Rafael Nadal Prevails In 5 Sets To Move Into Australian Open Semifinals, Now 2 Wins Shy Of Record 21st Major Title

Rafael Nadal overcame an upset stomach and some brutal conditions to move into the Australian Open semifinals and now stands two match wins away from a record 21st Grand Slam singles title.

The 35-year-old Spaniard prevailed in a more than four-hour five-setter over No. 14 seed and fellow left-hander Denis Shapovalov, 6-3, 6-4, 4-6, 3-6, 6-3, to move into the final four Down Under. He is fourth-oldest man to reach the semifinals at the event after Ken Rosewall, Roger Federer and Mal Anderson.

Nadal will now have two full days off before Friday when he faces the winner between No. 7 seed Matteo Berrettini, the Wimbledon runner-up, and and No. 17 Gael Monfils, the 35-year-old Frenchman.

Nadal improved to 23-13 in five-setters for his storied career.

“Very tough day, very warm,” he told Jim Courier in his on-court interview. “I didn’t practice for it.”

“For me it’s amazing to be in the semifinals,” he added.

Nadal, whose only Australian Open title came in 2009, is tied with rivals Federer and Novak Djokovic at 20 majors, although he said recently he’s not concerned with GOAT status. Djokovic, of course, was deported ahead of the tournament he has won nine times because of his failure to get vaccinated against Covid-19.

Nadal, who has battled injuries in several previous Australian Open trips, improved to 7-7 in Australian Open quarterfinals, by far his worst record at any of the four majors. He’s lost four times in the final (2012, ‘14, ‘17, ‘19).

The Spaniard is also one win shy of becoming the fourth man in the Open Era to win 500 hardcourt matches, joining Federer, Djokovic and Andre Agassi. Nadal is already the only man in the Open Era to win 400 or more matches on both hardcourt and clay (464 tour-level match wins on clay).

With Nadal down double-break point at 4-5 in the third, Shapovalov stroked a beautiful one-handed backhand winner and pumped his fist as he forced a fourth set.

Shapovalov earned a break for 3-1 in the fourth thanks to a double fault by Nadal that occurred just as fan yelled in the middle of his serve. In the next game, Nadal touched his stomach during the gamea and grimaced. He called for the physio after he fell behind 1-4, and took some tablets.

Serving for the fourth set at 5-3, Shapovalov overcame double-break point to close it out and force a decisive fifth.

Nadal left the court after the fourth for a medical evaluation and toilet break that lasted seven minutes.

“I started to feel not very well in my stomach so I just asked if they can do something,” Nadal said. “They just checked that everything was alright in my body and then I take some tablets to try to improve the stomach problem that I have.”

In the decisive fifth, Nadal had a little more pep to his step and earned a break for 2-0 when Shapovalov shanked a backhand off a Nadal forehand up the line. He went ahead 3-0 before closing it out when the Canadian hit a backhand volley wide and then smashed his racket on the ground.

“That racket is toast,” ESPN’s Brad Gilbert said on air.

Nadal entered 2022 having played just two matches in the previous six months after a foot injury that ruled him out of Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. He also tested positive for Covid-19 in December.

“The real truth is that two months ago we didn’t know if we will be able to be back on tour at all,” he said. “It’s just a present of life that I am here playing tennis again and I just enjoy.”

Shapovalov had upset Olympic gold medalist Sascha Zverev in the fourth round on Margaret Court Arena, taking out one of the favorites to win the title and possible threat to Nadal in the quarters.

“It’s always an honor to go up against a guy like Rafa,” Shapovalov said ahead of the match. “It’s always fun. Always going to be a battle against him.”

Shapovalov had to isolate after testing positive for Covid when he arrived in Australia, but recovered quickly to help Canada win the ATP Cup in Sydney and now reach a Grand Slam quarterfinal for the third time.

In the quarterfinal matchups on the bottom half of the draw, No. 4 Stefanos Tsitsipas will face No. 11 Jannik Sinner, the 20-year-old Italian, and No. 2 Daniil Medvedev, the U.S. Open champion, meets No. 9 Felix Auger-Aliassime, Shapovalov’s fellow Canadian.

Per bookmaker.eu, Medvedev (+180) was the favorite entering the tournament, followed by Zverev (+335) and 6 Nadal (+950).