Nadal through to Melbourne final
Rafael Nadal is through to the Australian Open final after a comprehensive straight-sets victory over Roger Federer today.
The world number one and top seed was in imperious form throughout the match, reaching his third final in Melbourne with a score of 7-6 (7-4) 6-3 6-3.
Nadal, aiming for his second Australian Open title and 14th grand slam crown overall, will face Federer's fellow Swiss and 10th seed Stanislas Wawrinka in Sunday's final.
Despite playing with a painful blister on his left hand that required treatment early in the second set, the Spaniard played with typical aggression and 17-time slam champion Federer simply could not cope with his old rival's intensity.
Sixth seed Federer did match Nadal stride-for-stride in the opening set, which went to a tie-break.
However, the Swiss - a four-time winner in Melbourne - was made to pay for an error that saw him send a simple forehand into the net to hand Nadal a 3-1 lead in the breaker.
Nadal duly took the first set, and then moved through the gears with a sublime display in the second that saw him break to move into a 4-2 lead before closing it out with ease.
By that stage, the 27-year-old appeared unstoppable and, although Federer managed to break back to make it 2-2 in the third set, he was soon down 3-5 and serving to stay in the match.
The Swiss battled superbly to take the final game to deuce, but a wonderful Nadal forehand brought up match point before another unforced error from Federer settled matters.
Nadal has now beaten Federer in 23 of their 33 ATP Tour meetings, and will become just the third man in history to win all four grand slams at least twice - after Rod Laver and Roy Emerson - if he extends his flawless 12-0 record over Wawrinka on Sunday.
Best Free Bet Offers - Provided by engagesuperleague.co.uk
Click any of the bookmakers name to activate your free bet now.
1. Unibet (sign up offer – free £20)
Deposit £20, bet with £40. Create a Unibet account here >>.
2. Betfair (bet 10£ get 30£)
Get free 5£ no deposit required on casino. Create a Betfair account here >>.
3. Bet365 (sign up offer - £200 in free bets)
Deposit £200, bet with £400. Create a Bet365 account here >>.
4. Offsidebet (sign up offer - £25 in free bets)
Deposit £25, bet with £50. Create a new Offsidebet account here >>.
5. Sky Bet (sign up offer – no deposit free £30)
Deposit 0, bet with £30. Create a new Sky Bet account here >>.
Pep Guardiola will return to the Camp Nou for the first time as an opposition coach on Wednesday when his Bayern Munich side faces the ominous task of halting a Barcelona team in devastating form.It was three years ago that[…]
Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal believes embattled winger Angel di Maria will remain at the club amid doubts surrounding his future, though the Dutchman concedes the decision rests in the player's hands.Di Maria signed a five-year deal with United[…]
Jose Mourinho says the champagne is not on ice as Chelsea bid to secure the Premier League title in front of their own fans against Crystal Palace on Sunday.Chelsea have dominated domestically this season, losing just twice in the league,[…]
Milan will be desperate to ease their off-field problems by clinching a much-needed three points at home to Genoa in Serie A on Wednesday.A dreadful season for Milan hit a new low in Saturday's 2-1 defeat at Udinese, which left[…]
Atletico Madrid are the visitors to El Madrigal on Wednesday, with Villarreal desperate to bring an end to a run of nine matches without a victory.Marcelino's side sit sixth in La Liga, although any potential hopes of sealing a UEFA[…]
Borussia Dortmund midfielder Shinji Kagawa argued his team owe outgoing coach Jurgen Klopp a trophy as they prepare for their DFB Pokal semi-final.Dortmund will travel to Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich on Tuesday with a spot in the DFB Pokal decider[…]
Club Brugge will need to maintain their record unbeaten streak if they are to come through their UEFA Europa League quarter-final clash with Dnipro, but coach Michel Preud'homme is expecting a "poker game" in Ukraine.A goalless draw in the first[…]
Andre Villas-Boas admits Zenit face a huge challenge to qualify for the UEFA Europa League's semi-finals, despite the return of key players for the visit of Sevilla.The Russian Premier League leaders were beaten 2-1 in the first leg of their[…]
Paris Saint-Germain bounced back from their UEFA Champions League humbling against Barcelona by beating Nice 3-1 to boost their bid for a hat-trick of Ligue 1 titles.A clinical first half finish from Javier Pastore put PSG in charge against the[…]
Arsene Wenger set his sights on a record-breaking FA Cup triumph after holders Arsenal rode their luck to return to the final with a 2-1 win over Reading.Wenger's club will contest a record 19th FA Cup final against Aston Villa[…]
