Verdasco stuns Nadal in first round

Rafael Nadal suffered his first round-one exit at the Australian Open as Fernando Verdasco recorded a stunning five-set win at Melbourne Park.

The Spanish left-handers produced an exhibition of hard-hitting to thrill those inside the Rod Laver Arena over four hours and 40 minutes.

Verdasco saved a break point to prevent going 3-0 down in the decider, going on to win 7-6 (8-6) 4-6 3-6 7-6 (4-7) 6-2.

Verdasco, he now meets Israel's Dudi Sela after hitting 90 winners and winning six straight games to clinch victory over fifth seed Nadal.

"I played unbelievably in the fifth set," said Verdasco, 32. "I don't know how I did it. I closed my eyes and everything went in."

Verdasco, beaten by Nadal in the semi-finals in 2009, showed grit to stay in touch when his compatriot threatened to dominate.

After surrendering a 5-2 lead in the fourth set, he dug deep to win the tie-break and take the match the distance.

At 2-2 in the decider, a glorious forehand - packed with the type of power he had showed throughout the contest - put Verdasco ahead and the would number 45 never looked back.

Nadal, who had beaten Verdasco 14 times in 16 meetings, talked about his game and the way tennis is changing following his loss.

"Everybody now tries to hit all the balls," said the 14-time Grand Slam winner.

"There are no balls that you can prepare the point. The game has become a little bit more crazy in this aspect.

"I was practising a little bit different, trying to be more aggressive. I can play defensive or offensive. But if you stay in the middle, then I am dead."

Verdasco's quarter of the draw produced some drama on day two of the first Grand Slam of 2016, not least on court 19, where Jeremy Chardy beat Ernests Gulbis 13-11 in a deciding fifth set.

Frenchman Chardy, seeded 30, edged through in temperatures around 31C in Melbourne and could now meet Verdasco in round three.

Fourth seed Stan Wawrinka is in the same quarter of the draw, but he will not have to worry about an early meeting with big-serving South African Kevin Anderson.

The 29-year-old, who knocked Andy Murray out of last year's US Open, trailed American Rajeev Ram before retiring hurt in the fourth set.

Wawrinka, who reached round two when opponent Dmitry Tursunov retired at the start of the third set, could meet Murray at the semi-final stage if the draw goes according to seeding.

Source:BBC