Fifth seed Rafael Nadal has reached the final of the Miami Open after recording a 6-1, 7-5 semi-final victory over unseeded Italian Fabio Fognini. He is in the Miami final for the fifth time but is still in search of his first title.
Rafa, who will be going for his 29thATP World Tour Masters 1000 crown, will face either Roger Federer or Nick Kyrgios in Sunday’s final.
Rafael Nadal of Spain returns a shot against Fabio Fognini of Italy during Day 12 of the Miami Open at Crandon Park Tennis Center on March 31, 2017 in Key Biscayne, Florida. (March 30, 2017 – Source: Al Bello/Getty Images North America)
Rafael Nadal loses his shoe against Fabio Fognini during Day 12 of the Miami Open at Crandon Park Tennis Center on March 31, 2017 in Key Biscayne, Florida. (Al Bello/Getty Images)
Rafael Nadal of Spain in action against Fabio Fognini of Italy in the semi finals at Crandon Park Tennis Center on March 31, 2017 in Key Biscayne, Florida. (March 30, 2017 – Source: Julian Finney/Getty Images North America)
Rafael Nadal of Spain in action against Fabio Fognini of Italy in the semi finals at Crandon Park Tennis Center on March 31, 2017 in Key Biscayne, Florida. (March 30, 2017 – Source: Julian Finney/Getty Images North America)
Rafael Nadal of Spain looks on against Fabio Fognini of Italy during Day 12 of the Miami Open at Crandon Park Tennis Center on March 31, 2017 in Key Biscayne, Florida. (March 30, 2017 – Source: Al Bello/Getty Images North America)
Rafael Nadal of Spain looks on against Fabio Fognini of Italy during Day 12 of the Miami Open at Crandon Park Tennis Center on March 31, 2017 in Key Biscayne, Florida. (March 30, 2017 – Source: Al Bello/Getty Images North America)
Rafael Nadal of Spain looks on against Fabio Fognini of Italy during Day 12 of the Miami Open at Crandon Park Tennis Center on March 31, 2017 in Key Biscayne, Florida. (March 30, 2017 – Source: Al Bello/Getty Images North America)
Rafael Nadal of Spain in action against Fabio Fognini of Italy in the semi finals at Crandon Park Tennis Center on March 31, 2017 in Key Biscayne, Florida. (March 30, 2017 – Source: Julian Finney/Getty Images North America)
Rafael Nadal of Spain looks on against Fabio Fognini of Italy during Day 12 of the Miami Open at Crandon Park Tennis Center on March 31, 2017 in Key Biscayne, Florida. (March 30, 2017 – Source: Al Bello/Getty Images North America)
Rafael Nadal of Spain looks on against Fabio Fognini of Italy during Day 12 of the Miami Open at Crandon Park Tennis Center on March 31, 2017 in Key Biscayne, Florida. (March 30, 2017 – Source: Al Bello/Getty Images North America)
Rafael Nadal of Spain wipes sweat off of the court during his match against Fabio Fognini of Italy during Day 12 of the Miami Open at Crandon Park Tennis Center on March 31, 2017 in Key Biscayne, Florida. (March 30, 2017 – Source: Al Bello/Getty Images North America)
Rafael Nadal of Spain looks on against Fabio Fognini of Italy during Day 12 of the Miami Open at Crandon Park Tennis Center on March 31, 2017 in Key Biscayne, Florida. (March 30, 2017 – Source: Al Bello/Getty Images North America)
Rafael Nadal of Spain celebrates defeating Fabio Fognini of Italy in the semi finals at Crandon Park Tennis Center on March 31, 2017 in Key Biscayne, Florida. (March 30, 2017 – Source: Julian Finney/Getty Images North America)
Rafael Nadal of Spain celebrates match point against Fabio Fognini of Italy during Day 12 of the Miami Open at Crandon Park Tennis Center on March 31, 2017 in Key Biscayne, Florida. (March 30, 2017 – Source: Al Bello/Getty Images North America)
Rafael Nadal celebrates defeating Fabio Fognini of Italy in the semi finals at Crandon Park Tennis Center on March 31, 2017 in Key Biscayne, Florida. (Julian Finney/Getty Images)
Rafael Nadal of Spain celebrates defeating Fabio Fognini of Italy in the semi finals at Crandon Park Tennis Center on March 31, 2017 in Key Biscayne, Florida. (March 30, 2017 – Source: Julian Finney/Getty Images North America)
Rafael Nadal of Spain celebrates defeating Fabio Fognini of Italy in the semi finals at Crandon Park Tennis Center on March 31, 2017 in Key Biscayne, Florida. (March 30, 2017 – Source: Julian Finney/Getty Images North America)
Rafael Nadal of Spain celebrates defeating Fabio Fognini of Italy in the semi finals at Crandon Park Tennis Center on March 31, 2017 in Key Biscayne, Florida. (March 30, 2017 – Source: Julian Finney/Getty Images North America)
Wow! This is certainly a war of attrition between Roger and Nick. No smiles. I hope Rafa is doing his homework on this match!!!
