Next for Rafa Nadal? A date with Novak Djokovic tomorrow afternoon. Their semi-final begins at 2pm. But who’ll join Roger Federer in the other semi? Join me in a couple of hours for tonight’s decider between Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka. Thanks for reading. Bye.
Rafa Nadal beats David Ferrer 6-7, 6-3, 6-4!
Nadal gets off to a dodgy start, swishing a backhand wide for 0-15. Yet Ferrer groans after being jammed by a body serve. A spectacular forehand winner brings up two match points for Nadal. He softens Ferrer up with a forehand down the line, but Ferrer keeps scrapping, because that’s who he is. He even manages to repel two Nadal smashes, silencing one fan’s premature scream, but Nadal finishes him off with a debate-ending volley! It’s over! What a match! Two guys slugging it out for two and a half hours simply for the love of the sport and for the love of life. Isn’t that uplifting? Nadal leads the applause for David Ferrer, who easily could have given up when he trailed 3-0 in the first set.
Updated
Third set: Nadal 6-7, 6-3, 5-4 Ferrer* (*denotes server): Ferrer’s forehand lets him down on the first point, the net in the way, Nadal clutching a 0-15 lead. Nadal then defends brilliantly, soaking up pressure from Ferrer and then unleashing with a scorching forehand down the line for 0-30. A break here would be critical. Ferrer staves off Nadal for a bit with an ace, but then he nets a backhand to make it 15-40. Nadal couldn’t take numerous break points in the first game, but he takes this one gleefully, reading a cross-court backhand from Ferrer and lifting an accurate forehand pass down the line. Nadal will serve for the match.
Third set: Nadal* 6-7, 6-3, 4-4 Ferrer (*denotes server): Ferrer sends Nadal a message with a fine return to make it 0-15, before a hopeless forehand from Nadal makes it 0-30. What next? Nadal springs to the net and wins the point with a perfect volley and a good serve forces Ferrer to hit a backhand return long for 30-all, the crisis averted for now. A fabulous rally follows and Ferrer blinks first, netting a forehand, before Nadal holds with an ace. That’s a good recovery by Nadal from 0-30.
Third set: Nadal 6-7, 6-3, 3-4 Ferrer* (*denotes server): A long rally to open. It ends with Nadal stumbling and drifting a backhand long. There’s a brief suggestion that he twisted an ankle mid-shot, but he doesn’t seem to be hurt, even when he batters a forehand into the net for 30-0. Ferrer then larrumps an inside-out forehand into the corner for a 40-0 lead and holds with an ace.
Third set: Nadal* 6-7, 6-3, 3-3 Ferrer (*denotes server): A playful rally to open the game, Ferrer dragging Nadal forward and then ruining a commanding position with a weird attempted volley. I’m not sure what he was trying to do there. Nor is he, judging by his rueful chuckle. Nadal’s not laughing, though. This is a serious business and he frowns his way to another hold.
Third set: Nadal 6-7, 6-3, 2-3 Ferrer* (*denotes server): The first two points are shared, before Ferrer whistles a forehand wide. He screams at himself. He’s making that shot so much. Yet Nadal lets him off the hook by missing a couple of shots and Ferrer holds to 30 with a pinpoint forehand. Scoreboard pressure.
Third set: Nadal* 6-7, 6-3, 2-2 Ferrer (*denotes server): Ferrer ends a low-key game by netting a backhand. Nadal has been comfortable on serve since the start of the second set.
Third set: Nadal 6-7, 6-3, 1-2 Ferrer* (*denotes server): Ferrer holds to 30. It’s strange when games don’t last at least 10 minutes. Novak Djokovic will probably be enjoying this.
Updated
Third set: Nadal* 6-7, 6-3, 1-1 Ferrer (*denotes server): Nadal holds in a hurry after that marathon game.
Updated
Third set: Nadal 6-7, 6-3, 0-1 Ferrer* (*denotes server): Uhhh! Uhhh! Uhhh! There’s the Nadal grunt. He grunts his way into a 0-30 lead with two lovely points. He’s raised his level. Ferrer has to raise his and he does so to lead 40-30, but the game goes to deuce after he duffs a drop-shot. Then comes a monstrous rally. Ferrer wilts, netting to give Nadal a break point, but a good first serve sets him up for a forehand winner. Then he comes up with an outrageous lob that even Nadal applauds. The quality is so high. Nadal hits back with a sensational forehand winner down the line, before a whipcrack backhand gives him another break point. He can’t take that. He can’t take another when he tries an errant drop-shot. This is preposterous. Ferrer denies him again with a forehand winner. Nadal then wastes his fifth break point with a wayward backhand and Ferrer finally has a second game point when Nadal misses a forehand. Somehow Ferrer wriggles clear, a stooping Nadal hitting a forehand into the net! That game lasted 14 minutes.
