Australian Open - Stich: Nadal is just like Agassi

Eurosport - Thu, 29 Jan 01:56:00 2009

Michael Stich has compared Rafael Nadal to Andre Agassi while Virginia Wade reckons that Serena Williams's latest escape would have made Harry Houdini proud after the quarter-finals concluded at the Australian Open.

TENNIS Andre Agassi and Rafael Nadal - 0

Join Annabel Croft, Virginia Wade and Michael Stich in the studio for more live coverage from Melbourne on Thursday as they report on the two women's semi-finals and the first men's semi between Roger Federer and Andy Roddick. Watch the action on British Eurosport - available in the UK on Sky channel 410 and Virgin Media channel 521.

Nadal was not quite at his best in a 6-2 7-5 7-5 victory over Gilles Simon, but former Wimbledon champion Stich reckons his play on the big points is what makes him such a top player - and similar to American Agassi.

"When it really counts Nadal is there playing the extra special shot. On every single point he gives 100 per cent and that is why I love to watch him and why I think he is very similar to Andre," Stich told Eurosport.

"Agassi always played every single point as one (on its own): he didn't care about the point he played before or the one he was going to play after.

"You could see the same from Nadal in this match - he made Simon run left and right and when you are on the wrong end of those type of points, like Simon was, you just want to put your racquet in the bag and say 'you win, I'm happy I got this far, but you take it'."

In the women's draw, Williams needed to break Svetlana Kuznetsova to stay in her last-eight encounter before coming back to seal a semi-final showdown against Elena Dementieva with a 5-7 7-5 6-1 victory.

Three-times Grand Slam winner Wade said that Serena's recovery was not a surprise as we have seen similar comebacks from the younger Williams sister in the past - partly because her opponents usually choke.

"Serena has been a Houdini," said Wade. "She has been match-point down time after time after time, although I have to say it is not usually she who wins it but rather her opponent who... dare I say the 'ch...' word?

"But you have to hand it her because when she comes back into a match she begins to play really well which shows she always wants to win - but she did lose in Sydney to Dementieva on a very hot day."

Wade also had words of praise for Vera Zvonareva who will play in a Grand Slam semi-final for the first time against Dinara Safina.

"I think Zvonareva has been playing so well in the last six months," Wade added.

"She was always such a talented player but she would implode and basically everybody thought she was washed up.

"She had some injuries too, but she has come back clear headed and she is a wonderful striker of the ball."

Seán Fay / Eurosport

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  1. dennismarcos: I've nothing against Nadal. I quite­ like him and he's no doubt the best player on the­ tour at the moment. My problem is that people think he­ had charisma. Definition: "Charisma; refers to a­ rare trait found in certain human personalities usually­ including extreme charm and a 'magnetic'­ quality of personality" Would you say he had­ "extreme charm" or a 'magnetic'­ quality of personality? Come on now. Nadal has many­ great qualities as a tennis player but as a personality­ doe he have "extreme charm" or a­ "'magnetic' quality of personality"­ ....no! He's not even close to Agassi in that­ regard. THAT is my point!

    From crispyduck, on Wed 28 Jan 7:15PM

  2. Stich, who's that?

    From Boris, on Wed 28 Jan 7:13PM

  3. Stich, whose that?

    From Boris, on Wed 28 Jan 7:12PM

  4. Stich, you are an idiot. Nobody cares what you think.

    From Boris, on Wed 28 Jan 7:12PM
  5. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Go to hell Stich.

    From Boris, on Wed 28 Jan 7:11PM

  6. Nobody wants to hear what you think Stich. That­ stupidity about Djokovic was enough, thank you very­ much.

    From Boris, on Wed 28 Jan 7:11PM

  7. Does this man have eyes? Shut up Stich. I don't­ wanna hear you mumbo-jumbo.

    From Boris, on Wed 28 Jan 7:06PM

  8. your a idiot biggy every prediction you have said has­ been wrong sampras was the fed of his time jus like­ nadal is going to be its called evoulotion you pr#ck

    From greenfield237, on Wed 28 Jan 7:06PM

  9. #4 Tommy Haas (LOL) an equivalent of the modern day­ Nalbandian....huff and puff, walk way without a GS. Bad­ idea dat he deserves mention in the legion of the­ great.

    Nadal may Crash not because he's body is­ given way but becoz of the modern day ATP tour and u­ the HATERS of course.

    But before then i assure you he­ will have won on all surfaces, dominated RG like crazy­ and choked up 10 GS and edged over Agassi....He'll­ be great and of course the greatest clay courter of all­ time

    To dominate Roger at the ages 19, 20 and 21 takes­ brains, will power, mental strength, emotional­ stability and purity of talent

    Over 2 U HATERS

    From hosmakus, on Wed 28 Jan 7:03PM

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    From www.premiership.altervista.org, on Wed 28 Jan 7:02PM

  11. To all those Nadal fans he does regular blogs on the­ times website, where he also answers questions that­ people ask him on the site ( questions like, if he ever­ considered letting Federer win a roland garros or what­ he thinks of certian players)

    From ukp1991, on Wed 28 Jan 6:53PM

  12. greenfield237 you are an idiot. Those who are saying­ Sampras was not a genius, are children under 16... they­ haven't seen him playing. And... anybody who's­ playing tennis, can say this, Nadal isn't a genius.­ He has not the technical skill of a genius. I agree­ Andre was good, but not that good as Pete or Roger.

    From IlDoctore, on Wed 28 Jan 6:53PM

  13. ClipsyDuck seems a little bitter with Nadal. Poor lad,­ I bet he is sad. He has the consolation of having­ surprassed the best player ever aged only 22, wiping­ the clay with his rivals year after year and doing it­ all while being humble and not developing a massive ego­ like many other players do. Bigger is not always best.

    From Dennis, on Wed 28 Jan 6:51PM

  14. Rafa is the person who proved everybody wrong!! Every­ player has his style, and his characters and you've­ got to respect that and give him credit to want he have­ done so far!

    From jeff_zall, on Wed 28 Jan 6:28PM

  15. Come on now Nadal has practically no charisma­ whatsoever. He's like a robot!

    From crispyduck, on Wed 28 Jan 6:03PM

  16. Jabss J: potential means nothing. ONLY real­ acheivements account to anything. Look at Kuerten. He­ was outstanding on clay then ....gone! No doubt Nadal­ IS a great player but the future? Who are Mystic­ f'kin Meg?

    From crispyduck, on Wed 28 Jan 6:02PM

  17. Wether you like it or not, Nadal is a very charismatic­ player. He's an idol por many people and has a­ presence impossible to forget. And yes, there has been­ many spanish players coming and going. We're just­ waiting for french or british player... simply to come.­ But they haven't even done that.

    From catalina, on Wed 28 Jan 5:56PM

  18. your not saying a lot biggy have you realised that you­ do talk s#it after all

    From greenfield237, on Wed 28 Jan 5:51PM

  19. stop living in the past clispyduck borg wouldnt be able­ to live with these guys

    From greenfield237, on Wed 28 Jan 5:49PM

  20. I'm not saying Nadal isn't a nice person BUT­ he's no Agassi when it comes to charisma. I too­ enjoy watching him and think he's one of the best­ of this generation. Lets face it though, this­ generation doesn't have anywhere near the charisma­ of Borg's or Sampras's era.

    From crispyduck, on Wed 28 Jan 5:40PM
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