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LONDON: Rafael Nadal ended Andy Roddick’s reign at Queen’s as
the Spaniard reached his first final at the pre-Wimbledon tournament
on Saturday.
Nadal, the top seed, will meet Novak Djokovic,
who thrashed David Nalbandian 6-1, 6-0, in Sunday’s final
following his 7-5, 6-4 win over reigning champion Roddick.
Just a week after winning his fourth French Open
with a breathtaking demolition of Roger Federer, Nadal has made a
seamless transition to the lush grass of west London.
“It means a lot to play so well against the
defending champion who has won so many games here,” Nadal said.
“I felt he was the favorite because he is an amazing player on
grass because of his serve.”
Roddick left Queen’s as the champion in four
of the last five years, losing only one of his previous 26 matches,
but even a grass-court powerhouse like the American third seed was
unable to subdue Nadal.
“Credit to him, he played well, there’s no
question,” Roddick said. “I was pretty happy with the way I hit
the ball but he’s just so match-sharp right now.
“There’s no question who was sharper going
in. He’s won a Grand Slam title so I think I was fighting an
uphill battle. He’s almost in cruise control from playing so many
matches.”
-- AFP
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