Vamos....Fed.

I would love to see Roger in the final. Since he is the only one who can put up a real fight against this red-hot Djokovic.

But yeah, fact are facts. Nadal in 4.

Vamos Rafa & good luck as always. Bring some of the attitude displayed in the 4th set of the match against Birdy - those winners showed who the real Rafa is.

Have a great match - we will be with you all the way.

Rafa, one and only!

Vamos Rafa!!!

expert picks - http://www.tennistalk.com/en/blog/Ricky_Dimon/20120125/Australian_Open _%2712_semifinal_expert_picks

VAAAAAMOOOOS RAFA!
I can hardly wait to hear excuses in presser ( very, very mean smile...)

I think this could be the most closely contested match between the two since their final in Austrailia in 2009.

From Rafa's view - the first plus is that he seems to be close to prime physical condition. The knee seems to be holding up despite the heavy tape- and there seems to be no lasting effects of the shoulder injuries that he alluded to earlier this year.
Yes some will say that he had the harder of the qtr finals, but the toughness of the Berdych encounter - would have got him match ready and more battle hardened - considering he hadn't been tested in the previous rounds.

No need to expand on the strategy and tactics he needs to apply. Any tennis fan knows he has a proven gameplan against Federer. If his execution is spot on, along, with his fitness, then he will, more than not have the beating of Federer on every surface in a 3 out of 5 set match.

Federer will try and win this in three quick sets, taking the ball early, looking for winners all over the court and will be ready to pounce on any short balls landing in the middle of the court. I think the maximum he can achieve victory is in four sets. We seen recently in his grand slam matches against Djokovic, Nadal , Tsonga that ,he finds it difficult maintaining high intesnity over 5 long sets. He seems to suffer more from mental fatigue, when dragged into these 4-5 hour epic matches, especially - if he has cruised through the first two sets. Whilst he is a superior hard court player -we all know the surface in Austrailia plays a lot slower that that on London's O2 which really negates the effects of Nadal's topspin.

I look forward to another great match - and think that Rafa will probably lose the first set - but then prevail in either four or five sets. It's always a massive event in sport let alone tennis when these two players meet. Despite Novak's certified status as no1 - Nadal and Federer have and may always remain - the biggest and most appealing draw in tennis, semi final or final.

Great post lebsta2 - also hope Rafa will prevail in 4. For sure it will be a great match.

good stuff, lobster

Great post, lebsta2.

agreed with all of what lobster said.

Federer can certainly win a four-setter and he has the POTENTIAL to win a five-setter, but the chances certainly aren't good for him if it goes five.

If Nadal returns like he did in the third and fourth sets against Birdman, Fed's only chance is to put in an incredibly high percentage of 1st serves. If Nadal returns 20 meters behind the baseline like a Spaniard, then Fed will win.

Well said lebsta. Rafa doesn't do well yr end indoors. This time of year and surface, all things being equal, should benefit Rafa to be successful. I would like to see a final of: Murray and Nadal - that would be great.

@Ricky for the umpteenth time - it's LEBSTA not lobster.

'm pretty sure not every Spaniard plays 20 metres from the baseline - as far as Rafa does.

Lebsta2: Good post. However just as a caveat, there is NOT much speed difference in the YEC/WTF London courts and the AO courts. The WTF london is a slow, dead, indoor court that doesn't take bounce or spin. It's extremely difficult to penetrate through that court and hit winners. As the ESPN crew(cahill specifically) said, that court might be the worst court in the world for Nadal, who relies on the balls exploding off the surface with his spin. Against this, the AO surface (while still pretty slow in night conditions) is still livelier and allows easier penetration while taking more spin compared to the WTF.

Overall, I think in the night conditions Nadal's cross court forehand to Fed's backhand tactic becomes a moot point. The ball simply does not bounce as high as it does in warmer conditions during the day. Even in AO 2009, it was Rafa's backhand and off-forehand that did the damage.

The match will depend on which Nadal turns up. If he maintains an aggressive court positioning goes for his off-forehand and steps in to return serve, he will win in 3 or 4 sets. However, if Rafa plays timidly as he did against Berdych for the 1st 2 sets, all bets are off..

Rafa will know exactly what to expect from Fed. He knows how aggressive Fed played against Delpo to take him out of the match early. That will be his strategy against Rafa. Nobody has to tell Rafa that he cannot afford to start off playing timidly or way behind the baseline.

I think that match with Berdy woke the sleeping bull in Rafa. He feels comfortable and confident playing Fed. I see no reason why he won't be determined to make just as strong a start as Fed.

As talented as Delpo is, when all is said and done, he is not Rafa.

That match against Berdych was just what Rafa needed, he'll be bouyed up by the last two sets. People have all sorts of opinions about the court speed depending on who they want to win. Those who favour Federer say Rafa's spin will be ineffective and those who favour Rafa say the court is slow and will suit Rafa. All of this is academic. Rafa has no issues of nerves against Federer because since Federer beat so convincingly at the WTF, Rafa has beaten him in AbuDhabi, so they call their last two matches quits.

I hope Rafa gets to play Nole in the final, even though I want Murray to win his SF, but we shall see.

If Rafa plays with 'colm', he has nothing to worry about.

I fully agree with you, nad...

