Nadal (1) v Verdasco (14). According to the ATP guidebook, Verdasco posed nude for Cosmopolitan Magazine’s July, 2008, issue to raise awareness of male cancer. That doesn’t help Fearless pick the winner of tonight’s semi-final, but it’s an interesting titbit.
Here’s more trivia. A Walt Disney film called “Ferdinand the Bull” told of a bull that preferred to sit under trees and smell flowers rather than clash horns with other bulls. This could not have been Verdasco, who does like to tangle with other bulls, even the toro macho named Rafa. Verdasco’s first name is Fernando in any case.
Verdasco has had six matches with his fellow left-hander Nadal, and has yet to beat him. The closest he’s got, strangely enough, was on grass at London’s Queen’s Club when Nadal won 2-6, 7-6, 7-6. More recently, Verdasco has grown in stature as a tennis player following his Davis Cup heroics in Argentina and his stirring wins over the highly fancied Murray and Tsonga at Melbourne Park. He has won only two titles, though, compared to Nadal’s 31.
In fact, in almost every aspect, Verdasco’s achievements pale into insignificance when lined up against those of his famous countryman. Nadal is a four-time French Open champion, the first man since Borg to win at Roland Garros and Wimbledon in the same year, and the Olympic champion. In four previous appearances at the Australian Open, he has made the quarter-finals twice, the semi-finals once. Verdasco, in five appearances, has never been beyond the second round.
Both have powerful forehands and withering serves. Both are super-fit and tenacious in tight situations. Most significantly, Nadal is close to his best form, and that is usually good enough for him to win. Nadal in straight.
Betfair odds: Nadal $1.17 Verdasco $6.60
Women's doubles final: Williams/Williams $1.12 Hantuchova/Sugiyama $8.40
Mixed doubles: Mirza/Bupathi $1.51 Benesova/Dlouhu $2.84
More Betfair odds
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