TENNIS Live

Madrid Masters - Quarter-finals - Men

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Nationality Player Set 1 Set 2 Set 3 Set 4 Set 5
SpainR Nadal67---
SpainF Verdasco45---

Live Comments

  1. 7-5 - Nadal, through sheer force of will, hammers through the final game, breaking serve to love - extraordinary finish to the match, and that underlines in huge thick lines precisely why Nadal is essentially unbeatable on this service.

  2. 6-5 - Nadal comes through after another couple of deuces... and what a task Verdasco now has to try and hold serve.

  3. - - Another epic game - and Verdasco earns break point after several deuces... only for Nadal to blow him away with an incredible backhand drop shot from behind the baseline! Amazing stuff!

  4. 5-5 - SAVED IT! Two match points saved, and then Verdasco cruises past deuce as well. Gutsy stuff - and maybe it's not all over quite yet!

  5. - - Nadal seems to be about to take this match by racing to 15-40 and two match points... but Verdasco pulls out a huge winner followed by a second-serve ace to save himself!

  6. 5-4 - Verdasco starts the game with a brilliant backhand winner to give himself hope... but then Nadal's peerless tennis sees him cruise through the rest of the service game. Verdasco hammers the soles of his shoes with his racquet in frustration. Once again, it looks like his compatriot has got the better of him...

  7. 4-4 - Almost felt like cruel inevitability, that: with Nadal's blood thundering through his head, he took Verdasco's serve to pieces in that game to break again and square the set. Yet Verdasco has shown his resilience, can he get something out of this next game?

  8. 3-4 - The world number one has his tempororarily absent timing right back in now: he powers through his next service game, finishing with a dismissive forehand winner and a grimace that says it all. He is NOT amused by Verdasco challenging his authority in front of his home crowd!

  9. 2-4 - Nadal picks up a couple of points, and wedges into them until Verdasco cracks: that's one break back, is this the start of business as usual?

  10. 1-4 - Nadal finally holds serve. Not often you get to write a sentence like that about the world number one!

  11. 0-4 - Verdasco looks to be cruising to another hold of serve, but Nadal fights back to push him to deuce - only to see Verdasco pull out two stunning winners down the line to hold serve.

  12. 0-3 - Great start to the next game for Verdasco as he earns two break points - and Nadal finds the net with an unforced error!!!! It's too early to be talking about dethroning kings and whatnot - but even still! Nadal is really struggling to handle Verdasco tonight.

  13. 0-2 - Two massive aces - the second of which follows Nadal missing a winner at 30-30 - give Verdasco an excellent hold of serve to consolidate the break.

  14. 0-1 - Brilliant tennis from Verdasco! He shakes off the disappointment of losing the first set to win an epic first game of the second set against Nadal, with an endless stream of winners that finally breaks down the top dog's resistance. Nadal was still getting to everything as usual, but Verdasco just managed to stay patient.

  15. 6-4 - Disaster for Verdasco as he loses the set! Going for a massive winner to pull himself out of 0-40 the underdog just overhits, and snarls at himself at having blown the set after looking like having every chance. Nadal is just relentless...

  16. - - Massive chance for Nadal - he turns the tables on Verdasco and it's 0-40 before the seventh seed knows what's hit him!

  17. 5-4 - Nadal hits back and finishes off the game - just when you think one of these guys is on the ropes, they hit back harder than ever.

  18. - - Nadal slips to 0-30 after a missed smash - but the world number one takes on a winning passing shot down the line and pumps his fist in delight as it lands on the line.

  19. 4-4 - Verdasco's serve is working as well as the rest of his game: he holds to 15, and is looking as if he really fancies this tonight...

  20. 4-3 - A superb game gets to 30-30; Nadal earns a hotly contested point for 40-30; and then in the best point of the match so far Nadal takes the game! Verdasco had a chance to smash away a winner, but amazingly Nadal got to it, and followed up at the net a couple of shots later with a perfect passing shot winner.

  21. 3-3 - Verdasco holds on well - and with the crowd going bananas (as you would expect) both players are loving this.

  22. 3-2 - Great respose from Nadal to not breaking: he holds to 30, and looks wonderfully cross about the whole thing despite a couple of lovely winners from Verdasco to get from 40-0 to 40-30.

  23. 2-2 - Brilliant fightback from Verdasco, who holds his nerve and his serve with some clean, powerful hitting.

  24. - - After showing a tiny hint of frailty in the previous game, Nadal shows his class as he races to 0-40 on Verdasco's serve. The man is just relentless.

  25. 2-1 - Verdasco pushes his compatriot fairly hard, finding a couple of lovely winners to give the world number one a scare before losing the game.

  26. 1-1 - Verdasco concedes a couple of points but otherwise looks in good touch as he holds serve. If anyone seems not to fear Nadal, it's this man.

  27. 1-0 - Nadal is truly awesome in his first game, holding serve to love and giving the impression of all the frailty of a bank vault door.

  28. - - The warm-up comes to an end and the players run out onto court. Here we go!

