Nadal out with 'bagel' to Berdych

28 January 2015 - 08:59 By Reuters
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'IT FEELS GREAT': Tomas Berdych celebrates beating Rafael Nadal at the Australian Open
'IT FEELS GREAT': Tomas Berdych celebrates beating Rafael Nadal at the Australian Open
Image: QUINN ROONEY/GETTY IMAGES

Iron-willed Czech Tomas Berdych ended eight years of tyranny under nemesis Rafa Nadal to storm into the Australian Open semifinals yesterday before his next opponent, Andy Murray, restored British colonial rule to the floodlit centre court.

Maria Sharapova inflicted another Grand Slam reality check on Eugenie Bouchard and will play an all-Russian semifinal with plucky lefthander Ekaterina Makarova, who thrashed third seed Simona Halep.

In the evening session, Murray slapped down local teenager Nick Kyrgios 6-3 7-6 (5) 6-3 to deflate home fans pumped up by the traditional sporting rivalry with former colonial master Britain.

But it was Nadal's 6-2 6-07-6 (5) humbling that rocked Melbourne Park to its core and shook the biggest monkey in the men's game off the back of Berdych.

The big-serving Czech's 17-match losing streak to the Spaniard was the longest in the professional era, and snapping it was the result of a perfectly executed plan.

"Oh, it feels great," Berdych said. "Everything was working. I was able to execute it really well."

The man who helped Berdych create the master plan was Dani Vallverdu, Murray's former hitting partner and assistant coach, who parted ways with the Scot in November.

Now in Berdych's camp, Vallverdu will provide the intelligence for preparations against Murray.

Nadal, a 14-times Grand Slam winner, said: "It was just not my day. I didn't play with the right intensity, the right rhythm."

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