Australian Open 2014: A recap of Rafael Nadal's progress through the tournament

There are some moments in life that make you realize the value of intangible but inspirational factors like courage, determination, hope, respect and humility. Watching Rafael Nadal at the Australian Open finals this year was a reminder to all those who were watching of these very same factors.

You could’ve forgiven him if he was angry and frustrated with himself for the way his final ended. This was, after all, a chance to achieve a unique standing in the annals of tennis history – to become the only man in the Open era to achieve a double career Grand Slam, and the quickest to reach 14 majors, among a few other records.

But while others argue about records and what could have been, Nadal showed why he is one of the modern day greats and legends of the sport. For him, it wasn’t about breaking records. It wasn’t about cementing his place among the legends. It was all about his love for the sport, and how he had failed to give the paying crowd its due.

In what was an eagerly anticipated final, especially for Nadal fans, it was torturous to see what he had to go through during the course of his four-set defeat to new Swiss No. 1 Stanislas Wawrinka. Full credit to the latter for taking the opportunity when it came, but he knew, like the rest of us, that Nadal’s back injury during the second set made it a no-contest.

Still, the matador from Mallorca fought on, so much so that a combination of nerves from Wawrinka and some spirited shots from Nadal earned him a set. This, when he could’ve easily retired from the match, after getting his back analysed by the physio. It is hard to describe the virtue of this man who, in spite of personal troubles and overwhelming emotion, still found the courage to carry on in the match, and give his opponent a deserving victory.

As the tears rolled down Nadal’s cheeks during the presentation, it was with emptiness and sorrow, and also a bit of wisdom, that we realized that there was as much honour in defeat, as there was in victory. Nadal may have let slip a chance to make history, and may not be considered the greatest of all time. After Sunday’s final, we couldn’t care less.

A look back at Nadal’s tournament -

Round 1: Rafael Nadal def. Bernard Tomic 6-4 (retd.)

The most eagerly anticipated opening round match of the year’s first Grand Slam turned out to be a dud. Three points into the match, Tomic was flexing his left leg, wincing in pain, and clearly, not at his best.

Still, his serving was sharp and he kept holding his serve till 4-4. The hot conditions made the players sweat more than they would’ve liked, but the match was hardly a sweat-breaker for Nadal, considering he hardly had to do anything extraordinary. There were a few good points, some terrific down the line winners by Nadal and Tomic, but it was pretty clear who the winner was going to be (injury or otherwise).

One aspect of Nadal’s game stood out. Aces. For a man who averages three aces a match, he served 5 aces in a set! After conceding a break of serve at 4-4, Nadal closed out the set, and it was the signal for Tomic to let him know he wouldn’t be continuing. Tough luck for the young Aussie and, as Nadal mentioned in his on-court interview, hope he recovers soon.

Round 2: Rafael Nadal def. Thanasi Kokkinakis 6-2, 6-4, 6-2

Poor Aussies. First Tomic retired and now their youngster, Kokkinakis, got a sound beating from Nadal. Not that he could’ve done anything more; he tried his best and played as aggressively as he could, but there was little he could do to prevent the ruthless onslaught from the World No. 1.

Nadal started the set sharp and his serving impressed again. His opening game had three aces and he served a few more during the course of the match. New strategy to earn some free points? Looks like it.

Nadal broke Kokkinakis twice in the first set, and looked all set to race away in the second. Some good strokes and the will to stay with Nadal in the set helped Kokkinakis, but he couldn’t recover the early break despite getting a few break points.

The third set followed a similar pattern, with Nadal earning an early break yet again. And then another. Kokkinakis was left shaking his head. Maybe he has a bright future. But this wasn’t his day.

And yes, Nadal was wearing white shoes, instead of red ones.

Round 3: Rafael Nadal def. Gael Monfils 6-1, 6-2, 6-3

Brutal is the word to describe this match. Nadal surpassed himself with his excellence in this one. What a way to win, by completely dominating and dismantling the opponent. And not just any opponent – this was against a guy who could give the top players a run for their money on his day, and who didn’t drop a set in his first two rounds here.

