Nalbandian Ready to Breakthrough

看板Latin_AM作者esnique (食人鱷)時間20年前 (2006/01/24 16:03)推噓0(0推 0噓 0→)

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Nalbandian Ready to Breakthrough by Paul Gough Tuesday, 24 January, 2006 David Nalbandian has sounded a warning to the overwhelming favourite for the men's title Roger Federer, declaring he is ready to win his first Grand Slam title at Australian Open 2006. Nalbandian produced an awesome quarter-final performance on Day Nine at Melbourne Park in destroying Frenchman Fabrice Santoro 7-5 6-0 6-0 in just one hour and 41 minutes on Rod Laver Arena to book his place in the last four. Such was Nalbandian's dominance that after he broke Santoro in the 12th game to win a competitive first set, Santoro won just five points on the Argentine No.4 seed's serve for the rest of the match as Nalbandian won the last 13 games. And it wasn't as if the French veteran, who was finally appearing in his first Grand Slam quarter final in his 54th Grand Slam event, failed to handle the occasion. Rather it was Nalbandian's brilliant shot-making that proved the difference as shown by the fact that Santoro actually made less unforced errors (17 to 15) than Nalbandian but hit just 18 winners compared to Nalbandian's 47. The win means the 24-year-old has now reached the semi-finals at all four Grand Slam events, having bowed out in the quarter-finals in the past three years in Melbourne including last year's 10-8 loss in the fifth set to Lleyton Hewitt. However a breakthrough triumph in one of the four majors still eludes Nalbandian, who was beaten in straight sets by Hewitt when a shock finalist at the 2002 Wimbledon in his first ever grass court tournament, while he was also a semi-finalist at the 2004 French Open and the 2003 US Open. But buoyed by his triumph in the Masters Cup final last year - when he came from two-sets-to-love down to beat world No.1 Federer in a fifth-set tiebreak - a confident Nalbandian believes he is ready to claim his first Grand Slam title at Australian Open 2006. When asked after his win over Santoro, who he would like to bet on to win the tournament; Nalbandian replied: "Me." "I feel that I can keep going," Nalbandian said. "I have to keep working, keep playing, keep focus but my goal is to try and win some Grand Slams and I'm ready to do it." And history may well be on Nalbandian's side even though the No.4 seed - who will now meet either Croatian No.7 seed Ivan Ljubicic or Cypriot surprise package Marcos Baghdatis in the semi-finals - is likely to face Federer in the final. While Federer is searching for his seventh Grand Slam title and second Australian Open crown to go with his 2004 success, Nalbandian is probably the one player the Swiss master would not relish facing in the final. That is because Nalbandian is one of the few players on tour to hold the edge over Federer in head-to-head meetings having won six of their ten clashes, including last year's memorable Masters Cup final win. And Nalbandian is also only the sixth player ever to reach at least four successive Australian Open quarter-finals - with the others in Stefan Edberg (1987-94), Ivan Lendl (1987-92), John Newcombe (1972-76), Jim Courier (1992-96) and Johan Kriek (1981-85) all having lifted the trophy at least once during their streaks. Nalbandian was also delighted to save vital energy against Santoro after having been taken to five sets in the first round and four sets in each of his past three matches. "I didn't spend a lot of time on court today so I am happy with that," the Argentine said. "I am also happy because I played very good and every round has been better and better. "I feel that I am in the semis in really good shape." Nalbandian has become only the second Argentine man to reach the Australian Open semi-finals after Guillermo Vilas, who reached the semis four times - winning the title in 1978 and 1979. For Santoro it was a disappointing end to his best-ever Grand Slam performance but he still provided great entertainment for the packed centre court crowd in the first set with his unorthodox playing style, before Nalbandian took control of the match. In the eighth game he won one point from the net after twice lobbing Nalbandian with clever volleys while in the following game he produced a remarkable two-handed backhand volley which only just dropped over the net before spinning back over to Santoro's side of the net making it impossible for Nalbandian to reach. -- 神在祂的天堂裡這個世界平安無事 http://blog.yam.com/the_utopia -- ※ 發信站: 批踢踢實業坊(ptt.cc) ◆ From: 220.129.1.99