Melbourne (AFP)
World No.1 Rafael Nadal qualified for the knockout stages of the Australian Open on Saturday by taming compatriot Pablo Carreno (30th) in three sets (6-1, 6-2, 6-4).
"Without a doubt it was my best game in the tournament so far. There is a huge difference between today and the days before. I served well and started to crack with my forehand" , welcomed the Spaniard, looking for a 20th major trophy in Melbourne to equal the record held by Roger Federer.
Nadal has also confessed to having watched "almost everything" the match of his great Swiss rival, which ended in the night from Friday to Saturday and at the end of which Federer eliminated John Millman in the super tie break of the fifth set and after more than four hours of a match.
"I did room service last night. I finished eating very late so I decided to stay in the room. I watched series alternating with the match. But I watched a large part of the match, "said the Spaniard.
"Millman had a good game. Roger, in my opinion, had ups and downs but he started to tighten the game in the 5th set when he was broken. He started playing very aggressive," Nadal said. .
And then there was the streak of six straight points won by Federer to finally win.
"Honestly, John made mistakes (...) Anything could happen, but Federer is Federer," said Nadal.
For a place in the quarterfinals, he will face the Russian Karen Khachanov (17th) or the whimsical Australian Nick Kyrgios (26th), with whom he has very little affinity.
"When he is ready to play his best tennis and plays with passion, he is one of the players who brings more to our circuit. But when he does his things, of course I don't like it," said the Majorcan.
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