But then, this was not his day.

Rafa broke in the opening game and that was followed by a 13-minute game, where Monfils repeatedly tested Nadal and Nadal repeatedly overcame the challenge, and held serve. Just when it felt like it was going to be a long night, in a blink of an eye, Nadal was leading 5-1. Such was his dominance that Monfils was left stunned. Nadal easily took the first set 6-1.

Nadal started the second set strongly too, but Monfils held on well for the first 5 games. Then Nadal put his foot on the gas, and never took it off. There was a slight niggle in his left foot during the set, but he resumed play as usual, much to the relief of his fans.

The results wasn’t because of Monfils’s lack of effort; Nadal was just on another plane. And Monfils’s errors just worsened his situation.

After wrapping the third set 6-2, it was just a question of how many games Nadal would give Monfils in the third, before sending him packing. Three was the answer.

Monfils, as is his style, was more exuberant, and consequently, more erratic in the third. He tried his best to push Nadal, and after failing, pushed his strokes out of the court too.

Nadal broke at 4-3, and a few more errors from Monfils gave him the match. One noticeable incident was that Nadal challenged a fault call from Monfils, and awarded him an ace.

Nadal’s on court interview with Jim Courier was funny and revealing at the same time. When asked – “Which players do you like to watch on TV?”, out came the reply “Roger, no. His technique is simply amazing.” When asked – “Do you think you can match Rod Laver’s record of winning at least two Slams at each at all GS?”, he said – “Well Rod and Roger, they’re the best in the history no, and I’m glad I’m compared to them.”

I doubt any other player would heap such praise on an opponent they’ve beaten 22 times. But then, Rafa is not anyone else.

Round 4: Rafael Nadal def. Kei Nishikori 7-6 (3), 7-5, 7-6 (3)

Oh this was a tough one. Just the test Nadal needed as he got into the business end of the Australian Open.

While everyone expected a straight sets victory for Nadal, no one quite expected the kind of challenge Nishikori put up on the day.

Nadal was off to a quick start, breaking Nishikori in the opening game. Nishikori seemed nervous but he regrouped, and a spate of errors from Nadal gave him the break back. After being pushed on serve at 3-2, Nadal failed to convert three break points in the next game. Nishikori played aggressive and with purpose, while the errors continued from Nadal. His deep balls in particular troubled the Spaniard.

The set went into a tie-breaker, and this was where Nadal stamped his authority. Clinical serves and a wonderful backhand slice return took him to two set points. He needed only one.

The second set followed a similar tight pattern with both players holding serve at the start. Nadal was landing the balls deep initially, but over time he was landing them well inside the court, and this gave Nishikori the opportunity to step up and smack his forehand.

At 2-2, with Nadal serving, he missed an easy forehead volley and Nishikori got his second break of the match. But Nadal tried his best to come back into the match and he got the opportunity at 4-3, when some superb backhand passes put the pressure on Nishikori and ultimately conceded the break.

Nadal had a bit of a tumble soon after, and play was interrupted as he replaced his shoe. That seemed to be a good omen for Nadal, as he won the game to take a 5-4 lead and started dominating the long rallies again. Still, some strong play and luck from the net cord kept Nishikori in the set.

Nadal was determined not to take this into a tie break, and he broke Nishikori again with a brilliant forehand pass to take the second.

This was followed by another break of play, and it was revealed that Nadal’s blisters had burst and he was bleeding on his palm. No wonder he was missing so many forehands.

Nadal started the third set strong, and never looked like conceding, even after having to defend break points. He soon got a break himself to lead 3-1. But after being pushed to 15-40 for the third time in the set, he couldn’t prevent conceding the break when he coughed up a double fault. Nishikori combined his serve with some effective drop shots and soon the set was back on serve.

