Rafael Nadal ousted by Fernando Verdasco in first round at Australian Open
- 8 years ago
Six years after Rafael Nadal beat countryman and fellow lefty Fernando Verdasco in a semifinal classic at the Australian Open, his good friend finally exacted revenge on Tuesday.
Verdasco, a 32-year-old ranked No. 45 in the world, shocked the No. 5 seed and 2009 champion Nadal in a first-round five-setter, 7-6 (7-6), 4-6, 3-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6-2 in four hours, 41 minutes.
It’s the biggest upset of the tournament so far, trumping Venus Williams’ exit earlier in the day.
Verdasco claimed the first set, but it appeared as though Nadal would run away with the match as he won sets two and three with relative comfort.
But Verdasco righted his ship, scoring just a third win in 17 tries over the former world No. 1 who has struggled in the majors over the last 18 months.
Verdasco, a 32-year-old ranked No. 45 in the world, shocked the No. 5 seed and 2009 champion Nadal in a first-round five-setter, 7-6 (7-6), 4-6, 3-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6-2 in four hours, 41 minutes.
It’s the biggest upset of the tournament so far, trumping Venus Williams’ exit earlier in the day.
Verdasco claimed the first set, but it appeared as though Nadal would run away with the match as he won sets two and three with relative comfort.
But Verdasco righted his ship, scoring just a third win in 17 tries over the former world No. 1 who has struggled in the majors over the last 18 months.