Rafael Nadal To "Reveal Himself" At Macy's

I WANNA GO!!!!!!!!!!!

According to a press release from Emporio Armani, Rafael Nadal will personally reveal his new fall 2011 ad campaign on a twenty-foot-tall billboard at Macy's in Herald Square this Thursday. It'll be a jeans ad, which means he'll still be shirtless, but you won't need to feel self-conscious about gaping at it publicly (unlike this one, shown). We wish him success, but not Bieber-caliber success, for everyone's sake. [Armani/Twitter]

Courtesy: NewYorkMag

Rafael Nadal - I Nearly Quit For Golf Career

More from Rafa's book, which is available from today.

MADRID -- Devastated and "without appetite for life," Rafael Nadal contemplated a move into professional golf after a career-threatening injury sidelined him, the 10-time Grand Slam champion writes in his autobiography.

The Spanish player writes in "Rafa" that doctors discovered a rare foot injury in 2005 that had the potential to sideline him for good, prompting thoughts of a future in golf.

In the book, provided to The Associated Press and to be released in the United States on Tuesday, the 25-year-old Nadal describes his toughest on-court battles with Roger Federer at the 2008 Wimbledon final and subsequent Australian Open.

But his off-court problems play a large part in the former top-ranked player's career. The mental toll of his parents' separation hindered his recovery from injuries in 2009, when pride led him to try to defend his French Open title despite his physical problems.

Still, his lowest point seems to have been when doctors discovered a congenital bone problem in the bridge of his left foot soon after a five-set victory over Ivan Ljubicic in Madrid on his toughest indoor surface.

Nadal said that joy was soon replaced by "a state of deepest gloom."

"(The) diagnosis had initially been like a shot to the head," Nadal writes. "The bone still hurts me. It remains under control, just, but we can never drop our guard."

Nadal wept then, just as he did after losing the 2007 Wimbledon final to Federer. But he did not cry on the flight from Melbourne in 2009 when his father, Sebastian, revealed to the recently crowned Australian Open champion that his parents had separated.

"My attitude was bad. I was depressed, lacking in enthusiasm. (My team) knew something had to give," writes Nadal, with the weight of those problems leading to his only defeat in seven appearances at Roland Garros and his subsequent withdrawal from Wimbledon. "My knees were the immediate reason, but I knew the root cause was my state of mind."

Mental toughness -- instilled by coach and uncle Toni -- is a key theme, especially in his ability to bounce back, including trying for his first victory in three Wimbledon finals against Federer.

Nadal was "gripped with fear." The warrior figure he'd cultivated had "lost his courage" after failing to clinch victory on several match point opportunities against Federer. Nadal credits moments like these for improving his mental stamina, with one chapter even titled "Fear of Winning."

"What I battle hardest to do in a tennis match is to quiet the voices in my head, to shut everything out of my mind ... should a thought of victory suggest itself, crush it," Nadal writes on the opening page before later adding: "I think I have the capacity to accept difficulties and overcome them that is superior to many of my rivals."

Toni's "cruel to be kind" coaching strategy was key in developing him into the "tennis machine" he is. He compares his uncle to a figure descended from 16th-century conquistador Hernan Cortes with a Spartan philosophy of life uncommon to his home island of Mallorca.

"There was no let up from Toni. No mercy," the second-ranked player writes. "I look back at that teenage Rafael and I am proud of him. He set a benchmark of endurance that has served me as an example and as a reminder ... if you want something badly enough, no sacrifice is too great."

Nadal offers interesting insight into his regimen, and his family offers some surprising details about the Manacor native, in the 250-page memoir, which was written by John Carlin, who also wrote the book that director Clint Eastwood turned into the film "Invictus."

Nadal's mother Ana Maria Parera labels him a "scaredy cat" who sleeps with a light on, an obedient and docile child who became the "family mascot" inside a close-knit family that Carlin describes as "something Sicilian ... without the malice or guns."

Perhaps the strangest revelation is Nadal's dislike of animals, especially dogs: "I doubt their intentions."

