Seven years ago back in 2009, tennis prodigy Rafael Nadal and Fernando Verdasco managed to clock the longest match in the Australian Open history with a lengthy span of five hours and fourteen minutes and the ultimate victory was handed to Nadal. When they said seven was a number for miracles, they weren’t wrong.
Present day, both Spaniards met again and relaunched yet another lengthy match but this time the roles were reversed, with Verdasco pulling off an upset and serving Nadal an early exit. Nadal was defeated in a horrible fashion when he bowed out after a five-set match to his compatriot.
The former champion was ousted in 7-6 (8-6), 4-6, 3-6, 7-6 within 4 hours 41 minutes in his opening match and couldn’t be more disappointed at his failure to replicate his previous triumph.
The lefthanders both produced a spectacular performance but Nadal was seen in a rather sulky condition post match. Nadal was optimistic that he would have been able to return to his former glories but events had given him a setback.
Miracles do happen and for Verdasco, the player was deemed a tough opponent this season- he undeniably smashed 90 winners and 91 unforced errors in Melbourne Park this time.
“I just started hitting winners. I didn’t know how. I was just closing the eyes and everything was coming in,” he said as quoted from Daily Mail.
“To win against Rafa here in five sets after coming back from two sets down is an unbelievable feeling, I will just try to keep it up.”
Other posts by FO Newsdesk
