NADAL SA AUSTRALIAN OPEN FINALS

ISANG panalo na lamang ang kailangan ni Rafael Nadal upang maging ‘greatest male Grand Slam tennis champion’.

Tinalo ng sixth-seeded Spaniard si seventh-seeded Italian Matteo Berrettini, 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3, sa  semifinals ng Australian Open nitong Biyernes sa Melbourne.

Kung magwawagi si Nadal sa finals ay makokopo niya ang kanyang record 21st major title. Kasalukuyang magkakasalo sina Nadal, Roger Federer at Novak Djokovic sa record na may tig-20.

Si Nadal ay nasa kanyang ika-6 na Australian Open final at nagtatangka sa kanyang ikalawang kampeonato sa event. Iginiit niya na ang kanyang pokus ay nasa darating na laban at hindi sa kanyang magiging puwesto sa kasaysayan ng sport.

“For me, it’s all about the Australian Open more than anything else,” aniya sa isang on-court interview makaraang gapiin si  Berrettini. “It’s just an amazing event. … I have been a little bit unlucky during my career (here) with some injuries, and at times I played amazing finals with good chances against Novak in 2012, against Roger in 2017 (both five-set defeats).

“I was close a couple times. I feel very lucky that I won once (here) in my career, 2009. But I never thought about another chance in 2022.”

Para makuha ang naturang opotunidad ay kinailangan niyang pigilan si Berrettini, na nakabalik sa laro sa kabila ng mainit na laro ni Nadal.

“I started the match playing great,” Nadal said. “The first two sets had been the best (in) a long time. Then I know how good Matteo is. He is a very solid player, very dangerous. …

“(After losing the third set), we need to suffer, we need to fight in the fourth (set) again. That’s the only way to be where I am today. Honestly, it means a lot to me to be in the final again here.”