Of Federer there are mostly respectful reflections of a rival and friend that he calls "a blessed freak of nature" for his talent.

The closest Nadal comes to criticism is when he says Federer mis-hit a shot "the way an ordinary club player might" while recounting the epic All-England final that delivered the first of his two Wimbledon wins.

Of current top-ranked player Novak Djokovic, who has beaten Nadal in five straight finals this year, there is trepidation of a "formidable opponent" who is "one hell of a player, temperamental but hugely talented."

Courtesy: ESPN

Rafael Nadal - Go See Rafa Tomorrow

Facebook/Twitter update

Hi Guys! I will be at FoodParc (29th St and 6th Ave) tomorrow at 4PM- come support me as I am at an event for Bacardi Limited's Champions Drink Responsibly campaign.

Rafael Nadal has admitted he needs to raise his game in time for the US Open after losing to Mardy Fish in the quarter-finals of the Cincinnati Masters.

Nadal has been some distance away from his best over the past fortnight, with some of his performances giving his fans plenty of cause for the concern, the most recently being his defeat to Fish in Cincinnati this past week.

Nadal's uncle and coach Toni is scheduled to arrived in the United States in the next few days to try and get the Spaniard prepared as best as possible ahead of the start of play at Flushing Meadows later this month.

"I have to play my game. I have to play aggressive," admitted Nadal. "I have to move faster.

"I have to play with more intensity and less mistakes. You know, sometimes [I] play well - is not the first time in my career that I am not playing that well, no?"

Speaking after his defeat to the in-form Fish, the world number two continued: "Last year I played terrible here, probably worse than this year.

"The important thing is [to] be ready to change the situation and for sure be fresh mentally and physically, too, to have the view about what you really need to change the situation."

Reflecting on his US Open win last year, Nadal said that his serve had been crucial to his success in New York.

"I didn't change my game a lot last year to play the US Open," he explained.

"My serve worked really well, but I played well. I played well a lot of times on hard courts, not only in the US Open last year. I won the Olympics; Montreal; I won Toronto; I won in Indian Wells twice; [a] few finals in Miami.

"So it's nothing that you think I played something very different last year in New York. No, I played well. That's what happened. I played well and the serve worked better than other times."

The US Open gets underway on August 29th.

Courtesy: Crunchsports

Rafael Nadal - US Open Promo Video

Short promo video for the upcoming US Open.



Courtesy: ksyuzi

Rafael Nadal - US Open Kit UPDATE

As per my previous post regarding Rafa's kit for the upcoming US Open, if you are UK based or if you prefer to purchase direct from Nike please use this link here

Happy shopping :)

Rafael Nadal - Fan T-Shirts For The US Open

Found at Tennis Warehouse

Rafael Nadal - US Open Kit

Order at TennisWarehouse

Rafael Nadal - Quarter Final Press Conference

WESTERN & SOUTHERN OPEN

August 19, 2011

Rafael Nadal

CINCINNATI, OHIO

M. FISH/R. Nadal
6-3, 6-4


THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. The blisters on your right hand, were they bothering you a little bit at all during the match today? Affecting your ball toss?
RAFAEL NADAL: Not more than the other days, no? That's true. I don't have a lot of feeling when I threw the ball with the right hand, and to play with the backhand, too. But nothing strange. Nothing more than the previous days.
So I lost because Mardy played much better than me. I had a few chances. A little bit unlucky for moments. But that's tennis and that's sport.
Sometimes you win; sometimes you lose. Sometimes you are playing well; sometimes you are playing worse. I am playing a little bit worse now than well, so I accept the lose and work hard. The only way to come back to my best level.

Q. Do you feel like you got a good amount of play in and practice in going into the US Open next couple weeks?
RAFAEL NADAL: I didn't play well. I didn't play well here, especially. In Montréal I played for moments well. In Montréal was the really mistake for me. Here, a lot of things.
A little bit unlucky week for me with the burned fingers and with the very long match yesterday. Today is not a big mistake. Big mistake was last week in the first round.

