Roger Federer v Rafael Nadal Australian Open semi final tennis betting is just what was on the cards from the moment the draw was announced, and now we get the treat. The old rivalry is renewed at the semi final stage of the first Grand Slam of the Year, as the two greats took one step closer to the title. Roger Federer had a tough looking match against big hitting Argentinean Juan Martin del Potro on his hands for the quarter finals, but the Fed Express completed something of a demolition job, winning 6-4, 6-3, 6-2. Federer raced out of the blocks in the match and just looked fluent and supreme. Federer, who has now won 28 out of 31 Grand Slam quarter final matches and that win over Del Potro came in Federer’s 1000th career match. The great one is actually looking a fantastic bet for the title as he made light work of the challenge from the Argentinean. Federer just cruised through the match and continues his run without dropping a set so far, and there is something else about this Federer, he actually looks hungry. He looks determined. Federer is usually non-descript and hard to read on the court with his emotions, but he is up for this. He clearly wants more Grand Slam titles after missing out last year and he looks to be putting all that old magic back together at the right time. Federer has looked better and better throughout the rounds at Melbourne Park and he will be strongly fancied to get one over his rival Nadal in the semi final.
Nadal had a much tougher time of things in his quarter final match against Tomas Berdych, which lasted around four hours (Federer had taken less than two hours to see off Del Potro). Nadal was edged out in a tie break for the first set by the Czech player Berdych, who is world number seven and Berdych missed a crucial set point in the second. If Berdych had pulled out to a two nil lead, it would have been a very long an even more exhausting way back for Nadal. But the Spaniard pounced on the missed opportunity in the second set, and stole in 8-6 on the tie break to draw the match level. Nadal then went on to take the third set, and as the fourth set went on, you could tell Berdych knew that he had missed his chance as he slowly started drifting further and further from contention. So Nadal had a lot of work to do in order to book his semi final place and he admitted afterwards that he was tired. Nadal has had strapping on his ankle and his knee at different times throughout the Australian Open and although his sheer class and determination has been pulling him through the rounds, the big question mark will be over his fitness levels against Roger Federer. Roger Federer v Rafael Nadal Australian Open semi final tennis betting should serve us up a treat, and it is the Spaniard who holds the lead in the head to head record between them.
Roger Federer v Rafael Nadal Australian Open semi final tennis betting really never fails to thrill the crowds, and we saw them come together four times last year, with Nadal taking three wins to Federer’s one. But here is the thing, Federer’s win came at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, at the end of the year where you could see the Swiss superstar was more relaxed and not playing with pressure and looking sharper than ever. He has really rolled back the years at Melbourne Park to play some fantastic and effortless tennis and that is why he is being fancied to take out Rafael Nadal. We really don’t know what fitness issues Nadal is going through, but if either of them are going to face Novak Djokovic as expected in the final, then Federer is likely to give the world number one a tougher time than Nadal will at the moment. But Nadal holds a 17-9 head to head record against his respected (if not liked much) rival Federer. Their big clash last year was in the final of the French Open at Roland Garros which Federer started so well, but couldn’t put the first set to bet, and giving opportunities to Nadal on clay isn’t a great idea. The last time they met at the Australian Open was back in 2009, again in the final (as so many of their meetings have been) and Nadal won that encounter in a titanic struggle over five sets. Who is the sharper at the moment? Federer. Who is looking the more relaxed and confident? Federer. That is why the bookies are believing that it will be 16 times Grand Slam champion Federer who will take the spoils of this match.
Roger Federer v Rafael Nadal Australian Open semi final tennis betting odds
Roger Federer 5/6 at SportingBet, Rafael Nadal 7/5 at Bet365
Set Betting: Roger Federer 3-1 for 10/3 at Bet365
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To Win Australian Open 2012
Federer 11/4 at Bet365
Nadal 5/1 at Totesport