This one is Rafa's. I don't see Federer, who has not been put out of his comfort zone at all so far, being able to stop him. Even Uncle Toni is full of praise for the way Rafa's playing, saying he's strong both physically and mentally, has incorporated the new aspects much more quickly and better than expected and that the final set of the match he played against Berdych was the best he's seen him play technically. Not often you hear unqualified praise from that quarter!

I agree with nadline completely! The court speed and ball bounce, will not be the determining factors in this match. She is absolutely right that the match with Berdy is exactly what Rafa needed. As nerve wracking and unbearable it was to watch the first two sets, this was the test that Rafa needed to raise his game.

I have learned with Rafa that adversity is what brings out the best in him. In reading the comments on the live blog here from the night of the match, Ricky summed it all up very succinctly. Someone asked why Rafa has to do it the hard way, why he has to make it so hard for himself. Ricky answered by saying simply -
That's the Rafa he plays. Rafa loves the fight. It is when his back is against the wall, that he comes up with his best tennis. It's who he is.

I also agree with lluisa's quote from Uncle Toni - this is the best technically that Rafa has played in a very long time. We have all been waxing nostalgic about Rafa's running dtl forehand, that angled, fast cc backhand, the days when he would stand up on the baseline to hit great returns of serve and that aggressive game with him moving into the net to close out points quickly.

Well, we finally saw all of that in the fourth set. That was the Rafa his fans know and love. If he can play at that level, then he will not be denied.

I am also not afraid of a potential matchup with Nole. I don't like looking ahead, so I haven't said anything about it. There are Rafa fans and others who think there's no chance for Rafa to beat Nole if he gets into the finals. If Rafa thought like that, then he would have to quit playing. There is always hope and always a chance.

If Rafa gets by Fed and is in that final, I think he will believe in himself enough to challenge Nole. Never, ever write off Rafa in slams!

Sorry, when I quoted Ricky's comment from the other night I botched it.

What Ricky said was - That's the way Rafa plays! He does it the hard way. That says it all.

what? what article/comment are we discussing?

Ricky,

It was on the live blog the night of Rafa's match with Berdych. Someone asked you why Rafa has to do it the hard way and you replied - because that's the way he plays.

I thought it was great and that's why I quoted it.

oh ok. I just didnt recall.

On the Berdych-Nadal match preview?

Sorry Ricky, I should have been more specific.

I was reading the comments as everyone was watching Rafa's match with Berdy. You sometimes jump in to answer someone or give your thoughts on the match. At one point you simply answered a person who asked why Rafa has to make it do it the hard way, or something to that effect.

It was not something you said in any of your match previews. It was just a one line comment you made in answer to that question.

I can see why you wouldn't remember it, because there were a lot of comments that night on the live blog here. I thought it was great.

Maybe I should go back to that live blog and find it.

haha i believe you!

ill try to produce something memorable during tonight's epic

ohhh...start the match already....:D

vrael..your predictions?

If we so nervous, wonder what the players are feeling?

Ricky,

I know you will. You have a way of coming up with these one-liners that are great!

I don't know if I will be commenting. But I will sure be reading!

It depends on how nervous I am.

Going to really enjoy this one :) No stress, as opposed to tomorrow when I'll probably have started drinking by now ;)

I'm sure Roger will serve first because if Rafa wins the toss he'll elect to receive and if Roger wins the toss he'll elect to serve.


Vamos Rafa

Almost starting the match.... this is the backbone of tennis :-) Hopefully the rafans and the fedfans will treat eachother nicely during and after the match!

RAFA won't be nervous at all, why would he be?
He has got RF's numbers.

Only thing to know is whether RF got any answers to bouncy FH fron Rafa to his BH.
Looks like I will be sad again after this!

ANy stream links?

Let's go Roger, let's go :-) Have fun watching everyone!

atdhenet.tv for live stream.

Come on Roger! :)

sanju asked on the other article... yes, comments during match should on this thread

we'll save the Expert Picks article for making predictions (and making fun of people's wrong predictions!)

sanju

not predicting anything....i just want Rafael to give his best...

vAAAAAAMOOOOOS!

Hi! Everyone here regulars?

Have no idea what to think about today's match.

first point amazing

Lightning fast opening from Federer!

what a strong start from Roger..God!!

Federer on feeeeeeeeeee

Roger looking sharp tonight....er....this morning, rather.

break rightaway

Jesus

and what a backhand from Fed..

nadal getting outclassed...majestic from federer..

Wow... Fed breaks at his first oppertunity :-) But nice tactics from Federer, going to the net whenever he can. Surely Annacone's work with the tactics! Does Federer have the fountain of youth in his backyard?

3-0. This match is 15 games away from being over.

As usual Fed starts super strong n Rafa slow..

Man the glaze in Feds eyes is dangerous..hes on a mission..

Ricky..are you predicting a triple bagel?

no no. i mean just stating the facts. the numbers say federer is 15 games away.

Rafa holds....hitting the fh well...keep it steady rafael...VAAAMOS...break him now...

the triple bagel dream is over

The Nadal forehand to the Federer backhand is such a winning prospect for Nadal.

Federer is trying to avoid the RN forehand to his backhand rally.... and he's quite succesfull yet! Nadal looking a bit tense in this first set. 4-1 Roger

Federer serve is working...and rafa's serve is just not good enough at times.....where is the USO 10 serve Rafa?? You need it...

break this RF

how about the dream of ever having a normal, zit free life? i think it never even existed.

federer and nadal trending on twitter...no surprises there...:D.