At 40-all, 4-4, Nadal got his second time violation (he’d also got a violation for coaching), and Nishikori took advantage of the second serve and smacked the ball in. He played his shots fearlessly, and got the break to lead 5-4.

But there was a further twist to the tale. Nishikori couldn’t get a hold of his nerves and he missed a routine forehand and that was all that Nadal needed, as he got the break back immediately.

Nishikori put away the disappointment and continued to test Nadal, right till the last point. The set went to a tie break again and after a few more tense rallies, Nadal came through the victor.

Nadal finished the match with 12 aces, having put 71% of first serves in. Where he faltered was in unforced errors – 28 of them in all. Credit to Nishikori for pushing him, but Nadal knew he had to improve on a lot of things when he faced his next opponent, Grigor Dimitrov.

Quarterfinal: Rafael Nadal def. Grigor Dimitrov 3-6, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (7), 6-2

Nadal’s draw at the Australian Open initially seemed tough. With the elimination of del Potro, it had started looking a lot easier. But after watching the matches against Nishikori and Dimitrov, we have to agree he was tested just the same anyway. An error-prone Nadal, far from his superior form two matches ago against Monfils, and a Dimitrov who came in with a purpose, made for an exciting quarterfinal. Nadal had to grind his way out of this one, and that is exactly what he did.

As expected, Dimitrov came firing on all cylinders and raced to a 3-0 lead in a blink of an eye. Aces and forehands whizzed past Nadal, and he got on the board only in the fourth game.

Dimitrov continued to impress, as he held serve even when being pushed on his single handed backhand. Nadal started holding his serve comfortably too, but he couldn’t push Dimitrov enough to get a break. After a nervous start while serving for the set, Dimitrov fired aces to take the first 6-3.

It was Nadal’s turn to start the set strong and he did, holding serve and breaking Dimitrov. But then, his serve was way off the standards he had set this tournament and, to everyone’s surprise, he double faulted three times in the game to concede the break back.

At 2-2, something strange happened. After winning a spirited point (not a game point), Nadal let out a roar and fist pumped his way back to the baseline. If you were a Nadal fan, goosebumps were guaranteed when you saw that. It told us how much pressure he was under to win the point and the game.

If Dimitrov was intimidated by that, he didn’t show it. He played some terrific shots of his own, and made Nadal work for each and every point. In short, he was pushing Nadal to the same limit that the Big 4 do.

The set continued to be tight and tense and it became increasingly clear that it was headed for a tie break. And it did. Nadal started well, but again, Dimitrov was pushing him. But after a few errors from his racquet and a few winners from Nadal, the latter stood at set point. And he won the set with a classic flick after running to retrieve the ball at the net from the baseline. His celebration after winning the set was reminiscent of his celebration when he won the third set against Djokovic in the US Open.

It was interesting to see how Dimitrov would bounce back from this. He didn’t play a bad set, but played a bad tie break. Both men held their opening games, and Nadal tested Dimitrov in the third. Dimitrov responded well, by stepping up in the court and pushing Nadal to either side. 2-2.

Nadal stepped up in the fifth game. This is why Nadal is one of the most, if not the most, intelligent player on tour. He pushed Dimi back, attacked his backhand relentlessly, made some excellent cross court shots and then a backhand error gave Nadal the break. Dimitrov’s serving level dipped, and Nadal seized the opportunity.

But Dimitrov held his own, and Nadal was suddenly facing break points again. Dimitrov didn’t do much to gain them though; Nadal just made a string of errors. A love hold followed, and from 2-4, Dimitrov was up 5-4.

The set went into a tie break again, and Nadal initially played it incredibly well again. He used the net effectively, coming in to close the points quickly. One rally at 2-1 was spectacular, with Nadal running back and forth till Dimi hit it long. But after having two mini-breaks in the set, Nadal faltered, with some missed forehands. Dimi had set point, but Nadal didn’t let go. It was neck tight, until Dimitrov finally gave in, hitting a forehand long to give Nadal the set.

