Incredibly though, they have met just once at the Australian Open – that epic match from 2009 when Nadal beat Federer in five sets – the first time Rafa had won a hard court Grand Slam title.
Below are the best links for free TV streams over internet that we could find in our wide scan and evaluation of various sources. We do our best to check these and update these as the games start, so do hit refresh in your browser from time to time.
Australian Open Semifinals- Live TV Streams (Free)
Rafael Nadal vs Roger Federer, Thursday, not before 7pm (8am GMT)
UPDATE: Result – Roger Federer beat Juan Martin Del Potro 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 and Rafael Nadal beat Tomas Berdych 6-7, 7-6, 6-4, 6-3. Nadal vs Federer semi time!
Roger Federer plays Juan Martin Del Potro, who seems to be somewhere near the peak of the form he was in before a year or more of troublesome injuries. Before those injuries, he’d beaten Fed twice in a row, though the overall count is against him – 7 matches to 2.
Rafael Nadal will play Tomas Berdych, who he leads 10-3 in the head to head, having won the last seven matches between the two… hopefully a good omen that, knee-permitting, Rafa can progress to the semifinals for the first time in 3 years.
Below are the best links for free TV streams over internet that we could find in our wide scan and evaluation of various sources. We do our best to check these and update these as the games start, so do hit refresh in your browser from time to time.
Australian Open – Live TV Streams (Free)
Roger Federer vs Juan Martin Del Potro, not before 2:30pm local time (3:30am GMT)
Rafael Nadal vs Tomas Berdych, 7:30pm local time (8:30am GMT)
UPDATE: Results – Rafael Nadal beat Feliciano Lopez 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 and Roger Federer beat Bernard Tomic 6-4, 6-2, 6-2
Rafael Nadal has an 8-2 lead in the head to head over Feliciano Lopez, and although this will be a tougher match than he has had so far, hopefully he can change up a gear and progress.
Roger Federer will play young Australian Bernard Tomic for just the second time, having seen him off last year in the Davis Cup tie between their two countries. On that occasion Tomic showed a lot of promise, taking the third set from Federer before losing in four sets.
Below are the best links for free TV streams over internet that we could find in our wide scan and evaluation of various sources. We do our best to check these and update these as the games start, so do hit refresh in your browser from time to time.
Australian Open – Live TV Streams (Free)
Rafael Nadal vs Feliciano Lopez, second match on Rod Laver, probably after 12 midday local time (1am GMT)
Roger Federer vs Bernard Tomic, 7pm local time (8am GMT)
UPDATE – Results: Rafael Nadal beat Lukas Lacko 6-2, 6-4, 6-2 and Roger Federer beat Ivo Karlovic 7-6, 7-5, 6-3
Rafael Nadal will play the Slovak, Lukas Lacko for the third time, having dropped just a set (albeit a “donut” at Qatar last year) in their two previous matches.
Roger Federer on the other hand has a more difficult match against the big serving Croat, Ivo Karlovic. Fed has only lost once in the ten occasions that the two have met previously.
Below are the best links for free TV streams over internet that we could find in our wide scan and evaluation of various sources. We do our best to check these and update these as the games start, so do hit refresh in your browser from time to time.
Australian Open – Live TV Streams (Free)
Rafael Nadal vs Lukas Lacko, 11am local time (midnight GMT)
Roger Federer vs Ivo Karlovic, immediately following Nadal’s match
UPDATE – Results – Rafael Nadal beat Alex Kuznetsov 6-6, 6-1, 6-1, Roger Federer beat Alexander Kudryatavtsev 7-5, 6-2, 6-2.
Rafael Nadal will play American Alex Kuznetsov for the first time. Should he win, he will face a challenging draw that could see him meet Roger Federer in the semifinals – provided he can make it that is, past the likes of Tommy Haas, Ivan Ljubicic, John Isner, and Tomas Berdych to name just a few potential opponents.
Roger Federer’s first opponent, strangely enough, has a strikingly similar name and rank – though unlike Rafa’s opponent, Alexander Kudryatavtsev is a Russian citizen. Should he win, Fed’s next opponents could include Andreas Beck, Jurgen Melzer, Alexandr Dolgopolov, and Mardy Fish before, we hope, Rafa in the semis.
Looming in the final could be (amongst many other great players) the great Novak Djokovic or the perennial British hope, Andy Murray.
Below are the best links for free TV streams over internet that we could find in our wide scan and evaluation of various sources. We do our best to check these and update these as the games start, so do hit refresh in your browser from time to time.
