Having once contested one of the greatest tiebreaks in history, Rafael Nadal appreciates the value of an end-of-set shootout as well as anyone. As classics of the genre go, the 28-minute epic that put the Spaniard on course for a 7-6 (16-14), 6-2, 6-2 victory over Adrian Mannarino at the Australian Open may not go down in history alongside the fourth-set tiebreak in the 2008 Wimbledon final against Roger Federer. But if Nadal goes on to win a record 21st grand slam next weekend, its significance may be comparable.
For an hour and 21 minutes, Mannarino subjected Nadal’s title credentials to a stern examination. He had lost both his previous meetings with the Spaniard and spent almost five hours battling to subdue Aslan Karatsev in the previous round but, having fought back from 6-4 down in the breaker, the unorthodox Frenchman held four set points. Nadal remained imperturbable, saving them all and finally taking the set at the seventh opportunity when, caught in no man’s land, he manufactured a ferocious drive volley that Mannarino could only stab wide.
“It was a crazy one, chances for both,” said Nadal, who, with Mannarino fading physically, raced through the next two sets. “I was lucky to win that tiebreak at the end, no? Half of the match was in the tiebreak, without a doubt. He was playing great, that’s the truth. He was playing at a very high level.
“His ball was super difficult to control out there. The ball came so fast, and the serve was difficult to read, and he opened the court very well. It was difficult to return. Then I started to return more inside the court with the second, and I took some advantage there.
“He’s a player that has an ability to make you feel uncomfortable on court because of his style of game. It is a victory with a lot of value, especially the first set.”
Just how much value remains to be seen. Nadal had barely booked his place in a 14th quarter-final at Melbourne Park before Denis Shapovalov wrapped up a 6-3, 7-6 (7-5), 6-3 win over Alexander Zverev, the third seed, that did little harm to the the Spaniard’s prospects of successfully navigating the top half of a draw already shorn of Novak Djokovic. Zverev, who started the tournament as second favourite behind Daniil Medvedev, had won three of his previous four meetings with Nadal, and while a showdown with the gifted Canadian will be no walk in the park for the sixth seed, it certainly feels like the lesser of two evils.
“[Zverev] was a bit of a favourite probably because of his ranking, but he was not a clear favourite,” said Nadal, who has not lost an official match to Shapovalov since 2017. “Everybody knows how good Denis is when he’s playing well. You didn’t expect a three-sets victory, but that’s what happened.
“I don’t know if Sascha played well or not, but even considering Sascha was not playing fantastic today, to win in straight sets against him is because [Shapovalov] played a fantastic match.”
Now unbeaten in seven competitive matches since his return from the foot injury that kept him out of the sport for almost six months, Nadal has been surprised by the speed of his progress. Having contracted Covid at an exhibition event in Abu Dhabi before Christmas, a setback that threatened his hopes of competing in Australia, the Spaniard’s prospects of challenging for a title he last won in 2009 no longer appear fanciful.
“To be able to play seven matches, it’s great news,” said Nadal. “In terms of tennis, I am happy. I did a lot of things well, and knowing where we are coming from, and about the amount of practices at the highest level that I was able to do before [coming] here, things are going much better than expected, without a doubt.
“But sport changes quick, and you need to be ready and you need to be there at the right moment to get it if you have the chance. I have been working very hard in all terms for a lot of months, not that much on court, but in all ways to try to come back to the tour.
“I am enjoying the fact that I am here, and I am enjoying the fact that I am again in the quarter-finals of a grand slam, something that is very special for me.”
Shapovalov’s path to the last eight has been almost identical to Nadal’s. Like the Spaniard, the 22-year-old contracted Covid in Abu Dhabi and, having helped Canada to the ATP Cup title on his return, he too will go into their showdown with seven successive wins. Shapovalov showed admirable patience to subdue Zverev, who had been seeking to reach the second week in Melbourne for a third successive year following last season’s victories at the Olympics and the ATP Finals.
“I’ve always wanted to play quick and go for my shots,” said Shapovalov. “But it’s difficult when you play a guy with the calibre of Sascha. You can’t go through him in one or two shots. You have to stay in the rallies, you have to work for the points. Then, when you have an opportunity, you can swing and go for it.
“It’s been a little bit of adapting to that. Definitely I’ve been doing it much better as I’ve grown. Hopefully I can just continue to improve that and really know when to pick my moments to go for it and to play aggressive.”
Finding that balance promises to be crucial for the Canadian in the next round as he looks to build on his run to the Wimbledon semi-finals last summer.