  29. - - Welcome to our LIVE commentary from Rafa Nadal's eagerly-awaited clash with Fernando Verdasco. These two have had some cracking matches in the last few months - even last week's 6-3 6-3 affair in Rome was far more exhilarating than the scoreline made it sound. Let's hope we have more fireworks tonight!

Fernando Verdasco

Nationality ESP
Date of Birth 15/11/1983
Height 1.87 m
Weight 81 kg

Rafael Nadal

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

Comment 33 - 52 of 52

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  1. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    i am a big nadal fan.. but i have to say this guys­ dominance on clay is ridiculous..
    is there no one out­ there that can challenge the man of steel on­ clay...novak please surprise us

    From sam u, on Fri 15 May 10:59PM

  2. OK GUYS MESSING AROUND ,MOVE ON ,NEXT,SO ANDY KING WILL­ BE SORTLY IN ACTION .SO WATCH OUT .SOPHIA LONDON SW1

    From blondforever2007, on Fri 15 May 9:48PM

  3. I dont care what anyone says, Verdasco threw that game­ away.

    From Peter, on Fri 15 May 9:40PM

  4. IM GONIG TO ZAGREB.R U CROATIAN.SOPHIA LONDON

    From blondforever2007, on Fri 15 May 9:37PM

  5. dear nadal,everybody knows that you deserve­ everything,but i know something more:THAT BIG MOUTH OF­ FEDERER IS GONNA CAUSE HIM A LOT OF TROUBLE ONE OF­ THESE DAYS.HE SHOULDN'T WISH TO GET INTO THE FINAL­ BECAUSE HE IS SO TIRED OF BEING HUMILIATED.

    From suciucristian73, on Fri 15 May 9:34PM

  6. dear nadal,everybody knows that you deserve­ everything,but i know something more:THAT BIG MOUTH OF­ FEDERER IS GONNA CAUSE HIM A LOT OF TROUBLE ONE OF­ THESE DAYS.HE SHOULDN'T WISH TO GET INTO THE FINAL­ BECAUSE HE IS SO TIRED OF BEING HUMILIATED.

    From suciucristian73, on Fri 15 May 9:34PM

  7. I KHOW THIS SITE 5 YRS AGO LOVE .CHEERS.S

    From blondforever2007, on Fri 15 May 9:34PM

  8. I'm interested to see the semifinals... Djokovic­ and Murray are the only two players this year to even­ be close to beating Nadal therefore it will be­ interesting. Djokovic is the only player to have taken­ a set off of Nadal on clay this season, while Murray is­ in good form. I'm also excited to see where Federer­ lies. I think Roger could say something about his­ tennis future if he can beat Andy. It seems like this­ year it has only been Roger making the semifinal, and­ then bowing out to one of those three.

    And enough­ with the negative comments, both pro and anti Djokovic­ supporters. I don't care how you see their­ personalities.. it's about the quality of the­ shots, and the ball doesn't lie.

    From Marko, on Fri 15 May 9:33PM

  9. Macaque-faced prima donna Verdasco inevitably falters­ against the master

    From webbski, on Fri 15 May 9:33PM

  10. SO WI;L BE THE QUEEN THEN COS U COS CANT HAVE AKING­ WITHOUT U THE QUEEN LOL.SOPHIA BISOUS

    From blondforever2007, on Fri 15 May 9:32PM

  11. IM GOING TO ZAGREB ON MY OWN NEXT WEEKRND.THK TO REPLY­ ME .SOPHIA.X

    From blondforever2007, on Fri 15 May 9:31PM

  12. sorry Split I mean.

    From sanchez.santos, on Fri 15 May 9:30PM

  13. io89 I HAVE JUST FOUND*!!! a really really good­ site*... it contains* lots of pics with wrecked cars*,­ live accidents*, funny videos* with sexy* girls, tv*­ shows...man, everything! just type* AUTOSTRADA80 on­ your browser* to check it. it is definitely worth­ visiting* it!

    From gpopo96, on Fri 15 May 9:29PM

  14. I dont think Ive ever seen a player capitulate like Ive­ seen Verdasco. Wrong, wrong, wrong.

    From Peter, on Fri 15 May 9:28PM

  15. congrats rafa@verdasco great game go rafa go to the­ final as in novak will try his best to beat you

    From lyza, on Fri 15 May 9:26PM

  16. Sophia you did not say where you will be visiting in­ Croatia. I can recommend a few in Spit......ha ha.

    From sanchez.santos, on Fri 15 May 9:26PM

  17. Here is the king. Just like last year against Federer.­ Nole has to prepare himself.

    From Jean Martin, on Fri 15 May 9:23PM

  18. YAY! Vamos RAFA!

    From Alice, on Fri 15 May 9:22PM

  19. IM EXTREMELY CONFIDENT ANDY KING WILL BEAT ALL COS HE­ DID IN SEVERAL TIMES,TO BE A KING U NT NEED A CROWN­ ,COS THAT IS FOR [QUEENS] LOL.SOPHIA LONDRES

    From blondforever2007, on Fri 15 May 9:21PM

  20. Hard luck Novak (luckily only the doubles for him)

    From Alice, on Fri 15 May 9:18PM
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