Rafa Nadal baffled by Australian Open round one exit

Rafael Nadal was mystified by his latest grand slam failure as he crashed out in the first round with a five-set defeat by Fernando Verdasco.
Rafa Nadal: Tough defeat. Picture: AFP/GettyRafa Nadal: Tough defeat. Picture: AFP/Getty
Rafa Nadal: Tough defeat. Picture: AFP/Getty

After a disappointing 2015 in which he failed to reach a single major semi-final, Nadal was hoping for a revival in Melbourne but instead endured another agonising exit. The 14-time major champion led by two sets to one and then 2-0 in the decider in Rod Laver Arena, but fellow Spaniard Verdasco clinched the last six games to win an epic battle 7-6 (8/6), 4-6, 3-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-2.

It is the first time Nadal has lost in the Australian Open first round and he has failed to reach the second week of three consecutive majors.

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“He played better than me. He played more aggressive than me. He took more risks than me, and he won. Probably he deserved,” Nadal said.

“The match is a tough lose for me, especially because is not like last year that I arrived here playing bad and feeling myself not ready for it. This year was a completely different story. I have been playing and practising great.

“Is tough when you work so much and arrive at a very important event and you’re going out too early. But I know I did everything that I can to be ready for it. Was not my day. Let’s keep going. That’s the only thing.”

Verdasco will now play Israel’s Dudi Sela in round two and may feel a sense of justice after he lost a classic five-set contest with Nadal in the 2009 Australian Open semi-finals.

“I don’t know how many times I have watched that match, maybe ten times, Verdasco said. “Still now they come to me telling me like how good I play seven years ago. Even last night they told me at the hotel. “I’m like: ‘I play against him tomorrow again’.”

Australian Bernard Tomic overcame Uzbekistan’s Denis Istomin in four sets but the match had to be stopped for around 15 minutes when a spectator suddenly fell ill.

“It was something I’ve never experienced in a match, so it was very unfortunate,” Tomic said. “ I felt very, very sad. I really hope she’s okay.”

Home favourite Lleyton Hewitt, who will retire at the end of the tournament, beat compatriot James Duckworth 7-6 (7/5), 6-2, 6-4.

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The 34-year-old, who won the US Open in 2001 and Wimbledon in 2002, will play No 8 seed David Ferrer next.

Also safely through to the second round were Canada’s Milos Raonic and Frenchman Gael Monfils.

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