In a rematch of one of the best men’s Grand Slam matches of recent years, Rafael Nadal faces Dominic Thiem in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open on Wednesday.
Date: January 29, 2020
Match time: 7:30 PM local time / 3:30 AM EST – New York, Montreal / 8:30 AM GMT – United Kingdom / 9:30 AM CET – Spain, France, Germany, Italy. To convert to your local time, use this website.
Rafa and Domi have played 13 times before, including twice in the final of the French Open in 2018-19. But 12 of those 13 matches have come on clay.
The last time they played one another on hard court, they produced one of the most memorable Grand Slam matches of recent memory. In the 2018 US Open quarter-finals, both men ripped the cover off the ball for four hours and 49 minutes, with Rafa ultimately triumphing in a fifth-set tie-break.
Rafa on playing Domi:
I expect a very tough match. He’s playing well. I saw him play Monday against Gael Monfils. He was playing a very high level [of] tennis. We know each other well. He’s a player who I like a lot, the way that he works, the way that he plays, and the way that he tries his best always. It’s a match that is going to be a tough one, but it will be interesting.
I am excited to play this quarter-final against Dominic. I know I have to be at my best to have chances. I think I am moving in the right direction. Every day I’m playing a little bit better.
GOOD LUCK & VAMOS RAFA!
Had Rafa won this match it would be a repeated the us open final. Rafa probably would have to retire in the next match after such a grueling contest. I would rather rafa loose than retire. Still hurting though. No matter what I try to think and comfort myself. I need a shrink 😭😭😭😫😫😫😫
Not final semi final against delpo in 2018
Wow mjus reading your comments has made my heart sink. Quite a dark picture. Well I understand but I do hope that 19 GSs are not final. Just hoping because unless Rafa finds proper form and maybe makes some changes – especially gets someone to work on his mental issues I’m feeling nervous. Hope I’m absolutely wrong. Even very nervous for the FO.
Rafa cmon you can win some more GSs. Please find a way to trust yourself more and ……
VAMOS
Nadal played very sluggish made lot of mistakes with his forehand. Also he was very nervous and had problems with the heat and the umpire. Nadal squashed a major opportunity. He was serving for the first set and was up a break in the second. I dont understand why he couldnt served out the first set and consolidate the break in the second.
My feeling is simpley nervous he had a opportunity to equalise federer and that made him nervous. But i think in the end i am happy he lost in the quarterfinal and not in the final
Right now rafa can not compete with novak on hard court so him reaching the final and then get another beatdown from novak is too much for me
I think that the final will be between djokovic and zverev and that novak will win Also i think that halep will win the women tournament she is playing very well.
Nadal 19 titles will stay forever. But it is just too difficult for nadal to win in Australia and Wimbeldon. The only chances for him to win is in Paris and New York.
Rafa lost because he felt inferior to Thiem which he did not feel against Kyrgios whom he fought very aggressively.
He also lost with 3 tiebreaks. Only break in the match favoured Rafa in the third set which he won. Statistics show the cruelty of the match. I wish the overhype of Thiem would end. By defeating Rafa today, Thiem just played the role of a party crasher as we will probably see in the next round.
Three more grand slams this year.
Wamos Rafa you are the best.
Sending best wishes to Delpo for a good recovery after yet more knee surgery. If Stan can do it you can Delpo!
Rafa probably looked down the other side of the court today and saw that he was playing himself. Nerves got the better of Rafa in the key moments hence too many errors. He will continue to struggle to win another AO unless he can find more length in his shots. His opponents are just waiting to pick off short balls which he hits on a regular basis.
Looking ahead, to beat Novak you need someone with tremendous power, precision and stamina. Rafa’s game style feeds into Novak’s hands. Stan is out and Roger won’t be up to the task, so i’m hoping that Thiem or Zverev can do it. So far, Thiem looks the more likely candidate.
For Rafa, the wait continues. I’m just thankful that he’s still motivated and injury free to fight another day.