Thrilling and fascinating match. If it was Rafa playing, I’d be sick.
What a miss. Nick’s been feeding off Fed’s second serve like eating breakfast. If Fed can’t keep his first serve in, Nick will take the match for sure.
Rafalite – nick did say he had been enlightened about tennis recently with family support etc so it could be the psychologist sessions working also
he is so different it’s incredible.
Even does a real 2nd serve, instead of 2 1rst serves.
I am learning to like him tonight, taking it to Fed.
But against Rafa, he will look very different to me.
Wow Nick has really good eyesight, you can tell. He was right at challenges like that previously too.
Vy,Rafa has posted a video on Instagram of himself , Carlos, uncle Toni and team playing a board game ,with Rafa doing a little dance move , Can you get it and post it here pls
Maria, you mean the whole clip or the gif with Rafa doing that little dance move only? 🙂
Here’s the whole clip:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BSUgsB-h07Z/
Rafa#Cutie pie 😃😍🤗
Rafa#Cutie pie! 😃😍🤗
…Oops duplicated 🙃🙂😉
Well out of nowhere – nick breaks – after all those struggles on his own serve. It’s getting interesting now. It was all a bit dull before I thought.
Wow no sooner do I say Fed is playing better than nick picks it up a level and breaks. Wow. He could do it.
Cahill finally explained why Nick is different and I noticed this in the past two months–he’s seeing “someone” i.e. a psychologist of some sort, it was the atp who insisted said Cahill.
Didn’t know they could send players to shrinks. Anyway, it worked. He is very different mentally.
Rafalite, it’s more abt the dynamic of the match than one player’s level in a particular patch :-).
Fed started very hot, nick not so much
of course they affect each other too
Yay! Nick breaks at first chance!!! (second BP though :p).
Saint Nick 😇 is certainly working up a sweat out there
Well so far looks like Fed is still the superior player by a more than a smidge.
Tennis is funny that way.
I hate to say it, but i think Fed will beat Rafa yet again unless Rafa can do something different than in the past two matches.
Just wait, Rafalite. Nick was not playing his best while Fed might think his best chance is the first set.
Great hold from Nick.
2 all
But still way too nervous.
Sideline observation: Princess r looks way too relax for the occasion, which makes me suspect that Nick will not play to win. Thus far, from the very serve point 1st point by r , it indeed looks like Nick’s offish returns are conducive to princess’s taking the match.
As we have witness by now, Nick’s game and ability is clear and so AS clear is the occasion when he does not play to win. Have seen it before when he faced r.
As of IW, in my humble tennis fan opinion, this whole thing about Nick being sick with tummy bug positioning resulting in avoiding a match w r. looked rather predictable…..YEP…..it was obvious something was going to happen…did not know at the time what exactly, but honest to goodness I had that extra sense that someone was going to be helped somehow to making the IW Finals in an odd manner. Obviously, not sure if Nick actually was ill , or if by any chance, was helped with something nasty in his food or drink….one will never know either way….. but what was rather not surprising at all was the fact that somehow Nick’s competition was removed making an easy path to the Final.
There are so many great gifted players now …..both older and young bunch of talents…. it is absolutely out of date to keep placing players over others with found-less pedestals and calling it sport. That is just my two cents and I am ever so thankful that I see Champion Rafa earn all his trophies and beyond!!!!!! : ) : ) : ) : )
Nick is quite subdued at the mo. I hope it’s not all building up to burst out later. It could just be nerves or too much respect. We will see.
Fed is just better. And I’m no fan, beleive me.
Fed’s taking initiative early. He needs to. He doesn’t, and shouldn’t, want to take the match to a third set. Nick needs to be really patient. He seems a nervous now.
Well held nick
Oh i just need to wipe the smile off the commentators faces and shut them up. So it’s nick for me. And I think it may be the making of him to get into an important final
It’s still gusty at night, Susie. Hope Nick can adjust to that. But Fed’s looking good so far.
I can’t hear the commies for both matches today, need to keep the volume to minimal.
Vy that is bloody hilarious
🐶🐶😽😽
Yay! Nick breaks at first chance!!! (second BP though :p).
MARIA MARIA – look who the umpire is. It’s the lovely Mohamed lahyani. What an extra treat for us. Lol – I just love his smiley face
Yes my favourite umpire and Peter Flemming commentating , can’t get much better 😁
Oh Maria, you like Peter Fleming? (Flemming is the actor lol)
How abt Mark Petchey?
Sorry to many m’s , yep mark’s just fine, better than boring Barry, but John McEnroe’s is my fave