Nadal demolishes Tiafoe to reach SFs of Australian Open 2019

Speed Post News Network

Patna : Winner of 17 Grand Slam titles and World No 2 in ATP rankings Rafael Nadal, 32, Spain, stormed into the semi-finals of Australian Open (AO) crushing giant killer Frances Tiafoe, 21, USA, the World No 39, in straight sets 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 in the quarter-finals (QFs) on January 22, 2019. Nadal had retired in his AO quarter-finals match in 2018.

Second seed Nadal, the winner of AO title in 2009, won 4 break points in the match besides winning 3 games in a row. Nadal’s winning percentage on both his first and second serve ( 84% & 60%) was much higher than that of Tiafoe ( 70% & 33 %). Unseeded Tiafoe, who had stunned World No 6 Kevin Anderson, 32, South Africa, in the second round and World No 21 Grigor Dimitrov, 27, Bulgaria, in the 4th round, fired 14 Aces in the match to 11 by Nadal. But, Nadal won 60 service points to  44 by Tiafoe.

Nadal will face World No 15 Stefanos Tsitsipas, 20, Greece, in the semi-finals on January 24, 2019. Tsitsipas had upset six -time champion and World No 3 Roger Federer, 37, Switzerland, in the 4th round on January 20, 2019.