'I'll keep fighting': Nadal's classy response to worst defeat

Rafael Nadal has never known a defeat like this – and he’s almost definitely never taken an air swing like that.

There isn’t much the Spaniard hasn’t experienced in his career, and now he can add being a straight-sets loser in a grand slam final to an otherwise glittering CV.

The 17-times slam winner was handed a humbling for the ages in Sunday night’s Australian Open final, losing in just two hours and four minutes.

His complete destruction was typified by one awful fresh-air shot in the first set, surely another first on such a big stage.

Nadal shaped to rip a forehand but instead clipped his knee to gift Djokovic a winner and present an iconic lowlight of the evening.

The final score was 6-3 6-2 6-3, the most one-sided Open final since 2003.

Still, Nadal chose to be positive from the dais – reflecting on the injury run leading up to the tournament, even if those woes weren’t evident in his run to the final.

“It has been a very emotional two weeks,” he said.

“Even if tonight wasn’t my best day, of course, I had some that played much better tonight. It was a very important two weeks for me. I have been going through tough moments during the last year … since the US Open, I was not able to play a professional match until the first round of the Australian Open.

“Even if tonight was not my night, for me it is so important to be where I am today coming back from injury. I really believe that I played great two weeks of tennis. That’s going to be a good energy, good inspiration for myself for what’s coming.

“I only can say one thing – I am going to keep fighting hard, I’m going to keep working hard to be a better player, every moment to keep fighting for the most important things. I am trying since long time.

“Sometimes this tournament has been tough for me in terms of injuries and opponents, like tonight. So I am going to keep fighting, I am going to keep practising, I’m going put all the things that I have to come back and give myself better chances in the future.”

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There was disbelief on Nadal’s face, evident each time he looked to his box, and disbelief in the Rod Laver Arena stands which leant heavily in his favour.

The loss was his worst in 25 major finals – and his worst loss to Djokovic at a slam.

While Djokovic continued his error-free form that led to the final, Nadal’s radar was sharply off.

Groundstrokes that had arrowed towards the court’s corners on his road to the final flew wide and long.

His numbers with ball in hand also collapsed.

The Spaniard was supposed to be the dominant server in this match-up but instead, Nadal found himself totally unable to make inroads into Djokovic’s service.

Djokovic won his first four service games to love, saw only three games go to deuce and was made to sweat on a break point just once.

It is Nadal’s fourth-straight loss when he has reached the Australian Open final.

Another defeat and he will match five-times final loser Andy Murray for one of the most unwanted records in tennis.

with AAP