Rafael Nadal beats big-serving Matteo Berrettini to reach 2022 Australian Open final
Sixth seed Rafael Nadal reached his sixth Australian Open final by beating Matteo Berrettini in four sets on Friday. The Spaniard produced a dominant display to take the first two sets. However, Berrettini fought back to win the third and looked very confident heading into the fourth.
But the King of Clay earned the decisive break in the eighth game of the set and served it out to win 6-3 and reach the final.
Rafael Nadal vs Matteo Berrettini score
Nadal beat Berrettini 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3
: @wwos 路 @espn 路 @eurosport 路 @wowowtennisIt's a sixth #AusOpen final for @RafaelNadal 馃檶
He outlasts Matteo Berrettini in a 6-3 6-2 3-6 6-3 thriller 馃憦
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Rafael Nadal vs Matteo Berrettini winner
Nadal defeated Berrettini in four sets to reach the 2022 Australian Open final. He will face the winner of the second semifinal between Stefanos Tsitsipas and Daniil Medvedev.
Rafael Nadal vs Matteo Berrettini recap
The World No. 5 started the match brilliantly and broke Berrettini in the second game before racing to a 4-1 lead. While the Italian managed to hold his serve thereafter, Nadal's early break proved decisive and he took the opening set 6-3.
The Spaniard maintained his intensity in the second set and broke the World No. 7 in the opening game with a forehand winner. Nadal then broke again to open up a 4-0 lead. The Spaniard looked in total control and showed no signs of letting up. He eventually won the set 6-2 to strengthen his grip on the match.
All aboard the Rafa Express 馃殜
@RafaelNadal sprints to a 6-3 6-2 lead over Berrettini.
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In the first game of the third set, the sixth seed pushed Berrettini to deuce but the Italian held his serve to go 1-0 up. Both players then managed to hold serve for the next few games.
Despite being two sets down, Berrettini refused to throw in the towel and produced some wonderful forehand winners as the third set progressed. One of them even drew appreciation from the Spaniard.
The Italian produced another stunning forehand winner to go 30-0 up in the eighth game on Nadal's serve. He finally broke the Spaniard with a powerful forehand winner to go 5-3 up.
The break seemed to inject the 25-year-old with plenty of confidence as he won four points on the trot to take the third set 6-3. This was the first time Berrettini had taken a set off Nadal.
The Italian continued his aggressive approach, not dropping a single point in his first two service games of the fourth set. With the score tied at 2-2, it was Berrettini who looked the most likely to break.
Nadal had a break point in the eighth game which was saved by the Italian. But he converted on his next opportunity to go 5-3 up, before serving out the set to reach the final.