Heartbreaks and smiles: The 5 best Rafael Nadal matches at the Australian Open

2. Rafael Nadal vs Fernando Verdasco in 2009 (Nadal def Verdasco 6-7, 6-4, 7-6, 6-7, 6-4 in the semi-finals)

Rafael Nadal celebrating after his win over Fernando Verdasco in the 2009 Australian Open semifinal

The heartbreak section is over, and now it’s time for the best two matches that will always bring a smile to Rafa followers. Clearly, both matches are from Australian Open 2009, and there is no price for guessing who the winner was!

Nadal was expected to wrap up the semi-final against Verdasco in three or maximum four sets. But the other Spaniard had some different ideas and what happened next elevated this gruelling 5-hour long hard-court battle into one of the best Grand Slam matches ever played. Two unstoppable forces battling it out and retrieving each and everything from the baseline – both Spaniards played their heart out and in the end only a single point separated Nadal and Verdasco.