Rafael Nadal, the 2009 champion, will begin his bid for a second Australian Open title with a first round match against talented countryman Fernando Verdasco, currently ranked 47 in the world. They will be facing each other for the 17th time. The head-to-head series stands at 14-2 in Rafa’s favor.
Date: January 19, 2016
Match time: Approximately 2 pm local time, 3 am GMT – United Kingdom / 4 am CET – Spain, France, Germany, Italy /January 18, 10 pm EST – New York, Montreal. To convert to your local time, use this website.
Watch online: 3pmstream
Rafa on playing Verdasco:
Very tough first round. Not a lucky first round, I think, for me. For him either. Will be a tough match. I need to be ready to play very good tennis if I want to be through.
This is Rafa’s eleventh appearance at the Australian Open and his best result was winning in 2009. In 2013 and 2014, our champ reached the final.
Here are the matches they have played against each other:
| YEAR | EVENT | RND | WINNER |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Hamburg Germany Outdoor Clay |
R32 | Rafael Nadal
36 61 61
|
| 2015 | ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Miami FL, U.S.A. Outdoor Hard |
R32 | Fernando Verdasco
64 26 63
|
| 2012 | ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Madrid Spain Outdoor Clay |
R16 | Fernando Verdasco
63 36 75
|
| 2012 | Barcelona Spain Outdoor Clay |
SF | Rafael Nadal
60 64
|
| 2011 | ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Cincinnati OH, U.S.A. Outdoor Hard |
R16 | Rafael Nadal
765 674 769
|
| 2010 | US Open NY, U.S.A. Outdoor Hard |
QF | Rafael Nadal
75 63 64
|
| 2010 | ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Monte Carlo Monaco Outdoor Clay |
F | Rafael Nadal
60 61
|
| 2009 | ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Madrid Spain Outdoor Clay |
QF | Rafael Nadal
64 75
|
| 2009 | ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Rome Italy Outdoor Clay |
QF | Rafael Nadal
63 63
|
| 2009 | Australian Open Australia Outdoor Hard |
SF | Rafael Nadal
674 64 762 671 64
|
| 2008 | Roland Garros France Outdoor Clay |
R16 | Rafael Nadal
61 60 62
|
| 2007 | ATP Masters Series Indian Wells CA, U.S.A. Outdoor Hard |
R32 | Rafael Nadal
64 64
|
| 2006 | London / Queen’s Club Great Britain Outdoor Grass |
R16 | Rafael Nadal
26 763 763
|
| 2005 | Stuttgart Germany Outdoor Grass |
R16 | Rafael Nadal
63 62
|
| 2005 | ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Miami FL, U.S.A. Outdoor Hard |
R32 | Rafael Nadal
62 62
|
| 2005 | Doha Qatar Outdoor Hard |
R16 | Rafael Nadal
62 64
|
| QUALIFYING, CHALLENGER AND FUTURES MATCHES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| YEAR | EVENT | RND | WINNER |
| 2003 | Hamburg Germany Indoor Carpet |
QF | Rafael Nadal
62 75
|
GOOD LUCK AND VAMOS RAFA!
VAMOS MATADOR YOU ARE THE BEST ,So Just Go & DO your Very Best ,Like you Always do,& GOOD LUCK <3 <3 😉
Dearest Rafa: Hope you are feeling good on court during your practice sessions in Melbourne. Most of all I hope you are feeling your very best physically. I hope and pray you remain healthy, alert, refreshed, very rested, and VERY confident. Please believe in yourself and lose any self-doubt which you may have. You are the very best — you are the very best in every way. So just remember you can do any when you believe in yourself – and you already know this – I or anyone else need not remind you of this. During your match tomorrow, please play in the moment with intensity and confidence. And I also wish you the best of luck. Rafa, the big prize is yours so please take it. God bless you . Love you and respect you, Marylynn
Best wishes to Rafa in round 1 against Fernando. I really enjoy both these guys.
