Twitter hails Rafael Nadal's courage and spirit as he charges into 2022 Australian Open final

Rafael Nadal produced a commanding performance to defeat Matteo Berrettini 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 and advance to the final of the 2022 Australian Open. The Spaniard is one win away from a record-breaking 21st Grand Slam title.

The 35-year-old played brilliantly, especially in the first two sets, where he did not face a single breakpoint. Although his level dropped slightly in the third, he got back on track in the fourth.

Nadal's impressive display was hailed by fans and celebrities on Twitter. Former British player Laura Robson said Nadal's semifinal performance reminded her of the Spaniard's level in 2010, the year he won three Grand Slam titles.

Others were similarly impressed. Matt Zemek said Nadal played the best "2.30 pm semifinal" in Australian Open history.

Nadal's win against Berrettini was was his 75th at the Australian Open and his 50th over a top-10 player at a Grand Slam. It was also his 500th win on hardcourt.

One fan posted a picture of Nadal on crutches a few months ago next to one of him celebrating his win over Berrettini to highlight the Spaniard's fighting spirit.

Rafael Nadal will face either Stefanos Tsitsipas or Daniil Medvedev in the Australian Open final

Nadal will play either 2021 US Open champion Daniil Medvedev or World No. 4 Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final. The Spaniard has a positive head-to-head record against both players.

He leads 3-1 against Medvedev and defeated him in the final of the 2019 US Open. His record against Tsitsipas is even better at 7-2. However, the Greek youngster did upset Nadal in last year's Australian Open quarterfinals, winning the match after losing the first two sets.

Nadal, on his part, is just one win away from creating history. He has played extremely well over the past fortnight and will fancy his chances of lifting his second Australian Open crown.

About the author

Rohit is a journalist at Sportskeeda who specializes in covering tennis. Having been with the company for four years, he has proven himself as a formidable force in the field. With a Master's degree in law, Rohit brings his analytical and research skills to the forefront as a journalist. He stays on top of the game by using social media platforms and never misses a match for on-court insights. He values giving credit where it's due, keeping his reporting fair and accurate.

At the outset of his career, Rohit found his niche in writing previews and SEO pieces and it's this expertise that continues to define his role at Sportskeeda. He is particularly proud of one article that garnered an impressive 750k views and surpassed his "wildest dreams." Rohit is not particularly fond of (GOAT) debates and it is one of the reasons why he left the legal world behind. He prefers to view players in "tiers," where they're all esteemed to an extent. However, if pressed to name favorites, he would choose Serena and Venus Williams. The Williams sisters' journey from humble beginnings to the pinnacle of tennis has been his greatest source of inspiration.

When he isn't busy making spot-on predictions about match outcomes, Rohit likes reading, particularly fantasy, sci-fi, and comics. As an X-Men fanatic, he's also passionate about board games and enjoys watching movies in his spare time. And don't be surprised if you catch him silently wishing to the tennis gods for the removal of ad scoring from doubles.

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