VAMOS SWEETHEART!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) CONGRATULATIONS ON MAKING IT TO THE QF AND KEEPING UP YOUR MAGICAL TENNIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) WE LOVE YOU SWEETHEART AND ARE SENDING SUPPORT AND UNDERSTANDING AS YOU ARE DEALING WITH THE UNEASINESS OF THIS SMELLY MATCH. SAD TO HAVE TO WITNESS THE UNJUST BS YOU HAVE TO DEAL WITH. STAY STRONG SWEETHEART AND KNOW YOU ARE LOVED AND DEEPLY APPRECIATED BY MILLIONS OF GLOBAL INTERNATIONAL FANS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) CONGRATULATIONS ON KEEPING MIGHTY FIT AND POWERFUL AND IMPROVING YOUR SERVE SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) YOU KNOW WELL THERE WILL BE OTHER OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) OTHER OPEN DOORS AND OTHER GREAT MOMENTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) VAMOS SWEETHEART!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) KEEP ENJOYING AND KEEP GOING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) WE LOVE YOU GOAT RAFA NADAL AND YOUR TOP TOP TOP BRILLIANT AND POWERFUL TENNIS WAS THERE LEADING TO QF….. TODAY YOUR FLOW WAS STOPPED BY THE DISTRESS. YOU AND ALL PLAYERS HAVE THE RIGHT TO PLAY OUT YOUR TENNIS WITH NO INTERFERENCE. WITHOUT ANY CONSTANT TENSION HOOVERING OVER YOU. FORTUNATELY, NOTHING STOPS YOUR PRECIOUS FIGHTING SPIRIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) KEEP GOING DEAR RAFA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) THIS IS NOTHING NEW…….KEEP UP YOUR BLESSED EFFORTS SWEETHEART AND JOY OF PLAYING AND STRIDING WHOLESOME PRACTICING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) DO YOUR SELF AN EXTRA PRECIOUS FAVOR AND COMBAT THIS BS WITH YOUR BOUNTIFUL PASSION AND FEISTY DRIVE AND NATURAL ENTHUSIASM SO THAT YOUR BEAUTIFUL STRIDES KEEPS ADVANCING NO MATTER WHAT. PLEASE SWEETHEART HOLD YOUR PRECIOUS SPANISH HEAD HIGH DEAR RAFA AND PLEASE KNOW YOUR HARD WORK AND EFFORTS DO ADVANCE YOUR TOP TENNIS LEVEL BIG TIME AS WE HAVE WITNESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) YOU ARE IMPROVING….YOU ARE MAGICAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) KEEP IN MIND YOUR DESIRES….YOUR DRIVE…..YOUR WELL BEING…..AND MOVE ON AS YOU ALWAYS DO BRILLIANTLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) THIS WHOLE WRONGFUL SERVE TIMING UPSET YOUR GAME AS YOUR GAME WAS CLEARLY STRESSED OUT TODAY DUE TO ALL THE POOR UMPIRE BAD TIMING OF YOUR SERVE. HOW IS IT OK AND HOW IS IT PASSIVELY BEING ALLOWED FOR HER TO DO SUCH POOR JOB TO BEGIN THE TIMER BEFORE YOU GET ALL THE BALLS FROM THE COURT????? AS WORLD GREATEST TENNIS PLAYER NUMBER ONE IN THE WORLD, YOU AUGHT TO RECEIVE RESPECTFUL SUPPORT, HONOR AND HIGH REGARD NOT HINDERENCE…… WAS SO PROUD OF YOU FOR NOT SHAKING HANDS AT THE END……WHICH IS SO TELLING SINCE YOU ARE BEYOND POLITE TRUE GENTLEMAN AND SUCH A WONDERFUL, KIND DECENT HUMAN BEING. STAY STRONG AND MIGHT SWEETHEART. IN 2017 YOU WERE WINNING AND THEN YOUR LOOSING OPPONENT IMHOP WAS WAY OUT OF IT….. BEHIND IN SCORE………COULD BARELY STAND…. COULD NO LONGER FACE YOUR RETURNS…….COULD NO LONGER PLAY……CLEARLY LOOSING THE MATCH……. YET RATHER THAN HAVE SPORTSMANSHIP AND COURT REGARD, HE WAS CALLING FOR MED …….WHICH IS LEGAL BUT QUESTIONABLE IN TERMS OF WHO HAS THE ABILITY AND WHO REALLY WON??????? YOUR OPPONENT TOOK TIME TO BREAK AND REST AND TO LIE DOWN ON HIS BACK AND CATCH BREATH WHILE TAKING YOU AWAY FROM YOUR WINNING ENERGIZED GROOVE….ALL WAS WELL, ALLOWED AND ACCEPTED, HE WAS PRAISED AS IF HE EARNED THE TITLE……GOSH THAT WAS IMHO A DESPICABLE MOMENT IN TENNIS HISTORY. WE ARE SO PROUD OF YOU DEAR GOAT RAFA NADAL AND TIME WILL TELL……HISTORY IS FUNNY THAT WAY……THE TRUTH ALWAYS UNCOVERED AND SINCERELY SUCH MOMENTS HAVE A WAY OF LINGERING ON TO TELL WHO WAS INDEED THE ACTUAL STRONGER, BETTER, AND WORTHY OF THE TITLE. IN 2018, THE WHOLE ROOF BS WAS HAPPENING….. AGAIN UNNECESSARY TENSION…….PLUS POOR MISCALLS ALLOWED WENT UNCHECKED IN 2017 AND 2018 STOP YOU FROM SIMPLY PLAYING YOUR GAME… STOP YOU FROM FEELING THE EXCELLENCE OF YOUR MOMENTUM……..TODAY WE COULD SMELL THE DIRT ALL THE WAY OVER SEA….. UNFORTUNATE THAT COURT OFFICIAL, MAN IN BROWN SUITE, AND MAN SITTING BESIDE HIM WERE PASSIVE BY NOT DOING ENOUGH TO ADDRESS THE SERVE TIMING ISSUE AND YOUR CLEAR DISTRESS OF THE THE SITUATION. SO SORRY YOU DID NOT RECEIVE THE SUPPORT AND HAD TO FACE SUCH SHEER STRESS AND SHEER ATROCITY…….YOU ARE THE STRONGEST PLAYER ON TOUR !