Something told the viewers watching that Nadal wasn’t going to drag the game again in the fourth set. After holding serve, he threw the kitchen sink at Dimitrov. What followed was the longest game in the match yet, and after a see-saw of deuce and advantage points, it was Nadal who came out triumphant, with yet another superb winner.

Nadal held serve somewhat comfortably afterwards, although some double faults and forehand errors did creep in once in a while. Clearly, Nadal wasn’t at his best, but the question on everyone’s minds was how much of that was influenced by Dimitrov and what part was due to his nasty blister.

As the game progressed, we could see Dimitrov was tired as Nadal grew stronger. Soon, Nadal was up 5-2 and had three match points. Dimitrov saved two with impressive shots and Nadal blew one with another missed forehand. He finally got the victory when Dimitrov hit another shot long, and you could see the relief on his face. This match was always going to be tough, and though he struggled, he made it through.

Nadal would face the winner of Federer and Murray next. No matter what happened, tennis would be the winner in that semifinal.

Semifinal: Rafael Nadal def. Roger Federer 7-6(4), 6-3, 6-3

It was the match everyone wanted to see, but sadly, it didn’t live up to the hype. Coming into this tournament, there were doubts in the Nadal camp, due to his lacklusture performance in his last two matches and a blister the size of a crater on his palm. Federer, on the other hand, appeared confident and had excellent outings against Tsonga and Murray, and he said he felt he was “back” and had a gameplan against Nadal, as suggested by Edberg.

However, the match unfolded in stark contrast to that, with Nadal never really in danger of losing the match at any point, except for the first set. Such was his dominance in rallies and passing winners, that Federer could do little but watch. As the match progressed, the writing was on the wall for Federer, and Nadal accomplished the task in straight sets to go into his 19th Major final.

The match began with a quick start from both players. Federer seemed sharp and so did Nadal, and they held their opening games comfortably. Nadal hit a passing shot early on which Federer was barely able to touch, giving a hint of things to come.

In the third game, Federer started doing what was expected of him – coming into the net on every point of Nadal’s serve. Nadal was down 0-30, but did well enough to pass him and hit a forehand down-the-line winner to hold serve.

Nadal gave Federer a real scare at 3-3. He passed Federer yet again and had two break points, but some good serving and errors from Nadal helped Federer to win the game. But the message was clear – if you come to the net, I will pass you, time and again.

Nadal held serve and again put the pressure on Federer. The tried and tested strategy of attacking Federer’s backhand was in full flow, and Federer was having discomfort with it as usual. Still, he managed to come out of it and lead 5-4.

As both players overcame minor setbacks to hold their service games, the set heat headed into a tie-break.

In the breaker Federer broke down, while Nadal grew even more solid. At one point he led 5-2. Federer did manage to close the gap to 5-4, but you could see that Federer was shaky and Nadal was relentless, winning all the long rallies. He closed the set when Federer hit a forehand long. First set Nadal.

Nadal started serving in the second set and after holding with some impressive rallies took an injury timeout. We almost forgot he was playing with this huge blister on his hand. Nadal was getting dangerously close to a time violation, but he was not deterred by that. He held serve comfortably and started pushing Federer around, trying to break him. At 2-1, Federer had to face multiple break points, but he successfully thwarted Nadal’s attack every time. A challenge on an out call gave him the game.

In contrast, Nadal easily held his serve. Federer made some poor errors with his forehand and never really seemed like threatening Nadal on serve.

Something had to give. Nadal held two break points yet again. Federer saved one. But on the second one, Nadal constructed the point incredibly well, and moved Federer around exactly where he wanted to, finishing with a crosscourt forehand to finally break Federer. He held serve commandingly and kept Federer out of it. Federer had a small chance for a break at 5-3, but Nadal was just relentless with his attack to Federer’s backhand and as expected, took the second set 6-3.

