Tags:
Journalism of Courage
Rafa Nadal outmuscled 18-year-old local hope Bernard Tomic in an absorbing 6-2 7-5 6-3 win to reach the last 16 of the Australian Open on Saturday. The world number one,bidding to become only the third man,and the first since 1969,to hold all four grand slam titles at once,was given a real workout by the teenager under the floodlights on a packed Rod Laver Arena.
I have to play better if I want to get to the quarter-finals, Nadal said in a courtside interview. I didnt have enough from the baseline to destroy him. As the crowd laughed at his choice of words,a red-faced Nadal grabbed the microphone and added: Im sorry. I didnt have another English word!
Nadal,Melbourne champion in 2009,bombed through the first set,but Tomic came out swinging in the second,bursting into a 4-0 lead as the Spaniard suddenly appeared powerless against the youngsters onslaught. However,a sweat-drenched Nadal came roaring back and finally took the second set 7-5 with a fierce serve down the middle. A break at the start of the third set effectively ended Tomics resistance and Nadal closed out proceedings after two and a half hours with a drilled backhand crosscourt that his opponent struck wearily into the tramlines.
Dominant show
Earlier,Robin Soderling and Andy Murray served up reminders that there are more than two contenders for the mens title with dominant third-round victories. Kim Clijsters also continued to glide through the womens draw even if the Belgian admitted she was not at her best in her 7-6 6-3 victory over Alize Cornet,which spoiled the Frenchwomans birthday.
You never play a whole tournament playing your best tennis and you have to also work for it, said the three-times U.S. Open champion. I think thats what I had to do today.
Sam Stosur was later unable to raise her game to keep alive her dreams of ending Australias three decades without a local champion,the fifth seed crumpling to a 7-6 6-3 defeat to Czech Petra Kvitova.
Murray,who knows a thing or two about the weight of home expectation from his Wimbledon experiences,was clinical in his 6-1 6-1 6-2 dismantling of Spains Guillermo Garcia-Lopez. Soderlings 6-3 6-1 6-4 trouncing of Czech qualifier Jan Hernych took longer but was equally comprehensive. Both he and Murray have yet to drop a set this week and the Swede thought Nadal and Federer were not necessarily shoe-ins for the final. I think theres many guys who can actually compete against them and have a chance to win the tournaments like this when theyre playing well, he said.
Ace in the hole
Two mens seeds had less successful days,however,with 10th-ranked Mikhail Youzhny crashing out 6-4 7-5 4-6 6-4 to Canadian qualifier Milos Raonic and 2008 runner-up Jo-Wilfried Tsonga losing 3-6 6-3 3-6 6-1 6-1 to Alexandr Dolgopolov.
Big-serving Raonic played with a confidence that belied his ranking of 152nd and his victory over Russian Youzhny surprised everybody but himself. I know I can play well and I know I can play at this level, said the 20-year-old. I cant say I would be shocked if I wasnt here. But Im not really shocked I am here.
Last years semi-finalist Marin Cilic beat marathon man John Isner 4-6 6-2 6-7 7-6 9-7 in a slug-fest that featured 58 aces to set up a meeting with Nadal.