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) THANKFULLY YOU HAVE SO MANY ADORING ADMIRING FANS WHO KNOW EXACTLY YOUR GREATNESS AND PURE TENNIS GENIUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) YOU , ABOVE ALL, KNOW HOW TO MOVE FORWARD AND HAVE LEANED OVER THE YEARS TO USE ALL DISCOMFORT AND BS POLITICS TO BE RE ENERGIZED….REFRESHED…..AND ON A CONSTANT IMPROVING RIDE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) YOUR SELF BUILDING AND CREATIVITY HAVE GIVEN YOU BEAUTIFUL, WORTHY SUCCESS AND ADVANTAGES ARE TOO NUMEROUS TO SITE HERE…..THE BEST OF ALL IS HOW MUCH LOVE AND RESPECT YOU EARNED AND HAVE GAINED WORLD WIDE FAME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) WE LOVE YOU SWEETHEART AND GO RAFA GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) KEEP SMILING! : ) XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO
Wow! Everything is falling in place just as I commented awhile go (Please read my earlier comments).
That Rafa lost to Dominic Thiem (who I call Rafa Junior) should be good news to all Rafa Fans out there. Would you rather Rafa lose to Novak, or worse still to that idiot that calls himself Nick???
Honestly, let’s be true to ourselves, Rafa could never have won this AO had he (somehow) reached the final, especially if he has to play Novak. We all know what the result would be.
As it is now, and as I have said before, Rafa has nothing to lose – well, his 19 slams is still intact and his Head to Head with Djokowitch has not diminished further (which would have happened if he reached the final and meets Djokovic or Alex Zverev).
Rejoice! Rejoice!! Rafa lives to fight another day.
Predictions
Novak to defeat Roger in straight sets
Alexander Zverev to defeat Dominic Thiem
Alexander ”Sacha” Zverev to defeat Novak
But, as always, we go game by game, match by match and day by day…….cheers
I’ll agree that on the showing today, Rafa would have had a hard time with Novak in the final. Or even Zverev. It is what it is:)
There’s no shame in losing to Thiem who is indeed Rafa Jr… I only think that it will be Thiem in the final and not Zverev. But whoever it is, I now hope it’s about time the nextgen breaks through in a slam:):):)
The season is long and only just starting… thanks for the wonderful memories Rafa, and I hope you create a lot more great moments for your fans in 2020!
Oh wait… maybe Zverev should win, coz he’s pledged $4M to the wildfire relief efforts. That would be so amazing, and the australian crowd would spur him on like CRAZY!
Just got back to my hotel room, I don’t know how many times I said ”Vamos Rafa” during the match even when Rafa was at the other side of the net. It was stressful for me to watch Rafa’s match against Nick. I thought this one would be better but there were so many ups and downs, so emotional. I felt like I was riding a roller coaster!
Rafa had his chances but unfortunately Dominic played better and he deserved the victory👏
Rafa is a fighter, he always gives his all! He almost took the match to the fifth set……
Hope he stays healthy, he will have three more chances to win more grand slam trophy this year.
Vamos Rafa❤️
In Ottawa, illinois and get up to watch you play. Yes I’m crazy about how good you 😪 it’s just one game. Waiting for the next one.
I’m very very sad!!! But I had a feeling ……. . Unfortunately my fears were justified. Just hope Rafa rests and gets into top gear. No matter how well he fought ever since the atp matches Rafa hasn’t looked like he was in top form – sketchy and not consistent.
Well done for fighting Rafa!!! You didn’t ha e the same luck as roger unfortunately. Please buck up for the clay court season. Too many sawing at your chair.
Take care! Love you always!!!
relieved that it’s over. What a match though. They both played so well, the luckier player won. This is tennis. I am sure I will move on. The hardest defeat to digest was Aussie open 2017 final and Wimbledon 2018 semi final. If that didn’t kill me, this won’t too. Vamos
Whew what a match! Rafa threw the kitchen sink at Thiem but Thiem would not be denied today.
I’m glad Rafa has put us out of our misery.
He did his best, but I guess it came down to some luck… Rafa broke Thiem more times than Thiem broke Rafa! That’s the way it goes sometimes. We accept and move on. Well done Dominic Thiem!! Truly deserved win.
Yes, Rafa had so many chances. Hats off to Thiem. It was his day.
No matter what I love my Rafa. Our rafa
😭😭😭😢😢😢💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔
He has Fought Well.
Kudos to Dominic Thiem
Ahhhhh what now