VAAAAMOS rafaaaa

WE HAVE A TENNIS MATCH ON OUR HANDS

Nadal moving better and getting into the match! And he breaks... 4-3

break Nadal.

VAAAAMOS you beauty RAFAAAAAA....

This match is over :-(

It is. Nadal is going to beat him handily now.

"WE HAVE A TENNIS MATCH ON OUR HANDS"

thanks goodness...those first three games were almost funny

RickyDimon where'd you go?

Shanking too. I wonder who told Nadal to stray from his usual gameplan against Federer in the first few games - there was no way he was going to win that way.

no it will still go 5 if Fed wins this set

3 shanks in a row, Roger? Come now.

Federer looking a bit rattled.... Nadal fought back nicely. 5-4 Roger

this match has just started...and it still anyone's.....federer is going to hold here......rafa to serve to stay in the set....:|...serve well rafitooo...

And what would happen if Nadal wins the first set?

Federer does NOT want Nadal to take this set after being up 3-0 and 4-1.

^^^he will win next two :)))

Backhand is breaking down slowly... and it looked so impressive in the beginning. Federer needs this set... or otherwise it will be a mental knockout!

AJDE RAFA!!!!!
Destroy him!!!!

then it will still prob go 5. But will def go 5 if Fed wins this set.

samprallica...Now that will change the odds in rafa's favour...bit obvious,is'nt it?

The problem is federer is still supremely confident on his serve...another easy hold for fed...6-5....

More UE from RF, not a positive sign

TIEBREAKER

4-1 Federer in the TB, with one MB

6-3 Federer with Nadal serving... brilliant volleys from Federer

Told ya...give Fed respect...touch of a genius.

First set Federer

set Fed

Rogerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

1st set Fed..damn

this'll be over in straights

Yeah... Federer manages to take the first set!

Told ya...give Fed respect...touch of a genius.

Surprised by that error on Nadal's bh at the end. A difference between Nadal of 2009 and Nadal today is that he just seems to be scared of exploding into his shots on the run.

But I expect Rafa to rebound and take this in 4.

Great match... Federer started with great confidence and tactics. Nadal didn't move as well as he usually did in the beginning, but after that they are locked.

guys..Feds on fire..I dont have much hope now..already down 3 break points in 2nd set

Uh-Oh. Nadal has to be worried now. That was a pretty weak game.

Early break Roger

And a break to love.... Roger riding the momentum!

Broken in the first game...

And a break to love for Nadal...

Sometimes their matches are just comical. Break Rafa.

Federer, you had the match on your racket!

break back:) rafa will have been stung by losing first set. now recovered, expect rafa to win set 2, no tie-break needed ;)

was rafa on fire for that break or fed slumped?

Bizare start to s set

a break back to love :P I've seen enough of Nadal to know that even comprehensively outplaying him doesn't guarantee anything - e.g. USO 2011 final 3rd set. He's not anywhere near that level yet, and yet he's pretty even here.

willmw - both

ty ricky

Gr 8 match so far! Come on Rafa!

Roger winning longer rallies, that is strange!

Federer always seems to make a meal of things for himself against Rafa, anytime he gets his nose ahead he always seems to bottle it. Only when there is a parity again does his game recover. Brilliant match so far though, thoroughly enjoying it.

es on a misson..he has more fire in his eyes than alex.sampra..I think you are underestimating Roger..This Roger is different..he has more fire in his eyes..Hes winning most of the long rallies too which is unusual

Huge hold for Nadal....

where is NNY, RITB, nadline, lucky - Rafas 4 most ardent supporters on this site?

Rafa, I tip my hat to you. That was INCREDIBLE.

HOLY $#&%

Uber running forehand! Come on Rafa break here.

OH MY GOD

Goodness. Amazing backhand. The match is here for Nadal to take.

what happened??! can't believe I've missed 2 meetings at work already cause I'm watching the live text of this match!

Willmw, Rafa just played 2 unbelievable points to get the service break. the first was the shot of the tournament.

Unbelievable passing from Nadal.... Looking more and more like Federer's in trouble. 2-4 Nadal

PHENOMINADAL....*bows down to the one man spanish armada*

VAAAAAAMOSSS!!!

with a tip to Robbie Koenig

Promised a lot.... and yet again loosing to the same man.

THANKS CHERYL

Nadal will win it from here. In 4 or 5, doesn't matter, but Rafa has that aura about him that says he's not going to give in.

sampra..wish we had your confidence..the match is not over till the last ball is played

Epic match so far. It's living up to it's billing.


Vamos Rafa

Fortuitous fireworks for Fed.
FABULOUS game from Rafa to break serve, Now think he could do it in 4.

lol, nice little intermission here...

Yes, i do recall three years when I was the only one picking Nadal to win the AO final. You guys need to be a little more willing to be proven wrong :D

sabs - technically, Roger is still ahead, as he has the first set. And this isn't really his fault. All other things being equal, the match-up (forehand to backhand) favors Nadal. Except that one shank-tastic game he has played well. Nadal broke because he played insane tennis, not because Roger messed up.

Well... Rafa broke because he gave us two magnificent, epic passing shots...
I hope that this firework will not disturb the game of Nadal...

the best thing about watching fedal match is that we get to see all kinds of crazy passing shots from nadal ^^ everytime fed hits a good approach shot and we think that rafa is dead meat then he comes up with some shots that makes us like !(##$ holy mother of skywalker#Q$#@

Roger is gonna take this match

fireworks over. nap over.