Q. Hindsight being 20/20, do you regret playing doubles? Being on court for five hours, did it impact your performance today?
RAFAEL NADAL: Definitely the doubles didn't bother me.

Q. (Indiscernible.)
RAFAEL NADAL: I said yesterday yes, but nothing change for that, no? Maybe a little bit more rest, but it's not the moment to talk about that. I said yesterday.
I cannot say today because I lost. Everything you say seems like an excuse. The only excuse is he played better than me.

Q. Can you give us an update on your foot? You had a treatment during the match.
RAFAEL NADAL: I didn't have a treatment. I just pulled out one tape. Yesterday the match was long and hard and I have a few blisters in the foot, so I had to protect everything.
But was pain for me and I had to take one tape.

Q. You said Mardy was playing well. Is there anything in your game that didn't meet your expectations today, other than you lost, I mean reasons why?
RAFAEL NADAL: A little bit of everything. My movements are not being prefect, more mistakes than usual with the forehand. I have to play more inside the court, more aggressive.
At the same time, I have to play longer. You know, I don't want to talk about the backhand because I have this, so I didn't have the chance to practice the backhand and I didn't have the chance to play normal backhand, no?
But for the rest, few things to improve if I want to be ready for New York. I going to work on that. I don't know if I will be in perfect conditions in New York, but for sure everything I will try.

Q. Will your fingers be healed by New York? Will they be better before the US Open?
RAFAEL NADAL: Hopefully. Fingers stays a little bit so-so. Fingers are not easy. Hopefully going to be okay for New York.

Q. Are those the worst blisters you've had on your hand?
RAFAEL NADAL: Is not a blister, it's a burn, so it's worse.

Q. Before the US Open last year you talked about changing your game a lot to try to win the US Open, being more aggressive...
RAFAEL NADAL: I didn't change my game a lot last year to play the US Open. My serve worked really well, but I played well. I played well a lot of times on hard court, not only in the US Open last year. I won the Olympics; Montréal; I won Toronto; I won in Indian Wells twice; few finals in Miami.
So it's nothing that you think I played something very different last year in New York. No, I played well. That's what happened. I played well and the serve worked better than other times. That's what happened.

Q. Seems like when you've had hard court success you've been more aggressive. You haven't hit that many winners here in Cincinnati in this match or against Verdasco.
RAFAEL NADAL: When I am having success in hard court, in grass court, in clay court, is when I am playing well. Doesn't matter. If I am playing well, I can play aggressive. If I am not playing well, I cannot play aggressive because I don't have enough good feelings to do it.
If I am playing bad on clay, I don't win, I lose. If I am playing bad on grass, I lose. That's the sport. You play well, you have more chances to win; you play bad, you have more chances to lose.
I know seems like it's too simple, but is very simple. Tennis is a simple game. You don't have to think a lot what's going on. The thing is I have to work hard to be fast, to be enough fast to come inside the court and take the ball early.
I have to be ready to play with high intensity and with my best rhythm for four hours. I have to be ready to defend well and I have to be ready to be focused and for sure prepared well mentally to play the important moments of the matches.
So I didn't here. For example, in the break point of the second set with the 4-3 I had the big mistake with the forehand to the net with the second serve. So that's the chances when the match change.
I had mistake in the first ball, so that's what cannot happen if I want to have success in New York. That's what I going to try, and that's the sport.

Q. Mardy mentioned in the first set he was going forehand to your backhand a lot and you changed the rhythm on him in second set. What do you do to change that?
RAFAEL NADAL: I started to play slower later. Was a little bit too late. I started to play slower and trying to go inside the court when I had the chance, but I played a little bit too flat for a lot of moments. Open the court and his movements was very good. He had very good shots; his defense was good.
So later I tried to play more to the middle, a little bit longer, higher. I think it worked well, but it was too late. And I had the mistake with the break point. That's it.
I was a little bit unlucky at the beginning of the match.

Q. 2-All in the second set, you had a first serve called out and the replay showed it was good. You had a discussion with the chair umpire. What did he tell you?
RAFAEL NADAL: Nothing. He's is fantastic umpire. It's he's not a bad umpire. Mohamed is one of the best umpires of the tour.

