It is no secret that Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer are very good friends. The two often joke together and enjoy several lighter moments off the court. For the Australian Open 2019, The two shared another moment together.
Federer won 6-2 7-5 6-2 in a comprehensive outing in 88 minutes under the roof at the Rod Laver Arena.
“I wanted to get out of the blocks quickly,” the 37-year-old said on court afterwards following his 100th match at the Australian Open. “I was aware of the threat of Taylor and the velocity of his serve. I had to really focus today to make sure I got off to a good start.
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“The second set was tight, it was tough. He protected the serve well, we had some tough points and it was close at the end.
The seven-time winner powered his way through the second set despite a valiant effort from Taylor Fritz, as Federer served up a delicious ace to move him to within a set of reaching the last 16.
The number three seed then secured an early break following a 16-shot rally, clinching a second break to dash any hopes of a comeback and breeze through.
Spain’s Nadal, 32, converted his sixth match point to win 6-1 6-2 6-4 in their third-round match in Melbourne.
The 17-time Grand Slam champion dominated on serve, winning 82% of points on first serve.
That allowed him to attack 19-year-old De Minaur’s serve, breaking five times on his way into the last 16.
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“He’s a big fighter and super quick, probably the fastest on the tour. I played a great game until 40-0,” Nadal said.
“I played a solid match and want to congratulate Alex for a great start to the season. I think he has a great future.”
As Federer was exiting the court after winning his match, he happened to meet Nadal. The Spaniard was entering the court for his own match and as they passed each other, they shared a high five.
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.@RafaelNadal approves of @rogerfederer's 3R victory ✌️#AusOpen #Fedal pic.twitter.com/NhibCgRU3T
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 18, 2019