- Saudi crown prince says no Israel ties without Palestinian state
- Canada to further cut international student, foreign worker permits
- YouTube launches new TV-focused tools for creators
- White Sox heading for worst season in MLB history
- China the top challenge in US history: senior diplomat
- Hong Kong democracy tycoon's son warns time running out
- New migraine drugs no better than cheap painkillers: big study
- Sean 'Diddy' Combs again denied bail in sex trafficking case
- Brewers clinch division title as MLB playoff race heats up
- Man City blunted by 'giant' Inter in Champions League stalemate
- US stocks dip despite larger Fed interest rate cut
- Man City held by Inter as PSG pinch win in Champions League
- All Blacks recall Beauden Barrett for Australia Test
- Fears of all-out war as new Lebanon device blasts kill 20, wound 450
- Spurs late show saves Postecoglou blushes at Coventry
- PSG snatch late goal to beat Champions League debutants Girona
- Gittens' late double gives Dortmund Champions League win at Brugge
- Man City blunted by Inter in Champions League stalemate
- Hidden talent: French Olympic star Marchand opts for disguise
- MrBeast named in California lawsuit over 'Beast Games' show
- Gauff splits with Gilbert as coach after 14-month run
- Hundreds of thousands at risk in Sudan's El-Fasher: UN
- Harvey Weinstein pleads not guilty to new sex crime charge
- Venezuelan opposition candidate says letter conceding election was coerced
- Ukraine official claims Russian advance in Kursk has been 'stopped'
- X update allows app to bypass Brazil ban: internet providers
- Fears of all-out war as new Lebanon device blasts kill 14, wound 450
- US Fed makes aggressive rate cut, weeks before election
- Arsenal's Odegaard faces lengthy injury absence
- India coal expansion risks massive methane growth: report
- China the top challenge in US history, top diplomat says
- US Fed makes larger half-point cut in first reduction since 2020
- Ronaldo's Al Nassr appoint former AC Milan boss Pioli
- Ainslie 'relieved' as British book place in Louis Vuitton Cup final
- Struggling Roma replace sacked icon De Rossi with Ivan Juric
- Women's NBA will add 15th team in Portland in 2026
- Brazil fires need harsher punishment: environmental police boss
- Boeing to start large temporary furloughs amid Seattle strike
- Fears of all-out war as new Lebanon device blasts kill nine, wound 300
- 'Emergency' declared over falling UK butterfly numbers
- McIlroy outlines threats to golf peace deal
- Stock markets, dollar slip before US rate decision
- Russian advance in Kursk 'stopped': Ukraine official to AFP
- UN members demand end to 'unlawful' Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories
- Snapchat pushes 'safer' platform image, but not everyone agrees
- Three dead, 100 wounded in new wave of Lebanon device explosions
- So where does the oceans' plastic waste come from?
- Allied war heroes buried in Netherlands... 80 years on
- Marsh coy over Australia's choice to open alongside Head
- New London sculpture pays tribute to trans community
CMSC | 0.02% | 25.055 | $ | |
SCS | 0.71% | 14.11 | $ | |
RIO | -0.02% | 62.91 | $ | |
CMSD | -0.12% | 24.98 | $ | |
NGG | -0.46% | 70.05 | $ | |
RBGPF | 5.79% | 60.5 | $ | |
GSK | -0.31% | 42.43 | $ | |
BCE | 3.09% | 35.61 | $ | |
AZN | 0.06% | 78.58 | $ | |
JRI | 0.45% | 13.44 | $ | |
BTI | -0.34% | 37.88 | $ | |
BCC | 1.33% | 137.06 | $ | |
BP | -0.37% | 32.43 | $ | |
RYCEF | 1.37% | 6.55 | $ | |
VOD | 0.49% | 10.23 | $ | |
RELX | -0.82% | 47.37 | $ |
Nadal 'destroyed physically' by epic Shapovalov win to reach semis
An ailing Rafael Nadal said he was "destroyed physically" by his gritty five-set quarter-final win over Denis Shapovalov at the Australian Open on Tuesday.
But the Spanish great still managed to move to within two matches of a record 21st Grand Slam title with an incredible display of guts and resilience against the talented 22-year-old.
The sixth seed edged the Canadian 14th seed 6-3, 6-4, 4-6, 3-6, 6-3 in 4hr 8min of thrilling action on Rod Laver Arena.
"I was honestly destroyed physically. But my serve worked well, and for me, every game that I was winning with my serve was a victory," said Nadal, who will have two days to recuperate before Friday's semi-finals.
"Being in semi-finals means a lot to me and to have a victory against a great player after all the things that I went through, so it's an amazing news. I'm super happy."
It will be Nadal's seventh semi-final in Melbourne where he will meet either Matteo Berrettini or Gael Monfils.
Nadal is tied with great rivals Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer on 20 Grand Slams, but with Djokovic deported and Federer injured, the opportunity is there for him to go clear at the top.
Nadal said he was not consumed by going after the record.
"For me, the fact that we are equal at 20, it's just the only thing that says we share an amazing part of the history of our sport, and for me it's a real honour to be part of it," he said.
"Let's enjoy the situation that we did, every one of us, we did very special things in our sport.
"Let's enjoy that. Doesn't matter the other thing."
Nadal, the 2009 Australian Open champion, had his 2021 season wrecked by a chronic foot injury followed by a bout of Covid-19 in December.
He raced into a two-set lead but was visibly hampered by stomach issues before eventually coming through after a spirited fightback from Shapovalov peppered with winners to all parts of the court.
"I started to feel not well in my stomach. They checked everything was all right with my body," said Nadal, who received medical attention in the fourth set.
"I took some tablets to try and improve my stomach."
Nadal looked on course for a routine straight sets win before Shapovalov hit back to take the quarter-final into a thrilling deciding-set climax.
The Spaniard broke in Shapovalov's opening service game and held on to take the victory.
The feisty Canadian, who was coming off a straight-sets upset of third seed Alexander Zverev, slammed his racquet into the court in anger at losing the epic battle.
There was a testy exchange early in the second set with Shapovalov heard to accuse chair umpire Carlos Bernardes of being "corrupt."
Nadal has a reputation of taking his time between serves right up to the final second of the shot clock and Shapovalov believed the Spaniard deserved a time violation.
In response to Shapovalov's post-match gripes that he gets preferential treatment because of who he is, Nadal said: "Not in that case, no, no.
"I really believe that on the court you don't deserve better treatment than the others. And I really don't want it and I don't feel I have it."
C.Meier--BTB