Q. Looked look you wanted the point...
RAFAEL NADAL: The best players of the world have mistakes, and the best umpires of the world have mistakes. Today he was wrong, because the call -- I didn't see the view on the TV, but I am 100% sure that the line said out after Mardy hit the ball.
I am 100% sure, so the point is for me. Sometimes I understand with the Hawk-Eye with these things, but, you know, they are the umpires and they're there to analyze what's going on. They have make the right decision.
He hit the ball after the line said out, so the point is for me. No doubt about that. I am talking only about that, this point. In general, that's not going to affect my lose today. Just talking about this moment.
For the rest he was playing better than me and he beat me.

Q. What do you have to change specifically to defend your US Open title? You mentioned you weren't playing well here and you need to play better. What specifically do you want to do for the Open that you didn't do here?
RAFAEL NADAL: I have to play my game. I have to play aggressive. I have to move faster. I have to play with more intensity and less mistakes. You know, sometimes play well -- is not the first time in my career that I am not playing that well, no? Last year I played terrible here, probably worse than this year.
Play well or play bad sometimes is just a click. It's very close. The important thing is be ready to change the situation and for sure be enough fresh mentally and physically, too, to have the view about what you really need to change the situation.
I going to realize with Francis here, Toni is coming on Tuesday. I have one week to practice before the beginning of the US Open, and I have to be ready for that. If I am not ready for that, that's it.
I had a lot success in my career, and is not going to be always like this.

Q. The burns look really bad. Was that just a normal plate or a metal thing?
RAFAEL NADAL: No, it was ceramic.

Q. They just put it in your hand?
RAFAEL NADAL: I just touch it like this.

Q. Really?
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah. It was very hot. I don't know why the people from the restaurant didn't tell me that the plate was that hot.

Q. Did you go back it that restaurant again?
RAFAEL NADAL: No thanks. Bad memories.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

The Nadal v Djokovic Rivalry

Courtesy: Bleacher Report via Tennishound 

I've been watching tennis for a very long time and I can't help but to note an important turn of events that I've observed this year. It's something that would help make clear as to what has been happening to Nadal as the season has gone by.

Novak Djokovic!! What an amazing year he is having. Probably the best ever by any player in the open era, of course only up until now. He's still got a lot more to do until he can come close to the standard set in 2006 by the legendary Roger Federer. Starting with the Australian Open, this guy has been dominating the game like none other, bar Federer. He's won two Grand Slams and a total of nine ATP titles.

One common thread in almost all of his titles here has been Rafael Nadal.

They first played in the final in the Masters at Indian Wells. Needless to say, Djokovic won. Sure, nothing surprising there, as he had already won the Australian Open. And then, they met again, this time at the finals in Miami. Once again, Djokovic came out on top. I believe this result occurred when Nadal began having doubts about his game against Djokovic. It started the slide for Nadal. Djokovic was slowly getting into his head.

Now, enter clay season. Nadal's beloved time of the year. Surely, no one would be able to take him here, even Djokovic, is what people might have felt at this point. Djokovic did not play in Monte Carlo, and Nadal most likely breathed a sigh of relief at this point, and sure enough went on to claim this title for the 7th consecutive time. In came Novak. After a comfortable title at home in Belgrade, he returned as a bigger threat than ever on clay.

In the finals of Madrid, he comfortably beat Nadal in straight sets. Sure, by now Nadal had a bigger problem. He had lost three times in a row now. He just had to get back somehow, and there was no better place than at Rome, which had a much more slower surface than Madrid. Additionally, Nadal was a five time champion here. But, the script unfolded in pretty much the same fashion. Nadal lost again. On Clay twice!!

I believe this was the turning point for Nadal this year. He completely lost belief in himself when playing Djokovic, who by this time had gotten into his head completely. In the French Open, Nadal escaped. Had Federer not beaten Djokovic in the semi-final, Djokovic would have been the holder of Roland Garros by now, and Nadal would've been destroyed had he lost playing Djokovic. In the final, Nadal happily took apart Federer, like he almost always does.

