AUSTRALIAN OPEN 2009: Nadal Defeats Verdasco in Marathon Thriller





















Five hours and 14 minutes. The longest Australian Open match, ever! Longer than Andy Roddick's 21-19 5th set quarter final against Younnes El-Aynouai. And it was high quality tennis throughout. Either man could have won this match. Welcome, to the big stage, Fernando Verdasco! He pushed the top player in the world around for several hours, finally succumbing with a double fault fter saving two match points 6-7(4) 6-4 7-6) 6-7(1) 6-4.
It was one of the greatest matches of all time, although probably not exceeding the Nadal-Federer classic last July at Wimbledon.