Match Notes: Tomas Berdych v. Rafael Nadal, AO QF

Welcome to “Match Notes,” a new segment on TTI which is everything it promises to be.

• Berdych consistently returned to the Nadal backhand

• Nadal elected to stand well behind the baseline to return serve for the majority of the match, yielding short returns and facilitating Berdych’s desired first strike game plan

• Nadal hit six double faults and only won 6/21 of his second serve points

• Berdych made much progress approaching to Nadal’s backhand; he was also able to make some inroads going hard and deep into the forehand, which can be a very risky tactic against Nadal

• Throughout the match, we saw super clean, deep returns from Berdych

• Berdych’s movement also seems much improved; he was less exposed moving laterally than he has been in the past 

• Nadal repeatedly beaten by Berdych’s inside out forehand (Berdych did well to use the angles, rendering Nadal’s lateral defense almost useless)

• Berdych bailed himself out at 4-4 in the third set with some timely aces after losing three points where he hit a cross-court approach shot
  

• Nadal attempted adjust in the third set to counter Berdych’s out-wide serve on the deuce side by moving closer to the baseline to cut off the slider

• Berdych kept his cool after letting a 5-1 lead in the tiebreak slip; he crushed a second serve at 5-4 and ended the match with some audacious hitting at 6-5.

• This is Berdych’s first win over Nadal in 17 encounters

• His last win over Rafa came all the way back in 2006

• Nadal has not won the Australian Open since 2009

• Berdych will face Andy Murray in the semifinals, who worked with the Czech’s new coach, Daniel Vallverdu, until the end of last season.

• Berdych has successful defended his semifinal points from 2014

What were some of your notes from last night’s quarterfinals? Sound off in the comments!