29 Jan 2015

Nadal eliminated from Australian Open

11:12 am on 29 January 2015

The 14-time grand slam winner Rafael Nadal has been eliminated from the Australian Open tennis tournament, beaten in straight sets by Czech player Tomas Berdych.

Berdych won the match 6-2 6-0 7-6.

It's just the third time Nadal has lost a set to love in a grand slam match.

Tomas Berdych

Tomas Berdych has enjoyed his first win over Rafael Nadal in nine years Photo: Photosport

Berdych's win ended the equal-longest losing streak in men's tennis.

Berdych hadn't beaten the Spaniard in 17 successive matches, but he dropped only two games in the opening two sets and wrapped it up in a tiebreaker third set to qualify for a semi-final against Andy Murray, the Scot ending the run of the local teenager Nick Kyrios in straight sets.

Berdych is rated as one of the top male players yet to win a grand slam and the last time he enjoyed success over Nadal was at the Australian Open in 2006.