Australian Open – Live TV Streams (Free)
Rafael Nadal vs Alex Kuznetsov, fourth match on the Hisense Arena court, probably after about 5:00pm local (6am GMT)
There has been a lot of speculation that this will be the year (again) of Novak Djokovic or even a quickly improving, Lendl-coached Andy Murray. But Melbourne is about to prove the doubters wrong.
Rafael Nadal has had a mixed start to the season, showing some good form in the early rounds in Qatar before succumbing to a fired up Monfils in the semis. He has complained of a sore shoulder, and admitted to a flagging state of mental readiness in the latter part of 2011.
But the Davis Cup gave him an injection of fun and morale, and he has less to defend or prove in the early stages of 2011.
I expect to see him coming out firing and surprise many by reaching the final.
Roger Federer is now well past 30, and has not won a Grand Slam for over a year. Unusual indeed, but he looked great at the end of last year, and once again, can come out with little to prove and everything to play for.
I pick him to make semis, and if he can make it past whoever the draw throws at him there (Nadal, Djokovic or Murray probably) then I could see him claiming the title.
Draw is coming Friday 13th, looking forward to it and the ensuing action!
UPDATE – Results: Federer had to withdraw from the tournament due to a back injury while Rafa Nadal lost to an inspired Gael Monfils (3-6, 4-6) who will now meet Tsonga in an all-French final.
Roger Federer’s semifinal is against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who he leads 8-3 in the head to head.
Rafael Nadal will then play another Frenchman, Gael Monfils, who he similarly dominates – leading 8-1 in the matches they have played.
Below are the best links for free TV streams over internet that we could find in our wide scan and evaluation of various sources. We do our best to check these and update these as the games start, so do hit refresh in your browser from time to time.
Qatar – Live TV Streams (Free)
Roger Federer vs Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, 4:30pm local time (1:30pm GMT) Rafael Nadal vs Gael Monfils, immediately following, probably after 6:00pm local (3pm GMT)
UPDATE – Results: Roger Federer beat Andreas Seppi 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 and Rafa Nadal beat Mikhail Youzhny 6-4, 6-4
Roger Federer is up first, as second match of the day, against the Italian Andreas Seppi who he has beaten on all seven previous occasions that the pair met.
Rafael Nadal comes on next, against Mikhail Youzhny. Rafa leads in the head to head by 8-4, but has always found the Russian to be a tough opponent.
Below are the best links for free TV streams over internet that we could find in our wide scan and evaluation of various sources. We do our best to check these and update these as the games start, so do hit refresh in your browser from time to time.
Qatar – Live TV Streams (Free)
Roger Federer vs Andreas Seppi, second match on Centre Court – probably after 5pm local time (2pm GMT) Rafael Nadal vs Mikhail Youzhny, third match on Centre Court – probably after 6pm local time (3pm GMT)
UPDATE – Results: Rafael Nadal beat Denis Gremelmayr 6-2, 6-2 and Roger Federer beat Grega Zemlja 6-2, 6-3.
Rafael Nadal has played Denis Gremelmayr just once before, back in 2008 in Barcelona on clay when he swept the German off the court, 6-1, 6-0.
Roger Federer has never played Grega Zenlja before.
Below are the best links for free TV streams over internet that we could find in our wide scan and evaluation of various sources. We do our best to check these and update these as the games start, so do hit refresh in your browser from time to time.
Qatar – Live TV Streams (Free)
Rafael Nadal vs Denis Gremelmayr, second match on Centre Court – probably after 5pm local time (2pm GMT) Roger Federer vs Grega Zemlja, third match on Centre Court – probably after 6pm local time (3pm GMT)
UPDATE: Results – Rafael Nadal beat Philipp Kohlschreiber, 6-3, 6-7(2), 6-3 and Roger Federer beat Nikolay Davydenko, 6-2, 6-2.
Rafael Nadal will start (officially) his 2012 bid to reclaim his dominance by playing the German Philipp Kohlschreiber.
Roger Federer plays Russian rival, Nikolay Davydenko.
Below are the best links for free TV streams over internet that we could find in our wide scan and evaluation of various sources. We do our best to check these and update these as the games start, so do hit refresh in your browser from time to time.
Qatar – Live TV Streams (Free)
Rafael Nadal vs Philipp Kohlschreiber Roger Federer vs Nikolay Davydenko
Melbourne Time
UPDATE – Results: Federer had to withdraw from the tournament due to a back injury while Rafa Nadal lost to an inspired Gael Monfils (3-6, 4-6) who will now meet Tsonga in an all-French final.
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