TENNIS Live

Australian Open - Quarter-finals - Men

Nationality Player Set 1 Set 2 Set 3 Set 4 Set 5
SpainR Nadal677--
FranceG Simon255--

Rafael Nadal

Nationality ESP
Date of Birth 03/06/1986
Height 1.85 m
Weight 85 kg

Gilles Simon

Nationality FRA
Date of Birth 27/12/1984
Height 1.8 m
Weight 65 kg
 

Live Comments

  1. 7-5 - AND NADAL HAS WON - A service game to love to finish the match as Simon goes long with a shot. He has to wait for confirmation as Simon challenges the last play but it was just wide. Nadal will play Fernando Verdasco in an all Spanish semi-final.

  2. 6-5 - BREAK NADAL - a double fault and then a poor backhand from the middle of the court by Simon makes it 15-40 in Nadal's favour. Simon saves the first break point but then Nadal wins a monster rally with a fantastic cross court forehand into the corner.

  3. 5-5 - Perfect and beautiful lob from Nadal is the highlight in a love service game as he puts the pressure back on Simon.

  4. 4-5 - Nadal will have to serve to stay in the match as Simon manages to hold to 30 - he is still playing well - still competing and with Nadal not quite 100 per cent there is still a good chance we will go to a four set.

  5. 4-4 - Again Nadal plays well when the chips are down as Simon can't convert with another break point. Great movement a superb play with forehand gave Simon the advantage in the game but Nadal has looked strong on the big points even though he is not quite playing at his best.

  6. 3-4 - More magnificent play form Simon sees him hold to 15 as he wraps the game with an ace. He is buzzing again like he was for a spell in the second set. Three games in a row for the Frenchman.

  7. 3-3 - BREAK SIMON - A forehand wide from Nadal now brings up breaks points from Simon and the Frenchman takes the break with on a superb point as he shifts Nadal from right to left before finishing it all off at the net.

  8. 3-2 - Nadal goes wide with a backhand and that sees Simon hold to 15 as he looks somehow to find a way back into this match.

  9. 3-1 - Hold to 30 for Nadal - a little bit scrappy with the serve in places - a rare double fault included but enough to take the game.

  10. 2-1 - BREAK NADAL - the bell is starting to toll for Simon - he gets into a 0-40 hole which he can not recover from. He saves one of them but then can't dig out a volley after a nice forehand from Nadal.

  11. 1-1 - Hard to catch Nadal out with a drop volley but a beautifully executed shot from SImon does just that and gets the Frenchman to deuce. Nadal plays a worse drop shot net point that Simon gets to in plenty of time but he then fires into the net. WORLD CLASS forehand down the line then wins the game for Nadal.

  12. 0-1 - Simon shows he is still going to keep fighting with a hold to love - he wrapped up the game with a really sweet forehand into the corner.

  13. 7-5 - Simon goes just long with a backhand and Nadal wins the set with a hold to 15. Remember Nadal saved a set point not so long ago but it is he who goes 2-0 up and it is hard to see Simon coming back from this.

  14. 6-5 - NADAL BREAKS - Poor play from Simon sees him go 0-30 down and then Nadal produces a sensational winner from deep in the corner to bring up two break points. Simon then double faults to gift the game away and Nadal has a chance to serve for the second set and you feel if he goes 2-0 up it is game over.

  15. 5-5 - Sloppy stuff from Nadal and an all action point from Simon that he finished from the middle of the court brought up a SET POINT. However, that seemed to focus Nadal's mind and he played some quality stuff to save that point and then finish the game.

  16. 4-5 - Simon's sees a 40-0 lead drop to 40-30 when he puts and overhead effort long but no fear because he follows it with a booming serve which helps him take the game.

  17. 4-4 - Three love games in a row as Nadal produces some big quality serving to level matters in the set one again.

  18. 3-4 - A really good match is now developing as Simon reacts with a love game of his own. The Frenchman is dealing with Nadal's top spin now and is hitting some sweet winners.

  19. 3-3 - Nadal reacts in style with a service game to love - great serve-forehand one two punch wraps up the game.

  20. 2-3 - SIMON IS ON FIRE - he romps to a love service game and you can almost see him buzz out there on court - all the momentum has shifted his way.

  21. 2-2 - BRILLIANT FROM SIMON - he has found some form from somewhere and he is really playing some good tennis here. A superb forehand winner ended a 28 shot rally to bring up what was the second break point of the game and then a great return off a second serve set up the next point for the Frenchman which he finished at the net. Back on serve.

  22. 2-1 - Simon's best service game of the match - dominant short points - and he holds to love.

  23. 2-0 - Simon plays a decent game and gets to deuce. A little bit sloppy from Nadal but this time there is no break and he takes further command of this match.

  24. 1-0 - Oh dear - Nadal breaks yet again to start the second set. Again the pattern continues of Nadal just dominating the longer points and on the second break point of the game Simon gifts it to Nadal with a double fault. The Frenchman looks very disheartened at the moment.

  25. - - Nadal runs off for a quick toilet break while also getting his racquet restrung.

  26. 6-2 - Nadal takes the set - his third love service game of the match and he clinches the set with an ace. A dominant start to this match by the world number one.

  27. 5-2 - NADAL BREAKS BACK - Simon was 30-0 down but then Nadal gets back to 30-30. On the next point Nadal just slowly takes control of a long rally by shifted Simon from side to side before producing a winner. Then on the break point Nadal returns a second serve deep and Simon can fire into the net.

  28. 4-2 - SIMON BREAKS - well there was no sign of that early on but he has done it. A double fault from Nadal put him 15-30 down and then a shot into the net on 30-30 brought up the break point. Simon did very well to stay in the point during the break point and for once it was he who won the long rally as Nadal couldn't get a deep ball over the net.

  29. 4-1 - BREAK NADAL - Simon is just not doing enough here - you can't play conservative rallies with Nadal and expect to come out on top. Nadal goes 15-40 up by again just keeping the ball in play. Simon plays a good point to save the first but then on the next Nadal uses his slice backhand to take control of the point and Simon eventually goes long. Double break for the world number one.

  30. 3-1 - Another comfortable hold to love for Nadal - Simon has yet to win a point on the Spaniard's serve.

  31. 2-1 - Simon holds to 15 which should help settle him down in this his first ever Grand Slam quarter-final. Keeping the points short on his own serve seems to be the key for Simon he needs to keep getting those first serves in.

  32. 2-0 - Quick as you like from Nadal - excellent opening service game to love as Simon just can't get into any of the points.

  33. 1-0 - NADAL BREAKS - a six minute game but Nadal finally grinds it out on the second break point. Whenever a rally developed Nadal won with only one exception. Quite conservative play from Nadal but Simon just didn't have the shots to kill off the rallies and Nadal was masterful at keeping the ball in play - worrying stuff for Simon.

  34. 0-0 - Simon serving in this opening game.

  35. - - Still 42 degrees in Melbourne so for the first time ever the evening session is played with a closed roof due to the heat rule.

  36. - - Nadal leads the head-to-head 2-1 including a straight sets win here last year but Simon won the last meeting in Nadal's backyard of Madrid last year.

  37. - - Both players now on court warming up we will be underway very shortly.

  38. - - The match is due to begin at 08.30 British time but as the afternoon session ran a little late it may be delayed by about 15 minutes or so as they clear out the stadium and get those with evening tickets tin.

  39. - - Hello and welcome to our live comments of Spain v France part two - as Rafael Nadal and Gilles Simon do battle in Melbourne for the right to face Fernando Verdasco in the semi-finals of the Australian Open.