Tuesday 19 January 2016 15:30, UK
Rafael Nadal has crashed out of the Australian Open after a first-round defeat to Fernando Verdasco in Melbourne.
The 14-time Grand Slam winner was beaten in the opening stage of the tournament for the first time after slumping 7-6 (8/6) 4-6 3-6 7-6 (7/4) 6-2 to his fellow Spaniard.
Nadal would not have welcomed his early meeting with Verdasco after losing two of their last three contests, and he dropped the opening set on a tie-breaker.
But the fifth seed appeared to have stamped his authority on the match when he comfortably collected the next two sets.
Verdasco's fearless approach started to test Nadal's nerves in the fourth, and both men swapped breaks before the 2009 champion conceded the set in another tie-break.
Forced into a decider, Nadal broke again for an early 2-0 lead, but he would not add another game as Verdasco unloaded a barrage of forehands to propel his countryman towards an early exit.
This latest worrying setback for Nadal has extended a Grand Slam barren spell which goes back to the 2014 French Open.
Verdasco, who fired 41 forehand winners in a total of 90 outright winners, said afterwards: "I just hit everything. I think I played unbelievable in the fifth set from the break.
"I just started hitting winners. I don't know how. I was closing the eyes and everything when I was coming in. I kept doing it, so it went well."