Nadal started the third set in style, taking the opening game and then breaking Federer to take a 3-1 lead. Just when it seemed like it was a question of when, however, Federer reminded us why he’s a 17 time Slam champion. Taking advantage of a couple of errors from Nadal, he dug deep and broke Nadal to get back on serve.

Both men held serve, until Nadal put the gas on the throttle again. He was also helped by the net cord a couple of times – first on a passing shot, and next when Federer’s forehand went long after hitting the tape. In no time, Nadal had the break and was two games away from victory.

He served to put Federer under pressure to stay in the match at 5-3. At this stage Nadal was passing Federer at will. Federer saved one match point, but he couldn’t save the second. With yet another forehand error, Nadal sealed victory in a convincing fashion.

Ever the graceful champion he is, Nadal acknowledged how important Federer and his rivalry with him was in defining both their careers.

This victory put Nadal one step away from a tantalizing piece of history. The only man in the Open era to complete a double career Grand Slam. In his way stood another Swiss, another player with a one handed backhand. Stanislas Wawrinka had had a good tournament, but the fact remained, that in his previous 12 encounters with Nadal, he hadn’t taken a set off him. Into the finals, VAMOS!

Final: Stanislas Wawrinka def. Rafael Nadal 6-2, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3

It was a stunning start from the Swiss. After an initial hold from both players, Wawrinka easily retrieved two grossly mistimed drop shots from Nadal and took the break to lead 3-1. He came out firing in his next service game with a blistering forehand down the line winner, and a backhand winner. Nadal seemed out of sorts, and saved a break point to hold serve. Both men continued to hold serve, until it was the moment of truth for Wawrinka, to serve out the set at 5-3. It was here that he displayed nerves of steel. Down 3 break points, he fought back from all three of them, aided by Nadal missing forehands on all three of his second serves. He finished the set with an ace.

The second set brought even more complications for Nadal as he got broken in the opening game with some brilliant shot making from Stan. Nadal bent over his waist after the third game, and we could see that he was struggling with something. Soon he went for a medical timeout, and when he was back, the crowd was shocked to see that he was in tears.

Wawrinka wasn’t distracted though. He raced away against a struggling Nadal, who could hardly move to return Wawrinka’s rocket returns. Very soon, Nadal was down 2 sets to love.

You could sense the anticipation among the crowd – was Nadal going to retire? Was this going to be the end of an incredible campaign? But no; in spite of his tears and obvious back ailment, Nadal, being the sportsman that he is, refused to bow down.

And out of the blue, Wawrinka totally lost the rhythm which he had maintained so well in the first two sets. The errors flew from both sides, and even though Nadal struggled, he still managed to get a break of serve. There was no ‘grunt’, no power in his serves, but after being down break points, 15-40 in one and 30-40 in the other, he still managed to hold on. What was expected to be a formality straight sets victory for Wawrinka, was miraculously turned into a contest by Nadal.

But the fairytale ended there, for Nadal and his fans. Still struggling, Nadal put up a brave fight, but this time, Wawrinka didn’t let the nerves get the better of him. He started the set aggressively, but Nadal fought back, and the two exchanged breaks of serve. Wawrinka broke him again, and this time, he served for the championship. A helpless Nadal watched as Wawrinka sealed the victory with a simple forehand down the line.

This was Wawrinka’s day, as Nadal mentioned later. But to the Spaniard’s fans, and millions of sport lovers around the world, it will also be remembered for the sportsmanship Nadal showed on and off the court.

Pros -

The ability to extricate himself out of tight situations. Nadal didn’t play his best at times during the tournament, but nevertheless was able to fight and get out of trouble in those times. Though Nadal has always been good at that, this tournament was particularly impressive in that regard.

Cons -

Lack of good serves, but that was in part due to the blister on his hand. Nadal also missed some routine forehands during the tournament.

Up next -

Nadal will most probably play in Argentina, at Copa Claro, and follow it with the Rio Open. With his back injury said to be getting better, we can expect the World No. 1 to fire on all cylinders once again. Vamos!