Rafael Nadal plays Roger Federer on Friday in the 2014 Australian Open semifinals. The match is slated for 3:30 a.m. ET. Watch the live stream or listen to radio broadcast via the links provided below.
Nadal is two wins away from hoisting his second Australian Open trophy. The World's No. 1 player overcame dropping his first set of the tournament on Tuesday and defeated Grigor Dimitrov in four sets.
One concern for the Spaniard heading into the semifinal is the bothersome blister on his left hand. Nadal admitted taping his hand hinders his serve, which could give Federer an advantage on the court.
"I feel that with the tape I can lose the racquet when I'm serving," Nadal said, via Tennis.com. "That's a terrible feeling for a serve, because then when you have this feeling you are not able to accelerate at the right moment."
Giving Federer any kind of advantage is something Nadal cannot afford to do. Federer, ranked No. 6 in the World, has bounced back after his disappointing season last year. In addition to a new racquet and a new coach, Stefan Edberg, Federer doesn't appear to be struggling with any back issues.
"The racquet's not going to do the running for you," said Federer. "I definitely think that's what I used to do so well, you know, the transition game from defense to offense. I definitely sensed that today I am back physically. I'm explosive out there. I can get to balls...I'm looking forward to the next match."
Federer looks to be in top form after defeating No. 10 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and No. 4 Andy Murray to earn a spot in the semifinal. He'll need to be at his best to beat Nadal, who's won the last four of their meetings.
Watch the live stream HERE and HERE, or listen to the live radio broadcast HERE.
*Stats via ATPWorldTour.com and MatchStat.com.
