Nadal Out in Melbourne After Five-Setter With Verdasco

It was all the ESPN announcers were discussing throughout its coverage of the Australian Open yesterday: The epic five-set semifinal between Spaniards Rafael Nadal and Fernando Verdasco in 2009. And rightfully so, and the rematch on Tuesday between Nadal and Verdasco in the first-round did not disappoint.

Nadal won that match in 2009 on his way to the title, but this time around it was Verdasco who came out on top, defeating Nadal 7-6(6), 4-6, 3-6, 7-6(4), 6-2 to advance to the second-round.

“I was closing my eyes and everything went in,” said Verdasco. “In the fourth set, I started serving better than the second and third. He started playing less deep and strong. I started coming inside the court, being aggressive and it went well. Winning against Rafa in five sets here, coming from two sets to one down, is an unbelievable thing.”

After the two split sets through the first four, Nadal opened up a 2-0 lead in the fifth and final set. But Verdasco dug in, and rattled off the next six games to upend Nadal and pull off the comeback victory.

“I have thought many days, many times about that semifinal. It was my longest match ever. It was my first time in a Grand Slam semifinal. I didn’t really think I would have another five-set match against Rafa here in Australia,” said Verdasco. “But it’s a big difference. That was the semifinals, now it’s the first round. It’s just the beginning of the tournament. Hopefully I will keep it up playing like [I did] today.”

Verdasco will take on Israel’s Dudi Sela, who hung on to beat Benjamin Becker of Germany 6-1, 6-3, 2-6, 6-2.

In an all-American battle, Jack Sock and Taylor Fritz, who was making his Grand Slam debut, played a back and forth match that went the distance, with Sock prevailing 6-4, 3-6, 0-6, 6-3, 6-4.

Sock, who was forced to retire from Saturday’s Auckland final due to the flu, had to battle past that illness and an aggressive Fritz.

“I didn’t feel great all day, but I was happy to get through,” said Sock. “I was able to find a second wind and get some energy going, thankfully.”

Sock finished with less winners and more unforced errors than Fritz, but kept his nerve during the crucial points, most notably in the final two sets, to move into the second round and a matchup with Lukas Rosol of the Czech Republic.

Rosol hung on to beat Japan’s Taro Daniel 7-6(2), 7-5, 5-7, 6-7(5), 6-1 in his opener.

American John Isner ripped 61 winners to move past Poland’s Jerzy Janowicz 6-3, 7-6(7), 6-3, setting up a matchup with Spain’s Marcel Granollers, who beat Great Britain’s Matthew Ebden 6-2, 4-6, 6-1, 6-4.

Eighth-seed David Ferrer, 23rd seed Gael Monfilsa and 31st seed Steve Johnson all advanced on Tuesday in straight sets.