Raphael Nadal needed all his skills to defeat big-serving Croatian giant Ivo Karlovic to advance to the Quarter-Finals of the Australian Open Tennis tournament. Nadal won in four sets, 6–4, 4–6, 6–4, 6–4.
Nadal, playing decently but rarely spectacularly, seemed frustrated by the six-foot, ten-inch Karlovic, who not only serves over 130 mph, but can also cover half the net just by stretching his long arms.
Karlovic, named the biggest server in tennis in 2009, averaging more than twenty aces per match, is guaranteed to get a certain number of points against any opponent. To augment his serve, he has developed a strong serve-and-volley game using quickness and reach to stifle service returns.
Nadal won by taking advantage of every error, winning all but one of his service games, and using a combination of excellent movement and a few clutch winners. The match was close until the final game, when both Nadal and Karlovic seemed to know Nadal had won the match.
Nadal, playing decently but rarely spectacularly, seemed frustrated by the six-foot, ten-inch Karlovic, who not only serves over 130 mph, but can also cover half the net just by stretching his long arms.
Karlovic, named the biggest server in tennis in 2009, averaging more than twenty aces per match, is guaranteed to get a certain number of points against any opponent. To augment his serve, he has developed a strong serve-and-volley game using quickness and reach to stifle service returns.
Nadal won by taking advantage of every error, winning all but one of his service games, and using a combination of excellent movement and a few clutch winners. The match was close until the final game, when both Nadal and Karlovic seemed to know Nadal had won the match.
“Being in the quarterfinals will give me a lot of confidence,” Nadal said in a televised courtside interview.
Nadal won the first set 6-4. He changed his style from his match against Kohlschreiber, moving into Karlovic’s serves to try to cut down the angles and make quick returns.
Karlovic won the second set, breaking Nadal with the help of a bit of luck. On two successive points, and twice in the final point, the ball hit the tape and bounced favorably for Karlovic. Karlovic’s serve didn’t always serve him well; he made only 55% of his first serves in the second set.
Karlovic’s serve was equally a double-edged weapon in the third set. When he got it in, he generally aced. When he had to use a second serve, he missed too many volleys. Nadal got the one service break he needed and hung on to win the set, Despite Karlovic winning two games without Nadal scoring a point.
Nadal won the first set 6-4. He changed his style from his match against Kohlschreiber, moving into Karlovic’s serves to try to cut down the angles and make quick returns.
Karlovic won the second set, breaking Nadal with the help of a bit of luck. On two successive points, and twice in the final point, the ball hit the tape and bounced favorably for Karlovic. Karlovic’s serve didn’t always serve him well; he made only 55% of his first serves in the second set.
Karlovic’s serve was equally a double-edged weapon in the third set. When he got it in, he generally aced. When he had to use a second serve, he missed too many volleys. Nadal got the one service break he needed and hung on to win the set, Despite Karlovic winning two games without Nadal scoring a point.
By the fourth set, it was clear that Nadal had seen everything in Karlovic’s arsenal and had an answer to all of it. Still, Karlovic played tough, beating Nadal at the net on occasion, and unloading those cannonball serves to the corners of the service box.
Betweeen points, Nadal sometimes looked down, disgusted, as if he were frustrated by his play. At one point in the final set, he kicked at a bouncing ball off a missed serve. Possible this was due to Karlovic, ranked only 39, being so very hard to beat.
In any case, Nadal showed excellent focus while the ball was in play. Nadal seemed to grow stronger through the final two sets, and in the final game he simply ran around Karlovic’s best-placed shots to hit hooking forehands into the empty spaces of the court.
While it might not have been a fun or a comfortable match for Nadal, it was an improvement over his match with Kohlschreiber. Nadal didn’t make many errors, got most of his first serves in, and showed excellent mobility. He will needs all of these when he faces fifth-seeded Andy Murray in the Quarter-Finals.
Betweeen points, Nadal sometimes looked down, disgusted, as if he were frustrated by his play. At one point in the final set, he kicked at a bouncing ball off a missed serve. Possible this was due to Karlovic, ranked only 39, being so very hard to beat.
In any case, Nadal showed excellent focus while the ball was in play. Nadal seemed to grow stronger through the final two sets, and in the final game he simply ran around Karlovic’s best-placed shots to hit hooking forehands into the empty spaces of the court.
While it might not have been a fun or a comfortable match for Nadal, it was an improvement over his match with Kohlschreiber. Nadal didn’t make many errors, got most of his first serves in, and showed excellent mobility. He will needs all of these when he faces fifth-seeded Andy Murray in the Quarter-Finals.
