2nd of February
A few hours after a historic final at the Australian Open, an exhausted Rafa Nadal was simply too tired to fully enjoy his title success on Sunday night.
Rafael played 18 hours and 58 minutes of tennis on his way to winning his first grand slam on hardcourt, which included a record-breaking five hours 14 minutes in an epic semi-final against Fernando Verdasco.
The world number one is known for his never-say-die attitude on court but even he admitted he was concerned about his fitness heading into the final showdown with his greatest rival Roger Federer following his efforts against his fellow countryman.
IN HIS OWN WORDS
"I was little bit worried about the physical performance because I practised and it was tough to keep the concentration," said Nadal, who became the first Spaniard - male or female - to win a title in Melbourne.
"But I spoke with the coach, Toni, before the match and he told me "you go there and fight all the time and believe in the victory all the time" and I think that's what I did in the end."
In the third set, that mammoth effort against Verdasco looked as though it might finally have taken its toll when Nadal called for the trainer to massage his right thigh after the seventh and ninth games.
But the left-hander simply ran harder and hit harder as the pressure told on Federer who failed to take the break point opportunities presented to him.
source: www.rafaelnadal.com