Rafa - please serve and dont drop your serve like you did with Berdy in 2nd set being up a break

Hope these fireworks dont hault momentum

Well, Cheryl, I'd counter that Rafa had his tactics completely wrong in the first part of the first set; playing to the tune of those who believe his regular play against Federer wouldn't work. Would have been quite different if he had held first up.

You're right cheryl, but his backhand return is also off. He needs to return more aggressive and precise to have a chance.

i'd forgotten about the fireworks:)

deuce - i think fed's gonna need more than fortune to win this one.

OH my god...stop the ridiculous tennis rafa...2nd set nadal..:D

Nice!

1 set all.


Vamos Rafa

sabs, forget what I just said. That was a TERRIBLE game from Roger. Wowzers.

the fireworks killed fed

Fed looks passive, hasn't won a single point the past 12 points

YES!!!! 1 set all. Vamos Rafa you can do it. That was such a bad game from Fed. I am surprised sometimes how he has achieved 16 GS. I dont mean to offend any Fed fans as I still think he is one of the best and i dont mean to offend players like safin and roddick but come on. All the GS Fed won from 2003-2007 should not completely be regarded as something major. It was such a weak era. and fed just took the opportunity and ceased it. 2009 would have to be a year that we could accurately analyse Fed's game as he was somewhat still at his peak and against serious contenders like Rafa and Nole (but even they had a bad 2009). Its kind of upside down.

Nonetheless, Rafa still in 5. Vamos!!!

9-0 since the fireworks

Chalenge... like always wrong.... so 7 points in row for Rafa

No dejan, don't ruin what is an incredible match and a good all round comment section so far with your crap. Fed fans please don't rise to that comment, it's not worth it.

WOW! Great fight back from Roger. Esp. after 2 double faults.

damn..3 breakpoints gone..horrible..pray why?

... but it is true !

****...you had to break fed there...

willmv, i dont mean to offend, i am too enjoying this spectactle just like any other person. its amazing what these two guys can produce. maybe this discussion should be discussed possibly after the match.

cant believe so many break points wasted

yes dean it should

rafa could have gained a massive advantage...but the fed clawed back and held

Rafa missed a big opportunity there. Looks like he's still doing alright on his own serve though.

he threw the Fed a lifeline

Fed suddenly springing back to life..2-3 aces in a row..Rafas level slightly dropped

It looked like Federer would be knocked out of the match, but he survives somehow and now he needs to hang on! But he's back in the match :-)

3rd set is the key

RAFA very stable now, cruising....

still anyone's match imo...what do you say ricky?

Both playing better now. Good stuff.

Point on 30-30 at 2-3 in the third set had a few shots that resembled point of the match in the AO 2009.

I feel that this one is going to be the opposite to the usual. Federer will win undeservedly, instead of Nadal winning with 2 points less won the entire match. Something like that.

3-3 and deuce.... But is something wrong with Nadal's knee? He looks worried.

Fed suddenly sprung back to life and playing better..those 3 BPs not converted are to be rued

Hold Rf now, for God's sake

Fed breaks! Cmon roger!

Well I told you all..dont write Fed off

He saved 3 BPs of his own and now is up a break..

Federer breaks... my oh my! Nailbiting stuff! But just as Federer had the match on his racket early in the second set, Nadal had the match on his racket early in this set. Hold your serve 2 times Roger!

Is everything OK with rafa's knee?... that wild hitting on his leg ????

BREAKBACK BITCHES

what is this match?

And again a poor game when Federer needs to hold... Unbelievable

Nadal is a beast.

God , support man against this machine

Great comeback from Rafa.

Hope there really is nothing the matter with his knee. Not after dropping out of the AO injured last 2 years.

So sabs you are Rafan?

Federer hasn't hold a break in each of the sets....

I'd be terribly disappointed in God if a tennis match was his priority right now.

what is the indication that rafa has a problem with his knee??

This match is both utterly bizarre and completely predictable.

Rafa truly making life difficult for himself. He has so many chances to break Feds serves but he ended up not converting any of them. He has to lose his serve then he can fire up himself. I don't understand his mentality really!

This is so stressful but magic match to watch.


Vamos Rafa

It has been predictable throughout. Nadal is going to win. Federer generally has a great first set against Nadal but after that, its more or less a case of when he folds.

Now I am completely sure that this match will go for Rafa... Fed is completely pissed of... not even his icy face can hide it.
Vamos!!!!

bonker - no, Fed always holds when he has to. He only gets broken when he DOESNT have to hold.

^^ Good one Ricky :D

wilm... you didn't see it?
2,3 games before after missed BH rafa had hit his leg with fist few times.

knee problem or not?

no, no physical probs for either one

thanks ricky

Well senor Nadal... would you be so kind ti break now???

Just frustration from Nadal maybe slight stiffness thats all.

Its easy to forget that Nole is no.1 when you watch this match, there is so much importance attached to this match.

Rafa's movement looks good to me. If his knee is bugging him, it doesn't show.

nole doesn't exist whenever these two play. Sad for the serbian, but true, and justifiably.

Federer holds!!! TB again

Rafa missed some brilliant chances...shaking my head.

Federer is always a favorite for me in a tiebreak...

If fed takes this t-b, gonna be a 5-setter :)

Haha... LOL Ricky :-)

and THAT is why the call us "EXPERTS"

third-set tiebreaker!!!!!!!!!!!