But, we all knew, Djokovic was not going to run away.

It was Wimbledon time and the legendary 16 time Grand Slam champion lost in the QFs. We all knew, Djokovic versus Nadal was sure to happen. Not only did it happen, Djokovic even beat him and picked up another Grand Slam. Nadal was beaten five times in a row, by the same man. Never before had that happened to him.

I guess we all can now see that Nadal has been on a downslide ever since, as was the case in Montreal and at Cincinnati, losing pretty convincingly. All of this comes down to him losing self-belief and I don't see him defending his US Open title either.

Watching all five of those matches, I must say that Nadal did not even try changing his tactics in any of them. He kept moon balling the way he does against everyone else, but it just does not work against Djokovic. He's too good a player, especially on the backhand side, probably the best in the game at the moment. He's quick, returns great and has an excellent forehand too and is mentally the toughest player at the moment. Nadal does not have many effective weapons to hit him with. 

There has to be a change of tactics, maybe a stronger serve or a different variety, or else the same depressing script would continue for him. I just hope we don't see Nadal fade away very soon. 

Read more Tennis news on BleacherReport.com

Rafael Nadal - 3rd Rd Press Conference

WESTERN & SOUTHERN OPEN

August 18, 2011

Rafael Nadal

CINCINNATI, OHIO

R. NADAL/F. Verdasco
7-6, 6-7, 7-6


THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Talk about how you're feeling physically after playing for three hours and 38 minutes as well as doubles.
RAFAEL NADAL: Fantastic.

Q. When Mardy Fish was in here, who you're playing next, he was asked about playing a long match and then playing doubles. Fish said something like, Oh, I can't imagine he'll actually play doubles. Did you think about pulling out of doubles?
RAFAEL NADAL: I don't think. For me wasn't a choice, no? I have a friend here. I play with one of my best friends. He came from Spain to play the doubles. If I don't go on court today, he don't have the points or the prize money of the second round.
I cannot thought about that, even if I am tired. That's what happened. I had to play, and I tried my best. We lost. I go home - well, not home, to the hotel - to relax a little bit and try to be competitive for tomorrow. (Laughter.)

Q. You won today. How did the match leave you feeling about your play?
RAFAEL NADAL: Was important victory for me. Wasn't an easy match. I think for moments I played well; for moments I played not that well, especially with the 5-1 of the tiebreak. I played a few really bad points.
I'm very happy I'm through; I'm in the quarterfinals. It's positive result for me. I need to spend hours on court. I would like to have one hour less than what I have, but was positive. It was a positive one.
Probably this match will help me for the -- I don't think for this tournament, but for the next one, yes. For this tournament, probably tomorrow I going to be a little bit more tired than what I would like to be. These kind of matches feel this pressure, finally winning one match like this when I had a few mistakes, when I had the match under control, even after I suffered a lot, because the end of the match was very close and emotional for me.
Was a positive thing to end with the victory. Hopefully I will be ready for tomorrow. I will try my best. He's playing really well. I think this kind of matches helps a lot for the US Open.

Q. What was the difference in the match today? There was just a few points here and there. Is there anything you can point to technically that enabled you to win?
RAFAEL NADAL: Probably I had a little bit few mistakes than him when the match was close. It's true he was playing more spectacular points than my ones, but I think I played with less mistake than him at the end.
One less mistake in the match and arrive to the...

Q. There were a lot unforced errors on both sides.
RAFAEL NADAL: Exactly. The court is not easy. It's very fast and the ball is flying a lot. For me, very difficult to have the control of the ball here in this court.
But I will try my best tomorrow. I think I have to do, and I will try for sure. I'm very happy to be in quarterfinals. I'm excited about the match of tomorrow.

Q. You mentioned it was an emotional match. Is that because you're playing a fellow Spaniard? I know there are a lot of you out there. How much different is it playing a fellow countryman than someone else?
RAFAEL NADAL: Really doesn't matter. It's a competition, and we already played -- it's 12 times that we played against each other, no, so it's nothing new for us.
Really doesn't matter. You want to win; everybody wants to win. He's a friend, but that's it.
All the match end in the court.