Rafael Nadal wins the second set 6-3 to level the match!
Nadal buckled when he served for the first set. Will it happen again? Not likely. He seizes three set points with a cushioned forehand, Ferrer totally stranded. Nadal makes Ferrer run. A lot. He runs. He runs. He runs. He scampers. Eventually he can run no more, the court is open and Nadal levels the match.
Updated
Second set: Nadal 6-7, 5-3 Ferrer* (*denotes server): Ferrer alters his approach and tries to drop-shot Nadal, who reads it and bewitches his opponent with a beautiful lob. Ferrer then mistimes a forehand to make it 0-30, before yet another double-fault makes it 0-40. Nadal can’t take the first, but an awesome backhand return allows him to make a breakthrough which has been coming. He’ll serve for the second set.
Second set: Nadal* 6-7, 4-3 Ferrer (*denotes server): Nadal zaps a forehand down the line for 15-0 and clenches his fist. He seems to be loosening up again. He holds to love.
Second set: Nadal 6-7, 3-3 Ferrer* (*denotes server): Ferrer begins the game with a double-fault. Soon it’s 15-30. There’s the smell of a break in the air, but Ferrer fights back to 40-30. Nadal keeps plugging away, though, and he wins a punishing rally by arrowing a backhand from right to left, before driving a forehand down the line to earn a break point. Yet Ferrer finds the mark with a cross-court forehand winner and he clings on to his serve.
Second set: Nadal* 6-7, 3-2 Ferrer (*denotes server): A stress-free hold for Nadal, who’s making sure not to give anything away at the moment.
Updated
Second set: Nadal 6-7, 2-2 Ferrer* (*denotes server): A stress-free hold for Ferrer.
Second set: Nadal* 6-7, 2-1 Ferrer (*denotes server): Ferrer fancies a break when he leads 15-30, only to net a backhand return off a second serve. Nadal finds a better length with his groundstrokes and he holds to 30.
Second set: Nadal 6-7, 1-1 Ferrer* (*denotes server): Ferrer spanks a forehand down the line to hold to 30.
Second set: Nadal* 6-7, 1-0 Ferrer (*denotes server): Ferrer has swapped his red t-shirt for a black one. Understandable. It was a long, sweaty first set. And this is a long game at the start of the second set, a missed forehand from Nadal taking it to deuce. Nadal holds thanks to two unforced errors from Ferrer.
David Ferrer wins the first set 7-6!
First-set tie-break: Nadal 2-7 Ferrer* (*denotes server): Ferrer bangs a sliced serve out wide. Nadal’s chipped return is called wide, only for the umpire to overrule the line judge! If this was in, Ferrer will be annoyed given that he was primed to finish the point off with a backhand. He challenges - and HawkEye shows that it was out! The first set is Ferrer’s, although he makes sure to question the umpire’s eyesight on the way back to his chair! Nadal has lost his first set of the week.
Updated
First-set tie-break: Nadal 2-6 Ferrer* (*denotes server): A Nadal backhand wide is called wide. He challenges but the call stands and Ferrer has four set points!
First-set tie-break: Nadal* 2-5 Ferrer (*denotes server): Nadal nets a forehand!
First-set tie-break: Nadal* 2-4 Ferrer (*denotes server): Ferrer blocks a forehand return long. He still has the mini-break.
Updated
First-set tie-break: Nadal 1-4 Ferrer* (*denotes server): Nadal knocks a backhand return wide.
First-set tie-break: Nadal 1-3 Ferrer* (*denotes server): Ferrer kindly double-faults.
First-set tie-break: Nadal* 0-3 Ferrer (*denotes server): Nadal double-faults! More complications.
First-set tie-break: Nadal* 0-2 Ferrer (*denotes server): Nadal tries a lob - it goes long!
First-set tie-break: Nadal 0-1 Ferrer* (*denotes server): Nadal sends a forehand wide.
First set: Nadal* 6-6 Ferrer (*denotes server): Serving for the set, Nadal begins cautiously, allowing Ferrer to take control, and he falls to 0-15 when he drags a backhand pass wide. He follows that up by swerving a backhand wide to make it 0-30. Is another break on the cards? Another error presents Ferrer with three break points. Yet he can’t take any of them. He nets a backhand volley on the first one and then he’s shouting at himself after a wide backhand down the line makes it deuce. Nadal then earns a set point with a big serve down the middle. Yet Ferrer saves it with an airy forehand winner and finds himself with a break point after a tight Nadal backhand. Nadal saves that a big serve out wide and a forehand into the opposite corner, but Ferrer earns a fifth break point with another rasping forehand winner – and this time Nadal plonks a backhand volley wide! We’ll have a tie-break.