"nole doesn't exist whenever these two play. Sad for the serbian, but true, and justifiably"... hahahaha...wilm king of trollllll loooollll...
You would like that ... :))

quite modest indeed, full of qualities

MB,Rafa

2 consecutive minibreaks this is ridiculous

Rafa 2 sets to one up.

Phew!!!!


Vamos Rafa

Ohhh Rafa, Rafa... old fox... you just let his hope raise and then....BOUUUUUM!

zare not a trolling comment at all, just a commentary on who is conventionally valued in tennis terms, fed and rafa. third set rafa.

Roger please retire right now...

VAAAAAAMOOOSSS....rafa for life...:D

finally Rafa takes the 3rd

God the 6-1 to 6-5 climbup from Fed was scary..thankfully Rafa takes it 7-5

Fed serving first in 4th..person who has served 1st in each set has won the set

Well, what I meant from my comment was that the media hypes it up to such an extent thats all. Nothing to do with the tennis itself, because we've seen what Nole can produce. And just in case, Nole does have his non-Serbian fans.

Ryan Harrison
@ryanharrison92 Ryan Harrison
This one is going 5

FH is the big let down

nole can produce miracles. he's got a magic wand not a tennis racquet. he is thor. superman. hulk.

Yeah wilm... whatever you say.... LOL

sampra - which comment? (posted at what time?)

Ricky...
"Its easy to forget that Nole is no.1 when you watch this match, there is so much importance attached to this match."
samprallica, 1/26/12 12:17 PM

1 more BP gone..Feds serving really gets him out of trouble all the time (:-

^^

hehe....ryan is also giving away signed tennis racquets to the person who predicts the fed-nadal match correctly...read that on his twitter account...

thanks zare

:)

Pff... let's see if Federer can come back in this 4th. Match is being played on Nadal's term imo. Exciting match!!!

Federer's intensity is dropped, and his game is falling apart. Nadal looks better than ever, so sprightly, beautiful to watch.

Fascinating match-ebbing and flowing like a river :) Keeping with nature analogy though..Rog has got a huge mountain to climb now.

federer saving 2 bp's again...great serving

again 2 BPs gone and brilliant clawback from Fed

rafa's break point conversion is awful, lot to do with feds serving though...

Huge hold for Federer... deflecting 2 BP.

Federer's serve is an amazing shot. Saves him so much.

again 2 BPs gone and brilliant clawback from Fed

Well I think it's just a mater of time... Fed is holding for now... but holding with his nails... and Rafa is more and more like tsunami!

rafa is just making it difficult for himself by not taking these bp's...but thats how he plays,does'nt he..

VAAAMOS!

again those 2 BP chances at 2-2 not converted (:-

Much easier hold for Federer this time.... 4-3. He can't make any inroads on Nadal's service though!

Will this go to a 5th?

Feds come running out with an intent to break

Same old story. Honestly Agassi-Sampras rivarly was much more intense and funny.

fed hangin' around

what a miss!! so close!
this isn't going to 5, nadal will take it in 4.

This ones going to a 5th

Fed will break now looks like

My god... after 3 hours of play and they can still play points like this! Amazing stuff from both :-)

I told you guys..

heating up

fed is not going away...has bp...this is gonna be 5 setter

5 setter? no way... Rafa will take this set!I have feeling that Fed will be surprised with a lot of new momments in Rafa's game.
...
So... Rafa in four... First for Fed... Three next for Nadal....
zare, 1/24/12 11:25 PM

break point rafa

Rafa's backhand looks quite good I have to say.

another BP for rafa

rafa held his ankle....:(

That's the match... federer wasn't able to convert his bp and Nadal's takes his!

BREAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAK

Oh god Rafa i beg you, please serve the match out..dont goof up..I beg you

Break. What a brilliant performance this has been from Nadal.

rafa held his ankle....:(

what happened to his ankle?

One more.... calm yourself... nice and easy... like on training day...
CLOSE THE MATCH NOW.... VAMOOOOOOOS!!!!

Rafa - serve this thing out and let me go to sleep!

By the way, you have been brilliant and I am so proud of you!

zare...a nadal fan?? Really...??

this isn't over, federer fighting

MP

holy sh*t this is tense

SAVED!

Rafa can never serve out the match

choke...

this is nerve wracking

what a BRILLIANT final game. I'm not a fan of either player and even i am tense.

MP2

YEEEEES.....YEEEES.....
"Man on the mission" is going home....
BRAVO RAFA.... heart and balls!!!!
CONGRATS RAFANS!!!

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS now i can finally go back to work

GSM, Rafa!


Vamos Rafa

amazing final set, what a match! congrats to all nadal fans, time to celebrate :)

better man won, congrats rafans

Solitudine, where are you????

Nadal is......Damn there isn't a superlative good enough to define the guy.

the greater man of the greatest rivalry won again :)

Congrats to the Rafans! He scrambled, hit some amazing passing shots and wore Federer down.

Roger had his chances, but couldn't keep his break intact during the first three sets. Even in the 4th he had his chances to break Nadal... it came down to the wire. Federer started of strong with sublime tennis, but after that Nadal chipped away at Federer and eventually wore him down. To many errors from the forehand of Federer, but both man played well!

4th set was pretty epic

winner: R. Nadal (ESP)

Rafa bravo..man that was tense..wat a match 3 hr 40 mns of super tennis from both

Rafa won, as he clearly played the bigger points better..and kept his cool..it was an up n down match..full of crests n troughs..I think those 60-65 odd errors did Fed in..