Q. Your opponent tomorrow, Mardy Fish, has had a very good summer and has won a lot matches here and moved up the rankings quickly.
RAFAEL NADAL: Uh-huh.

Q. What do you know about him and his style of play?
RAFAEL NADAL: I played already five or six times against him. I know a lot about him. (Smiling.)

Q. No, I mean since he's been on a really hot streak recently.
RAFAEL NADAL: He's a very good player and did very well in Wimbledon, very well last week in Montréal. He's doing very well here. Going to be a very difficult match tomorrow. He's aggressive player, fantastic serve, and very good volley. He's moving much better than before from the baseline with less unforced errors.
So he's a very dangerous player. What ranking? He's No. 7 of the world? So you cannot expect have an easy match against No. 7 of the world. Mardy is a fantastic player and one of the most dangerous players on the tour.

Q. You talked about how Novak is a mental challenge for you. For some reason it happens that when players have a new challenge, they struggle with their game against other players as well.
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, probably today I'm a little bit too tired to talk about Novak. That's the true. You can ask me every day. I am happy to answer every day before this, but I have to go to rest. It's 7:30. For me, the mental part against Novak...

Q. I mean against everybody else because you have a new challenge.
RAFAEL NADAL: I don't understand the question. (Through translation.) I don't have a personal rivalry against Novak. I have a rivalry against everybody. I try my best every day when I go on court. This year, Novak is doing fantastic things, fabulous what he's doing, it's really amazing, and probably impossible to repeat for the rest of us.
I want to congratulate him, but for me the challenge is not different. I have a goal right now, and that's improve my tennis to be enough good to compete against him for next yeah. For this year, I don't have enough time to practice, but hopefully for next year, yes.
I have to change and improve a few things, and that's what I going to try.

Q. How is your hand after the fingers you burned? Any better? Any worse?
RAFAEL NADAL: A little bit better, but I'm playing with big bandage - very big one - and it's very difficult to have the feeling. Even when I am serving, to put the ball at the right place, it's not easy for me.

Q. You know what time to be ready tomorrow. What type of food are you going to be having tonight and tomorrow? You have a time.
RAFAEL NADAL: Normal food. I don't have a big -- not big, I don't have nothing of diet. I will eat tonight. When I go to the menu, I will see something that I would like to eat, and that's what I going to eat.
The thing that can help you that little bit don't going to affect a lot for the match. Important thing is have a good rest, do the right things, drink a lot, and for the rest. For sure I don't going to eat, I don't know, like crazy, because I have to go on court tomorrow not late.
I would love to play a little bit later tomorrow, no? I play at 1:00 another time with all the sun there. After today, more than probably five hours on court, is, for me, a little bit too early.
I would love to play later, but that's what happened when you play doubles, too.

Q. You played Fernando so many times. I know you respect all your opponents, but how did you guard against overconfidence? You had beaten him 11 straight times.
RAFAEL NADAL: 12.

Q. Before today.
RAFAEL NADAL: I don't think about that when I go on court. I think about play well. I know if I don't play well, I going to have a good chance to lose. Today was very close.
Doesn't matter what happened in the past. For sure I prefer have 11 wins on my side than have 11 loses. The mental part is there. But every match is different.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

Rafael Nadal - Battered by Fish :(

MASON, Ohio (AP) Nearly five hours of tennis in one day caught up with Rafael Nadal, who couldn't keep up with a much fresher Mardy Fish and lost 6-3, 6-4 at the Western & Southern Open on Friday.

Fish's first career win over the second-ranked Nadal sent him into the tournament's semifinals for the second straight year. The American lost to Roger Federer in the title match last year.
Fourth-seeded Andy Murray also reached the semifinals. In the wide-open women's bracket, Maria Sharapova advanced in straight sets.

