Raging Nadal storms into World Tour semifinals
Source: Agencies |
November 28, 2010, Sunday
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RAFAEL Nadal raised the temperature at the ATP World Tour Finals in London on Friday with a fiery defeat of Tomas Berdych and a rare flash of temper as a heavyweight semifinal line-up was completed.
The world No. 1 looked unstoppable as he battered Berdych 7-6 (3), 6-1 to set up last four clash with home favorite Andy Murray before Novak Djokovic crushed a jaded Andy Roddick 6-2, 6-3 in the final Group A action to book a meeting with Roger Federer.
Unlike last year when the event made its debut at the cavernous O2 Arena and virtually every match went the distance, this time there has been just one three-setter in the 12 matches so far, although Nadal's performances have stood out and not just because of the shocking pink shirt he has chosen to wear.
The 24-year-old spin king and the burly Berdych waged baseline warfare during a compelling 70-minute first set on Friday - proof that after an 11-month slog and three grand slam titles Nadal's insatiable appetite for a scrap remains intact.
Just ask umpire Carlos Bernardes.
At 5-6, 15-15 Nadal blew his top when Berdych was awarded the point after the Czech successfully challenged an overrule by the Brazilian chair official, who deemed a backhand by the sixth seed had landed long.
When the Hawkeye video screen revealed the shot had kissed the baseline and the umpire awarded the point to Berdych, Nadal stormed to the chair and had a heated debate with the umpire and tournament supervisor Tom Barnes before returning to take out his rage on his opponent. He lost just one more game.
"He was wrong," the Spaniard pleaded later when calm had been restored. "That's something unbelievable. I was just asking Carlos what's happening. That's all."
Berdych stirred the pot when he accused the umpire of being "scared" of Nadal.
"It just shows how the referee is probably scared of him and just let him talk with him too long," Berdych, who lost to Nadal in the Wimbledon final, told reporters.
"I was waiting while he was talking for like three minutes. He was like sitting there and he's not going to play. It's not the mistake of Rafa. It's the mistake of the referee. He just needed to show him that it's not like he can do whatever he wants on the court."
With Nadal and Swiss Federer, the only players here to win all three round-robin matches, in sublime form it would be fitting if they met in today's final when a US$1.6 million jackpot could be up for grabs.
The world No. 1 looked unstoppable as he battered Berdych 7-6 (3), 6-1 to set up last four clash with home favorite Andy Murray before Novak Djokovic crushed a jaded Andy Roddick 6-2, 6-3 in the final Group A action to book a meeting with Roger Federer.
Unlike last year when the event made its debut at the cavernous O2 Arena and virtually every match went the distance, this time there has been just one three-setter in the 12 matches so far, although Nadal's performances have stood out and not just because of the shocking pink shirt he has chosen to wear.
The 24-year-old spin king and the burly Berdych waged baseline warfare during a compelling 70-minute first set on Friday - proof that after an 11-month slog and three grand slam titles Nadal's insatiable appetite for a scrap remains intact.
Just ask umpire Carlos Bernardes.
At 5-6, 15-15 Nadal blew his top when Berdych was awarded the point after the Czech successfully challenged an overrule by the Brazilian chair official, who deemed a backhand by the sixth seed had landed long.
When the Hawkeye video screen revealed the shot had kissed the baseline and the umpire awarded the point to Berdych, Nadal stormed to the chair and had a heated debate with the umpire and tournament supervisor Tom Barnes before returning to take out his rage on his opponent. He lost just one more game.
"He was wrong," the Spaniard pleaded later when calm had been restored. "That's something unbelievable. I was just asking Carlos what's happening. That's all."
Berdych stirred the pot when he accused the umpire of being "scared" of Nadal.
"It just shows how the referee is probably scared of him and just let him talk with him too long," Berdych, who lost to Nadal in the Wimbledon final, told reporters.
"I was waiting while he was talking for like three minutes. He was like sitting there and he's not going to play. It's not the mistake of Rafa. It's the mistake of the referee. He just needed to show him that it's not like he can do whatever he wants on the court."
With Nadal and Swiss Federer, the only players here to win all three round-robin matches, in sublime form it would be fitting if they met in today's final when a US$1.6 million jackpot could be up for grabs.
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