AUTRALIAN OPEN

Rafael Nadal has proven in convincing style, that he a more than just a clay courter. However, it was not always easy. His determination to be a better athlete has been the key to his continued success on all surfaces. When Roger Federer got to twenty major titles, the world thought no one could catch him, much less [6] Rafael Nadal. Since then, [1] Novak Djokovic joined the conversation, becoming the third player to own twenty major titles.

Rafael Nadal Determined To Make More History

The first set was a blowout. [2] Daniil Medvedev came out on fire. The Spaniard came out clearly tight. You can always tell when Nadal is not quite relaxed, his shots have no sting, and they land short in the court. From two-all, the wheels fell off for the Spaniard. Nadal took the early lead in the second set. Serving for the set at 5-3 up, Nadal missed an easy forehand long and was broken. The second set went to a tiebreaker, again, Nadal had opportunities to even the match. Unfortunately, he failed because Medvedev was relentless in his defense.

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The Going Got Tough For The Spaniard

After painfully losing the second set tiebreaker, he was on the brink of losing the match in the third set. At 2-3 down and 0-40 down, Nadal fought to even the set. He could not afford being broken at this stage. The Spaniard was clearly feeling the effects of the battle; however, he was determined to fight for this victory. The third set was the critical point in this match. Lose it and the Spaniard’s chance of winning number twenty-one was gone. Win it, and there was hope. Where did he find the extra level? The Spanish mindset of suffering being a part of victory was clearly evident in this match. Rafael Nadal was suffering physically.

Down But Not Out, The Story Of This Match

Nadal could barely move, for sure, it was not if but when would Medvedev win the match. At 4-4 in the third, Nadal found another level. Suddenly, his forehand was doing damage. The Russian also got tight as well, missing a few easy shots. His approach to net, left just enough room for the Spaniard to hit a screaming backhand down the line and steal the break. His fist pump assured the fans, that he believed he could still turn things around. This time at 5-4 up, there was no hesitation. He backed up his serves with some fierce forehand winners. Still down two sets to one, but he was not yet ready to roll over.

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This Was The Comeback Of His Career

Two sets down and looking too exhausted to move, Rafa somehow found a way to win the third set and that shifted the momentum of the match. Yet, the Russian would not go down without a fight. He evened the match in the fifth after breaking the Spaniard when he served for the match at 5-4. That was one final gasp, because in the very next game Nadal broke again. This time, he would not relinquish the lead.

We saw it all in this match. The fight from both players, exhaustion in both players, and still they both fought to the bitter end. No one can ever say that the Spaniard is just a clay courter after this victory. He  battled hard on the hard surface for the 2-6, 6-7{5}, 6-4, 6-4, 7-5 victory. This 5h 24m battle tells us that despite his age, he is still quite fit. Nadal becomes the first male player to win twenty-one majors and the second man in the open era to win all four majors at least twice. VAMOS RAFA indeed!

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