Points won by each set: | 35-28, 35-24, 38-39 |
Points won directly behind the serve:
16 % Nadal – 16 of 95
19 % Ljubicic – 20 of 104
The 27-year-old Ljubicic [4] finally reached a major semifinal in his 27th attempt (and never repeated it), at the venue he was the least expected. Nadal [2] took the first two sets without any troubles, but the Croat improved his serve in the 3rd set (8 of 10 aces), held six times easily, and led 5:3 in the tie-break (which he lost 7/9) when risked his second serve 215 kph but missed. At the end of the tie-break Nadal fired two aces.