Australian Open: Rafael Nadal dismantles Tomas Berdych to set title course
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Four years ago, Berdych lost just eight games against Rafa here at Melbourne Park for his fourth and last win over the Spaniard but he stood no chance today despite playing some rock solid tennis in the opening three rounds.
Serving at 69%, the Spaniard lost just 19 points on serve and he faced only two break points, saving them both to mount the constant pressure on the other side of the net. The Czech landed only 47% of the first serve in and that was a recipe for disaster, dropping 40% of the points in his games and having to play against 13 break chances.
Firing 32 winners and 17 unforced errors, Rafa did break his rival five times and that was enough for a commanding win, saving a set point at 5-6 in the third set before bringing the match home in the tie break. Just like many times before throughout his career, Berdych failed to deliver his A game against the rivals from the top and he couldnt find the solution how to take away the momentum from Rafa and impose his shots, especially after struggling to get the first serve in.
On the other hand, Rafa looked determined and focused on closing the match in the best possible style and he is indeed among the biggest favorites to lift the trophy next Sunday. Rafa will now face Frances Tiafoe in his 37th Grand Slam quarter-final, leaving Andre Agassi on 36 for the fourth place in the Open era behind Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Jimmy Connors, a few days after scoring his 250th Grand Slam win here in Melbourne.
It was a solid start from Berdych who created a break point already in the first game of the match following a forehand down the line winner that Rafa saved with a service winner to avoid an early upset. The Spaniard moved in front already in game two when Berdych netted an easy backhand and this set the tone for the opening two sets, with only one player on the court in the first hour or so.
A forehand winner sent Rafa 3-0 up and he scored another break in the next game thanks to a deep return that Berdych failed to control. An ace moved Nadal further ahead in the fifth game and the opening set was in his hands when he fired a forehand winner on Tomas serve for a break at love and a 6-0 in just 27 minutes!
Serving at 83% in set number two, Nadal lost just four points on serve and there was nothing Tomas could do to follow that pace in his games, getting broken in game two following a forehand winner from Rafa and again at 1-4 when the 2009 champion painted a backhand down the line winner.
Serving for the set in game seven, Rafa fired three winners for another comfortable hold and a 6-0, 6-1 lead after just 6-1 minutes, avenging the terrible opening two sets he played against Tomas here four years ago. The Czech finally found his range in the third set, hitting more winners than unforced errors and fending off all four break points in games five and eleven to stay on the positive side of the scoreboard.
A forehand down the line winner earned a set point for Tomas at 6-5 although Nadal repelled it with another stunning forehand that stayed out of his rivals reach, hitting a service winner to set up a tie break, a must-win one for Berdych.
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