Roger .. you played brilliant too..you showed you are a great legend and Fedal still rules..theres nothing in tennis like Fedal ..it overpowers every other thing..

Roger must retire...

I agree with you sanju, Roger played well and did his bit to give us another epic match in this era.

What a fabulous match! What a pleasure to watch.:) :) :) :) :)
Congratulations to Rafa!
Congratulations to Roger!
What do bookies know :)

Congrats Rafa!!!!! Yeah........................................expected nothing less!!!

However, i still think there are aspects of ure game you need to fix. You dont have the killer instinct in you like before.............you gave Fed toooooooo many free passes!! You seem way too passive and Novak will smoke you!! You won but it was partly attributed to Fed UFEs. But overall, good job....................not great........just good!!!

Commies to Rogers fans................all I can say is that Roger has the game to beat Rafa but he just does not have the mindset!!!! On the other hand, Rafa has the mindset to beat novak.................but he does not have the game.................yet!!! Lets hope Rafa surprises me on Sunday!!!

VAMOS!!!!!!!!!!!!

BRAVO RAFA!!! We love you so much!!!

Fedal is dead; when its lopsided 5-0 for the last 5 GS matches would you call it a rivalary.
its crap.
Now upto other guys.

Pretty much what every tennis fan expected. Nadal rolled over Federer in the same way he always does. Honestly I consider this rivarly really boring.

Well... how can anyone dislike this guy...
Speaking about his advices to Andy... such charming and modest personality...
So I will steal Wilm's words of wisdom, if Nole does not exsist, I would be diehard Rafan... more than NNY and Nadline together :))

Brilliant, brilliant performance from Nadal. A lot of energy, a lot of heart, this guy always gets my respect. Now for tomorrow.

Yes, Federer was supposedly close to his best (not his absolute best, but he was close) - Nadal was supposedly never going to beat Federer again, and all the TV pundits were going for Federer in 4 or 3! But if you're 8-2 in slams and 2-0 against Federer on hard courts, I think you've made enough of a case for yourself. Watch out for the predictions if they meet at Wimbledon though, everyone on TV will go towards Roger again.

Rafa is only the 5th player to reach atleast 2 finals of every GS - other 4 being Fed,Lendl, Agassi, Rosewall

Bonker :: you are gracious..hats off to you..we need intelligent fans of both players who objectively analyse a match and have no spite

I bet NNY and RITB are jumping ..they didnt post a bit in past 4 hrs..:-)

Natashao- your dream still is alive..think it will come true?

I want NOvak in the final..even if Rafa loses its okay..but bring Novak

Samprillica, you are absolutely correct about the pundits and the detractors. Rafa keeps on doing to Federer the very same thing that they HATE Rafa for in the first place!!!!

I imagine that now many are not liking the taste of their foot!!!

VAMOS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Amazing. From both men. Despite the blogs, websites, pundits, nearly everyone saying Federer was playing too well, would take Rafa out, Nadal shows again how much fight, determination, spirit and SKILL, he has. Rafa, you DA man.

I am watching highlights again at night..sum of the passing shots from Rafa were gorgeous

This is the worst match I have seen Nadal play in this tournament. Is there anyone disagreeing with me?

A joke I thought..no offense to any Fed fans, please take it in rght sprit :-)

Interview asks Rafa : Rafa where do you stay? your permanent residence?

Rafa : Was Mallorca no , but now in Feds head permanent residence :-)

Wow!
Roger may be the GOAT. But Rafa's just better.
Poor muzz - now has to beat the guy who's even better than the guy who's better than the GOAT :(
Well, muzz, just take rafa's advice and be aggressive against nole tomorrow - you've got NOTHING to lose.

antony - yes, nowhere near the worst

Monalysa..antony..what makes you say he palyed just good , bad etc? Cmon I thought he played brilliant at many times.. Its fed at the other end.. Fed is no Feli, Lucas , Haas etc

Yes the BP conversion was bad..I mean 3 wasted in 3rd set on 1 game, 2 wasted in 1 game in 4th set

I thought this would rank in the top 4 of their best matches..Wimby 2008, AO 2009, Wimby 2007 being other 3 and RG 2011 will come 5th

sabs : Cmon why should Fed retire? At 30 plus, if he plays like that..we should appreciate big time..Anyways I think hell retire by end of year..maybe post Olympics..I think hes waiting for either No 17 or Olympic gold and then will retire..

Oh sadness. What shanking from Fed. *sigh*

the 4th set was awesome, especially from Nadal

the first three sets were mostly stuff that would inspire Djokovic and Murray, although there were patches of greatness even during those 3 sets

Rafa fans,

I am here, still awake barely! Rafa did it! He is in the final of the AO! So many so-called experts wrote him off.

I want to take this opportunity to say to the Fed fans that we are lucky to have both of these men in the sport of tennis! Their matches are just magic! Although Fed might not necessarily feel the same way. But they do make beautiful tennis on court.

Fed gave it his all and put up a great fight.

However, now I do have to just let it all out! Rafa WON!! I believed!

Who would have thought that he could play this kind of tennis when the tournament first started? I am just filled with such joy. I need to sleep, but I can't.

I was much too nervous during the match to post here. But Rafa just kept it together and slowly, he just imposed his will on Fed in this match. It's interesting to see how confident he is against Fed as opposed to Nole.