It’s just too bad they can’t meet later on in the tournament. This is more like a semi-finals.
This match will be some display of shot-making! Can’t wait to watch!
See the Beer boy is back and sofga or whatever the name is…sad trolls nothing better to do with their lives..indifference is the best remedy..Rafas fans are not blind to the fact that last year was not good for him WE KNOW..but we are true fans and adore him for the decent man he is…he has given so much to tennis …of course I want to see recover that awesome level of tennis what’s to say he won’t …I still love to watch him no one has Rafas charisma or passion…clear off and spread your bile somewhere else …leave this site to his true fans…
Lindaarnold: You’re not true fan of Rafa. You want Rafa to be humiliated by Djoker and even some of the lesser players. A true fan is not delusional and in denial. winning 1st, 2nd and even quarter final of GS shouldn’t be a big deal for somebody like Rafa with 14 GSs under his belt. so please stop get excited with those early wins if in fact he doesn’t lose. Rafa is hardworking talented nice man but he needs professional help to get him back on the track. I hate to see him lose specially against Djoker. but it is obvious you and other self-called true fans are very happy to see him struggle and be beaten over and over by Djoker. You are not a fan.
Dear Moderators,
I’m new here and I think this is a blog for Nadal’s fans. But reading some comments by some posters it doesn’t make to look a good and peaceful webside, on the contrary it seems to be a place where any troll can go through. It’s a shame that you can’t be able to have control about it . Nadal deserves to have a lot more respect and a better webside from the good tennis followers and his fans who love his game, his honestly and all good he is. Hope you can fix all this mess, thanks in advance. Julia
Julia: cool off. censorship doesn’t change the facts about the Rafa’s poor performances in last year and his embarassing beat down by Djoker in Doha. What make you entitled to call realistic fans of Rafa troll? Have you heard of freedom of expression? Apparently not.
I like the freedom of expression but you are insulting and making comments completely out of context. You seem to be a very negative person and of course with not too much knowledge about this sport , it’s clear like crystal that you are posting here with all the hate you have inside, I have not any idea who is your fav but whoever is I feel sorry for him having fanatics like you, he should be very embarrassing
Look in the mirror yourself Beer and said I am a male chauvinist pig and a very jealous man who has the balls to call himself a fan
Any player is unbelievable according to Rafa. I have no hope for Rafa and would be great if he proves me wrong. 19 years old Hyeon Chung ranked 52 played much better than Rafa
against Djoker at the 1st round of AO yesterday.
Vamos Rafa a ganr tu eresel mejorchampion
You Can Do This Rafa ! Good Luck . Vamos Champ <3 <3 🙂
Good luck for tomorrow Rafa. I will be praying for your good health n the return of your old form. Vamos Rafael. Love your Aussie Abuela. 😀😊😇
All the best Rafa! No matter what you are a champion
You are one very green eyed monster J Beer, its very easy to kock someone with talent, compassion, looks,money and a wonderful life and you do
You Maria and that other horse are so called fans but your reactions to my comments tell it all. Did you, as ‘real fans’ even read Nadal’s biography? Do you with all your ‘fan love’ BS even know why Nadal did not play RG in 2004? Because of his permanent foot injury you horrid creatures. Now walk to the mirror and tell yourself “I am a frigging dumb creature, Mr J Beer was right, again”.
All the very best Rafa, you have been training so gard for the last few months now with good results, so go after Nando on Tuesday an progress 🐃👍🇦🇩
Remember dear Rafa, all your fan’s love n prays are der with you.
All our positive energy wil be sent to you.
Give it your best shot.
No matter what. Remember we , your fans will always love you.
We do not know the time but we do know the date. Your fans will send positive energy to you. As you always say “I will do my best”. That said it all
Good luck for the match. Vamos Rafa <3
Any late news re Rafael’s fitness, after we saw photographs of him grimacing in pain.
He has a permanent foot injury. I thought a ‘real fan’ like you should know that?
And you J.Beer suffer from mouth disease