Nadal sets up classic final vs Federer
Men’s finalists have combined to win 31 Grand Slam titles
MELBOURNE, Australia — Rafael Nadal fended off Grigor Dimitrov in five long sets to set up a vintage title match against Roger Federer at the Australian Open, where every singles finalist is in their 30s.
Nadal completed the 30-plus finals quartet Friday night when he beat Dimitrov 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (5), 6-7 (4), 6-4 in a grueling, 4-hour 56-minute semifinal.
Federer, 35, and the Williams sisters — 36-year-old Venus and 35-year-old Serena — had clinched their spots in the finals on Thursday. The women’s final was played early today.
After clinching his 21st win in 24 major semifinals, the 30-year-old Nadal dropped to the court behind the baseline and lay face down for several seconds before getting up and embracing Dimitrov at the net.
His reward for the win is another duel with 17-time Grand Slam champion Federer, the only man with more major titles than he has.
Nadal took some moments to commend Dimitrov after converting his third match point, pointing toward the 25-year-old Bulgarian and gesturing to the cheering crowd like a conductor acknowledging his orchestra.
“Grigor played great. I played great. So was a great quality of tennis,” he said. “So just for me, is amazing to be through to a final of Grand Slam again here in Australia at the first of the year.”
Nadal said he wasn’t entirely confident he could beat Dimitrov when he was deep into the deciding set after midnight and had to fend off breakpoints in the eighth game.
“Arrive moment in the fifth set that for sure I wanted to win. I say to myself, ‘I am giving my best, I am playing very well. If I lose, that’s it. Grigor deserves, too,”’ he said. “I think both of us deserve to be in that final. Was a great fight. Finally was me. I feel lucky.”
With Federer and Nadal both returning from injuries, and neither having won a major since 2014, a ninth Grand Slam final between two of the most dominant men in the sport was considered an extreme long shot.
“I feel that this rivalry is talked about outside the tennis world, and that is good for our sport,” Nadal said of the Federer match.
Raonic out of Davis Cup tie
OTTAWA (CP) — Tennis star Milos Raonic has withdrawn from Canada’s Davis Cup World Group tie against Britain after a nagging adductor injury flared up during his recent Australian Open run.
Raonic, ranked No. 3 in the world, was defeated 6-4, 7-6 (7), 6-4 in the quarter-finals by Rafael Nadal. Raonic said he came into Melbourne nursing his thigh muscle after injuring it earlier this month at an Australian Open warmup in Brisbane.
“I am sad and disappointed that I am unable to compete alongside the Canadian Davis Cup team versus Great Britain,” Raonic, from Thornhill, Ont., said in a statement. “I wish all the best to my teammates and my full support is behind them in this exciting tie held in Ottawa.”
Peter Polansky, also of Thornhill, will replace Raonic in the tie, scheduled for Feb. 3-5 at TD Place in Ottawa. He will be joined by Toronto’s Daniel Nestor, Vernon’s Vasek Pospisil and Denis Shapovalov of Richmond Hill, Ont.