I am not going to think about the final. We have another great semifinal awaiting us. I just want to celebrate this win!

I love you, Rafa!

Goodnight all or in my case good morning! It's 5:00 am and I am going to try to get some sleep!

Federer should have finished many points 1 shot earlier many wrong approaches to the net ,unable to read Nada's second serve. but most important is that unbelievable defence from Rafa and my oh my those unforced errors killed any hope for Roger. maybe if Roger made the right choices he could pull this one off in five but he just did not.. shame

Congrats Rafa well deserved, no one can take anything from you.

All I am saying is that Rafa should be A LOT more crisp in his returns and serves than he is demonstrating. I mean to have a 6:1 lead in the third set tie break and let it go to 7:5.............c'mon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! In my humlbe opinion, Rafa should have won this match in 3 sets!!!!

BYE BYE NNY :D and yessssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss VAMOOSSSSSSSS!!! thatsssss how its done rafans :D :D :D fabulous match and super quality, well done roger as ever and I must say, rafa deserved it, he WAS the better player :D
:D

I have some vital statistics to share with you guys and some analysis , leaving home so will post it under the match report, rafa is in for an excellent shot for the title ...MUCH IMPROVED in comparison to 2011

it seems both Rafa n Fed ran 3 km plus in this match each :-)

sanju, I am living my dream!!! So close to making it come true...It will be so difficult in the finals but I will think about it tomorrow...Today I am fully, completely, utterly enjoying this WIN!!!

Vamos Rafa!

bull beats goat....simples...:D

Due to nervousness I had a horrible headache at the start of the match when Fed started the way he did and it was on almost all throughout the match..its suddenly disappeared ..:-)

Sampra, deuce, mriidula, zare, alex : Now we can relax..tension handed over to you for tomm ;-)

But I bet many Djoko fans are happy with Rfas win as Fed has better chance of beating Djoko than Rafa

Monalysa.. I completely agree with you. It's hard to even imagine how passive he plays during breakpoint opportunities. Novak will give him hard time for sure. He won't choke like Roger does.

"vital statistics" - lol i cant wait!

vital statistics..lol..double meaning :-)

Well antony..Mona..but we cant ignore the fact that he was down a break in 1st, 3rd and still fought back and won..I mean yes the 6-1 in 3rd set tiebreak back to 7-5 was a bit sad but wat matters is he won..I mean we overlooking the fact that he fought off so many break points on his own serve too brilliantly

Ricky - who came closest to the score?

a whole host of people had Nadal in 4, but only 3 had Nadal losing the first set then coming back to win in 4. Hence, the current leaders in the clubhouse heading into the second semifinal are:

willmw101, deuce, and imjimmy

I made two predictions so take me our of the running if you like. I'll be right about the 2nd semi tho!

Thanks ricky

congrats imjimmy, willnw101, deuce

Fed in his presser says : I think Rafa played great from start to finish..great passing shots..touch match physcally

Also sais " I think Rafa plays better against me than he plays against some other players' with a smile :-)

sanju.. That's exactly what I am concerned about. Why Rafa always tries to come back when he is down? Why not take the initiative and be aggressive?

Cahill: seems like u never panic against Roger. #Rafa: *giggles* yeeess, I am panic a lot of times....classic nadal.

@ Sanju,

Yes, I agree, he won.........a win is a win, right?

But you have to admit that he HAS to be a lot sharper, bcos Andy or Novak will not give him ANY free pass!!! Rafa needs to go look for those aces wherever he has hidden them and fast......................so he can ease his way out of tight situations and put less pressure on his service games!!!

But plz dont get me wrong...............im quite elated with the win!

VAMOS!!!!!!!!!

Fed makes a classy statement ' I think we have a lot of respect for each other..I hope it inspires coming generations to be nice towards each other on court'


Well sad Fed, you and Rafa are right ambassadors for the sport

all that remains for Rafa right now, is to remove the sand from his vagina, and beat the crap out of djokovic, because he knows he can. stop being nervous, defensive, and a ***** overall and just play the f-ing game how you are used to. like a champion.

Nice to see Rafa make four straight GS finals! :)

eduard..god what language (:-

and referring to Rafa as a female form? ughhhhhhh :-)

if Nole does not exsist, I would be diehard Rafan... more than NNY and Nadline together :))
zare , 1/26/12 1:37 PM

zare, that IS saying something.

Rafa gains nearly 840 pts..good show..increases gap with Fed to 2300 pts and reduces gap with Nole

i just LOLed at eduoardvalex, i have to admit

yes I too Lold at eduard :-)

Fed : Did it feel different walking off without trophy ceremony? Fed: "It felt better."

Feds witty too and articulate :-). I am sure he meant he felt happy walking off the court quick than having to stand there for 30 mns n receive runners up trophy against Rafa

Not taking away anything from Rafa, but Federer gifted him the match wid his poor forehand play. Really disappointed wid both the players. None of them were even close to best. Novak would have thraseh them in straight sets had they played like this.. Still hoping for an interesting final n maybe a surprise winner(Murray?).

Eduard....ummmm....uncle toni will do the pep talk for us tomorrow...you don't worry...and yeahh....i laughed at that demeaning post too...

VAAAAMOS!