Nadal's tired legs and burned fingertips had something to do with Fish's breakthrough win.
A day earlier, the 25-year-old Spaniard needed three tiebreakers and 3 hours, 38 minutes to beat Fernando Verdasco. That was followed by a 70-minute doubles match. Plus, his right hand was bothering him - he burned the tips of his index and middle fingers on a hot plate at a restaurant before the tournament began, and had to play with them heavily bandaged.

Fish knew everything was on his side this time in the lopsided rivalry - he'd never come close to beating Nadal in their six previous matches, winning a total of two sets. He kept the ball in play, moved Nadal around the court and waited for his running-on-fumes opponent to make a mistake.

After only a few games on a sunny, 82-degree afternoon, Nadal's green shirt was soaked with sweat. Usually demonstrative on court, Nadal was subdued for most of the match, focused on making it through. He wrapped a towel stuffed with ice around his neck during changeovers and rested it on his overtaxed legs.

Midway through the second set, Nadal had a trainer re-tape his left foot.
Fish is the highest-ranked American on the tour at No. 7. He's the only one who hasn't lost his serve, overcoming four break points against Nadal. He raised both arms when his forehand passing shot from the baseline finished it off.

Fish will play Murray, who advanced with a 6-3, 6-3 win over 10th-seeded Gilles Simon of France. Murray, the 2008 champion, has beaten Simon in seven consecutive matches.

Courtesy: NYPost

Mardy Fish claimed his first career victory over Rafael Nadal on Friday, beating the weary Spaniard 6-3, 6-4 to reach the semi-finals of the ATP's Cincinnati Masters.

Nadal, the world number two and second seed, had battled through three tiebreakers over three and a half hours to beat Fernando Verdasco.

He was also still playing with two burned fingertips of his left hand heavily taped.

Fish made the most of his opportunity, saving all four break points he faced as he avenged a quarter-final loss to Nadal at Wimbledon.

Fish, who has risen to seventh in the world, said a successful summer season that has included a title in Atlanta and finals appearances at Los Angeles and Montreal had him feeling more confident against Nadal this time.

"It's so different," said Fish, who finished off the match by zinging a forehand cross court shot past Nadal. "I feel like I should win, not that I hope to win."

The American seventh seed faces another top tier opponent in the semi-finals in world number four Andy Murray, who cruised past France's Gilles Simon 6-3, 6-3.

Courtesy: Yahoo

Rafael Nadal's poor play finally caught up with him as he suffered defeat to the in-form American Mardy Fish at the Western & Southern Open.

After surviving a three-set drama against Fernando Verdasco on Thursday, Nadal - who was hampered by burns to his right hand after an accident at a Japanese restaurant - finally found he could no longer win despite playing a long way from his best - as Fish bossed him around the court on the way to a 6-3 6-4 victory.

It was the first win for the seventh seeded American against Nadal, after six defeats in previous meetings. Fish admitted he felt comfortable on court in Cincinnati and was able to take advantage of Nadal's difficulties.

"This is one of my favourite events. I've had great memories here. He's kicked my butt six times so to get one over him was great," Fish said afterwards. "I'm so much more confident right now, and if I was to choose any surface and any court [to play on] right now it might be this one. I'm just so comfortable here."

Both players started strongly - although there was an early hint that Nadal was not his usual self as he stopped a rally to challenge a call, incorrectly as it transpired, in the very first game. As the set went on Nadal's usually deadly forehand let him down - spraying long and wide on multiple occasions as Fish found the break he needed to move ahead.

In the second set Fish did not take long to take his opponent's serve, with Nadal venting an uncharacteristic amount of anger at the umpires and himself for some questionable calls and poor shot selection. Fish, however, was unfazed - surviving one break point opportunity for his opponent with the score at 4-3, before eventually serving out the match to love two games later.

Fish will now play Andy Murray in the semi-finals.

"I think I can beat anyone right now," he said. "I played Novak [Djokovic] very well last week in the final. Andy's one of the best players in the world, but I'm as confident as I've ever been."

Nadal, meanwhile, will wonder what he needs to rediscover before the US Open begins in just over a week.

Courtesy: ESPN.co.uk

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