Nadal will attempt to keep second-ranked Roger Federer from tying Pete Sampras’ record of 14 major titles on Sunday.
The fans were riveted as the left-handed Davis Cup teammates went at each other for 5 hours and 14 minutes. After all that, having saved two match points, 14th-seeded Verdasco served a double-fault to give Nadal the victory.
“Today was one of those matches you’re going to remember a long time,” Nadal said. “In the last game, at 0-40, I started to cry. It was too much tension. Fernando was playing, I think, at his best level. He deserved this final, too.”
There were no arguments, no gamesmanship, just great shots, with the momentum shifting on a handful of key points.
The previous longest match at Melbourne Park came in 1991, when Boris Becker needed 5 hours and 11 minutes to beat Italian Omar Camporese, with the fifth set going 14-12.
Federer advanced to his 18th Grand Slam final with a straight sets win over Andy Roddick on Thursday.
Nadal said it would be tough to recover for his first Grand Slam final on a hard court.
“Roger has a bit of an advantage over me,” said Nadal, whose previous best showing at the tournament was reaching the semifinals last year. “He’s resting right now. It’s tough to sleep after something like this.
“But I want to try my best. It’s very important for me to be in this final. Whatever happens on Sunday, I’ve started the season my best ever.”
Verdasco was disappointed that he drained so much energy from his friend.
“Really a pity,” Verdasco said. “I want him to be 100 percent to play that final. I wish him the best of luck. I hope that he will win.”
With the arena’s namesake, Rod Laver — a pretty good leftie in his own right — in the crowd and Spanish flags scattered around, Nadal found his renowned defense tested to the limit as Verdasco ripped 95 winners. But while he bent, he never broke, committing fewer than 10 unforced errors in every demanding set, including just four in the fifth.
The first set included 75 minutes of long rallies, more associated with a match on clay than a hardcourt.
Nadal was serving at 4-3 in the tiebreaker when Verdasco ran off the last four points. The key shot was a backhand that trickled over to give him set point. A sharp volley set up an easy overhead, and the crowd erupted in cheers.
Cool temperatures had come through during the afternoon to ease Melbourne’s hottest three-day stretch on record — daytime temperatures topped 113 degrees — but the constant sprinting from sideline to sideline left both players draping ice packs wrapped in towels around their shoulders during changeovers.
The high quality of the tennis had fans — silent during play — rising to standing ovations for both players for outstanding shots.
Another tiebreaker loomed in the second set with Verdasco serving at 4-5, 40-15. This time it was Nadal, who had been looking a little puzzled and less confident than usual, running off four points in a row.
At deuce, Verdasco hit what appeared to be a volley winner on the 17th shot of a tense rally. The ball was spinning away from Nadal, but he got to it on the dead run, flicking a forehand winner that dropped in the corner to even the match.
Nadal advances; faces Verdasco in Aussie semis
Nadal advances; faces Verdasco in Aussie semis
Valencia Always Go Out To Win - Unai Emery
