Rafael Nadal yesterday booked an all-Spanish Australian Open semi-final against Fernando Verdasco as Serena Williams clawed back from a set down in searing heat to keep her dreams alive.
The world No. 1 fought off a determined rear-guard action by battling French six seed Gilles Simon to win 6-2, 7-5, 7-5 as he goes in search of his first title here.
The victory earns him a crack at Verdasco for a place in the final against Roger Federer or Andy Roddick after the left-hander sent French fifth seed and last year’s runner-up Jo-Wilfried Tsonga packing 7-6 (7/2), 3-6, 6-3, 6-2.
PHOTO: EPA
“For Spain it is incredible to have two of us in the semi-finals. It means at least one Spaniard will be in the final and we have to happy for that,” Nadal said. “But I know it will be a tough match against Fernando.”
Verdasco, previously best known as Ana Ivanovic’s boyfriend, has shot from nowhere to join a long line of players to make a name for themselves at the year’s opening Grand Slam, powering into his first Major semi in 23 attempts.
“What I’m thinking right now is that I’m playing good, I’m feeling good,” Verdasco said. “I just think that I can beat anyone. I don’t put a limit in this tournament. I’m in the semi-finals right now and I think that I can lose in the semi-finals but also be in the final or win the tournament.”
PHOTO: BLOOMBERG
In contrast to Verdasco’s seven-year wait to make the business end of a Grand Slam, Williams booked her 15th Grand Slam semi-final as temperatures soared to 41˚C.
The roof was finally closed on the Rod Laver Arena and Williams was a beneficiary.
The three-time champion was a set down to Russia’s Svetlana Kuznetsova at the time but recovered her composure against the fuming eighth seed to run out a 5-7, 7-5, 6-1 winner.
It earned the experienced American a shot at ice-cool Russian Elena Dementieva, who powered past unseeded Spaniard Carla Suarez Navarro 6-2, 6-2.
The other semi-final sees third seed Dinara Safina play her Russian compatriot Vera Zvonareva.
Williams looked in serious trouble as she struggled in the first set of her match but was granted a reprieve when the stadium roof was closed early in the second set under the tournament’s extreme heat policy.
The 28-year-old admitted the move made a huge difference.
“I was in a lot of trouble today but I just relaxed and I really wanted to fight and at least go three sets,” she said. “I said, ‘Serena you can do it’ — it’s when I play my best.”
Despite making the last four, she said she was yet to hit top form.
“It’s really encouraging [to win] because this whole tournament I felt I’ve been off and I haven’t been playing my best,” she said.
Kuznetsova handled the heat better but could not cope with the pressure generated by the nine-time Grand Slam champion, failing at crucial moments in the match.
The Russian was angry that they were ordered off court for the roof to be shut while she had a grip on the match.
“Yeah, I was definitely angry. Why should I not be? The game was going my way,” the 2004 US Open champion said.
Dementieva, who is now on a 15-match unbeaten streak, was untroubled by giantkiller Suarez Navarro, who knocked out Venus Williams in the second round.
But she was not happy after playing her entire match, which preceded the Williams-Kuznetsova clash, with the roof open.
“Why not close the roof? Not only for the players, but for the spectators, as well,” she said. “I think if you have a roof, why not use it?”
She was nevertheless relieved to overcome the dangerous Suarez Navarro and set up a showdown with Williams.
“You don’t know what to expect from her. All the matches that we play, all the last three matches, were completely different games,” she said of Williams.
Shohei Ohtani and Clayton Kershaw on Friday joined their Los Angeles Dodgers teammates in sticking their fists out to show off their glittering World Series rings at a ceremony. “There’s just a lot of excitement, probably more than I can ever recall with the Dodger fan base and our players,” manager Dave Roberts said before Los Angeles rallied to beat the Detroit Tigers 8-5 in 10 innings. “What a way to cap off the first two days of celebrations,” Roberts said afterward. “By far the best opening week I’ve ever experienced. I just couldn’t have scripted it any better.” A choir in the
After fleeing Sudan when civil war erupted, Al-Hilal captain Mohamed Abdelrahman and his teammates have defied the odds to reach the CAF Champions League quarter-finals. They are today to face title-holders Al-Ahly of Egypt in Cairo, with the return match in the Mauritanian capital, Nouakchott, on Tuesday next week. Al-Hilal and biggest domestic rivals Al-Merrikh relocated to Mauritania after a power struggle broke out in April 2023 between the Sudanese army and a paramilitary force. The civil war has claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced more than 12 million people, according to the UN. The Democratic Republic of the Congo-born Al-Hilal
Shohei Ohtani, Teoscar Hernandez and Tommy Edman on Thursday smashed home runs to give the reigning World Series champions the Los Angeles Dodgers a 5-4 victory over Detroit on the MLB’s opening day in the US. The Dodgers, who won two season-opening games in Tokyo last week, raised their championship banner on a day when 28 clubs launched the season in the US. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts shuffled his batting lineup with all four leadoff hitters finally healthy as Ohtani was followed by Mookie Betts, then Hernandez and Freddie Freeman in the cleanup spot, switching places with Hernandez. “There’s a Teoscar tax to
Matvei Michkov did not score on Monday, but the Philadelphia rookie had a hand in both goals as hosts the Flyers earned a 2-1 victory over the Nashville Predators. Ryan Poehling and Jamie Drysdale got the goals for the Flyers (31-36-9, 71 points), who won their third straight. Michkov and Travis Konecny assisted on both. Ivan Fedotov stopped 28 shots to earn his first win since March 1, ending a personal six-game losing streak. Zachary L’Heureux got the lone goal for Nashville. Michael McCarron and Brady Skjei got the assists for the Predators (27-39-8, 62 points), who have just four goals in their
RSS