Stefanos Tsitsipas - at least the conqueror of Nadal's old specialty Roger Federer. "It is a fantastic player," says Nadal, "I know that I will face a tough test." However, Nadal showed no effort in two previous comparisons with the formidable Hellas tennis export, and last summer he also ended a magical victory run by Tsitsipas at the Canada Masters.
In Melbourne, Nadal looks as if he has suddenly left behind all the hardships, difficulties and doubts of the past few months. "It was a complicated time," says the 32-year-old veteran, "but it's just a thing of the past." He had to cancel his Grand Slam title run-up twice in 2017, giving up at the US Open for knee pain in the semi-finals on. But also in Melbourne, the place where he could only triumph once in 2009, was involuntarily over twelve months ago - in the quarterfinals against Croatian Marin Cilic, Nadal made his hip so difficult that he threw the towel tearfully.
Now he is fit, energetic and wiry like rarely in his late career. "It feels good to play without worries," says Nadal. Tsitsipas will now feel it as the sixth opponent.