First set: Nadal 6-5 Ferrer* (*denotes server): The Sky commentator has just referred to “The El Clasico”. That should be the “The Le El Clasico”, for me. Meanwhile Ferrer is in trouble after slumping to 0-30. Yet he knuckles down on serve for 15-30 and then pummels a forehand down the line for 30-all, only to drop a similar forehand down the line long, giving Nadal a break point. A slack game ends with Ferrer pulling a backhand into the net. Nadal will serve for the first set.
First set: Nadal* 5-5 Ferrer (*denotes server): With Nadal serving to stay in the first set, Ferrer admonishes himself after missing a return on the first point. Nadal is grasping a 40-15 lead soon enough. He holds.
First set: Nadal 4-5 Ferrer* (*denotes server): Ferrer is dictating a lot of rallies at the moment. He overwhelms Nadal on the backhand side and sails into a 40-15 lead. He holds to 30 and Nadal will serve to stay in the first set. This promises to be interesting.
Updated
First set: Nadal* 4-4 Ferrer (*denotes server): Nadal puts a stop to the Ferrer charge, holding to love with an ace. He needed that. Obviously he’s still frowning.
First set: Nadal 3-4 Ferrer* (*denotes server): Belief is coursing through Ferrer’s veins now. He’s an absurd man. He falls to 15-30, then wins three straight points to hold. That’s four consecutive games and counting.
First set: Nadal* 3-3 Ferrer (*denotes server): The mood can change so quickly. Nadal has become passive and Ferrer takes control of the first point, seizing on the anxiety and drilling a forehand down the line for 0-15, before punching a forehand into the left corner and volleying for 0-30. Nadal then nets a backhand to hand over three break points. Ferrer continues to bounce. Then he batters a forehand away to break for the second time! He was 3-0 down!
First set: Nadal 3-2 Ferrer* (*denotes server): Ferrer has settled down. He pumps an ace out wide for a 40-15 lead and bounces up and down on the spot. You have to love his intensity. There’s not much in this for him, but it’s not in his nature to roll over. He holds to 15.
First set: Nadal* 3-1 Ferrer (*denotes server): Nadal doesn’t want to spend too much time on court today given that he’s got to deal with Novak Djokovic tomorrow. Yet Ferrer is a stubborn fighter. He knows no other way and when Nadal drops a ball short, he whacks a forehand away for a 15-30 lead. Another forehand down the line makes it 30-40 - and Nadal hoicks a forehand long! That’s one break back.
Updated
First set: Nadal 3-0 Ferrer* (*denotes server): Nadal is looking brilliant and Ferrer is rocking. Two errors make it 0-30. He calms his nerves with an ace down the middle, drawing applause from the crowd, and Nadal then makes a rare error with a backhand into the net. But Nadal is at a frightening level. He stings a forehand winner out of reach for a break point and then charges to the net to break again with a solid volley. He’s really underrated at the net.
First set: Nadal* 2-0 Ferrer (*denotes server): Ferrer decides to test the Nadal forehand. Mistake. Nadal wallops it down the line for a 40-0 lead and he holds to love, consolidating the break.
First set: Nadal 1-0 Ferrer* (*denotes server): Off we go! It’s David Ferrer to start the serving, but it doesn’t take Nadal long to move through the gears, battering a trademark forehand pass down the line for 15-30, then crunching a diagonal backhand winner away to earn two break points. Ferrer can’t keep him at bay. He nets a limp forehand and Nadal breaks in the very first game.
The toss. David Ferrer chooses heads. It’s heads. He’ll serve first.
Here come the players. We’ll have tennis soon! It’s a dead rubber but let’s hope we’re treated to a proper match.
Updated
Rafael Nadal speaks. “The motivation, it’s an important match again against one of the best players in the world. For me the motivation is try to keep playing well. He is an unbelievable player. The only way to play matches is to play at a very, very high level.”
David Ferrer speaks. “It’s going to be my last match this season, so I will try and enjoy the match and fight every point.” That sounds like David Ferrer.
Preamble
Hello. Rafa Nadal appears to be back. 2015 has been a dismal year by this great champion’s impeccable standards, but it could yet end on a high. There were signs in his dominant victory over Andy Murray on Wednesday that he could be getting back to his imperious best and indeed he has been looking stronger during the past few weeks, nothing like the dwindling force who was knocked out of Wimbledon by Dustin Brown and who lost from two sets up against Fabio Fognini at the US Open, gutwrenching blows that were much harder for Nadal to absorb than when he lost to Tomas Berdych in Australia and when his reign of terror at Roland Garros was finally ended by Novak Djokovic. The world No5 has won his group and this afternoon’s test against David Ferrer, who is already out after losing both his matches, should be a good warm-up for tomorrow’s semi-final against Djokovic. The world No1 will be watching with interest.
Play begins shortly after 2pm GMT.
Updated