Interesting fact: the big 4(Fed, Rafa, Nole, Murray) have reached the semis of a GS together for the 4th time. 1st- 2008 USO(winner-FED), 2nd 2011 FO (Winner-RAFA), 3rd- 2011 Wimbledon (winner- NOLE) 4th- 2012 AO (winner- Murray?)

Link to Federer's presser ?

http://www.australianopen.com/en_AU/news/interviews/2012-01-27/2012012 61327585747638.html

Not loling at eduard, horribly, horribly offensive. A bitch is a female dog and nether women nor men should be called that.

I believe that if Nadal plays in way he did in the 1st 3 sets, he has a good chance at upsetting Djokovic in the finals (if he meets him)

There is something different about his game than what we saw in 2011

Hello sanju, I'm here, busy watching the match. I agree with what someone here said, that Rafa always loves to fight his way out of troubles when his back is against the wall. There are so many chances for him to win the sets or the match earlier but he chooses to be tentative and allows Fed to escape time after time. I think that's his style and he'll always play this way. By now his fans should have already gotten used to it, so while he's frustrating to watch, but when victories come, we'll find it unbelieveably satisfying.

Rafa is Rafa, he'll never have things easy, if not he'll simply get bored. All the best to him for the final. I'm very pleased with him for making the final here, when I only expected him to reach the semi in the first place. Vamos Rafa!

people overly sensitive around here. it's just jokes! this is how i'm enjoying the moment... putting rafa down for his entire 2011 year for acting like a female prostitute (is this better?) whenever he played the tall serb (who happens to look like Screech from Saved by The Bell - thought that was funny too). Jokes aside, congrats Rafa for a well played Semi-Final!

Am at work, just saw the scoreline.....................

MEA CULPA.................

So happy for Rafa and Rafans.......will comment more after I see a recording of the match, just saw the first 2 sets live and then had to dash off.....................

Rafa is into his 4th successive Slam final, Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Vamos!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!

it seems like people are not giving enough credit to Fed for what he was able to produce today...I don't think it was Rafa playing badly as much as I think it was Fed forcing Rafa into errors...all these UEs of Rafa where mostly due to Fed's great shot making...also, Rafa not being able to convert numerous break points mainly due to the fact that Fed served great and was very brave and aggressive on key points...the reason why Rafa almost ruined the 6-1 lead in a tie break was simply because of Rafa's bad decision making: Fed made some UEs at the beginning and Rafa expected that would continue till the end of the tie break...so Rafa decided to rather play defensive waiting for Fed's mistakes...Fed did exactly the opposite: served two great services and was aggressive on Rafa's serve which caught Rafa unprepared...Fed forced Rafa to play amazing shots to deserve the win...

Fed is the one who drives his opponents into UEs...when Nole lost FO semis we all said Nole was not playing at his usual level, but we all forget that Fed was the one who did not let Nole play at his best level...Fed is just extraordinary tennis player...

^^^^ so true

If so Extraordinary..............so why didnt he win?!!!!

because Rafa was better, simple as that..

I would say Fed was playing well today, some of his shots were simply unbelievable, and that's why I believe Rafa became too tentative as he wasn't sure of what to expect from Fed. At the same time, Rafa was forced to play unbelievable shots too, especially his incredible passing shots. They forced each other to raise their level and at the same time forced errors out of each other. To me the shot making was still incredible from both, even though they might be a bit slower than they were back in 2008/2009. This match certainly ranked behind their Wimbledon 2008 and AO 2009, but still nerve wrecking for their fans.

lucky..Rafa in his presser said he cant go with his plan of poundiing topspin forehands high to Rogers backhand because he feels Rogers backhand has becum even better..he says he felt that in RG2011 as well as in WTF it was in full flow, so he tried to attack both his forehand and backhand and mixed it up to not give hm good timing on both his wings

lucky - what you think of Rafas backhand today? I thoght he hit it flatter at many places and I also thought 2nd set onwards he started playing closer to baseline and taht resulted n more UE from Rafa as few of his forehand and backhands landed out (just out)

Thanks to Rafa I have a big smile on my face. Had to record the match and will watch it later.

Vamos our Rafa - so happy for you and us of course. Cannot bear to think of the final at them moment though.

Prefer for Rafa to make good mistakes when he is nearer to the baseline than to get hammered because he is camping out metres behind it.

Steve Tignors good analysis

But Rafa has a strange weakness that has prolonged many of his matches in the past: Second serve returns when he has a break point. He typically steps back, runs around to hit a forehand, and then nervously leaves it in the middle of the court. Finally, at 4-4, he lofts one past the service line and gets his break.

Rafans- Now you guys can even degenerate RF's d*** body with 'fist pump' issue

I agree with schatz. I would much rather see Rafa standing at the baseline or just inside to return serves and sometimes miss them, than see him camping out way behind the baseline.

He did miss some of those cc backhand returns, but he needs to keep it up. That is the way that he will get the timing and rhythm on that shot. If he doesn't even try to return on the baseline, he has no chance.

That comment from Tignor was spot on. I have noticed this with Rafa many times when he has break point. His ROS has gotten much better in his matches with Berdy and Fed, but he still has to keep working on it.

However, I have to say how pleased I am with the overall quality of Rafa's tennis in this match. I don't know that any of us thought he could play at this level. It was so nice to see those running dtl forehands shots, the banana shots, the dtl backhand shots and more aggressive play and great net play.

Stay strong, Rafa! Believe in yourself and you can win this!

Rafa would love to get his hands on this Nole.