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Published 22:01 IST, February 6th 2020

Rafael Nadal backed Dominic Thiem to upset Novak Djokovic in Australian Open 2020 final

World No. 2 Rafael Nadal recently revealed that he was rooting for World No. 4 Dominic Thiem to win in the finals of Australian Open 2020.

Reported by: Suraj Alva
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World No. 1 Novak Djokovic recently lifted his 8th Australian Open crown by beating Dominic Thiem in the final at Melbourne Park. The Serbian overcame his Austrian opponent 6-4, 4-6, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4. Rafael Nadal had overtaken Novak Djokovic to become the World No. 1 in November last year. Unfortunately for him, Nadal lost ranking points by getting eliminated in the Australian Open quarterfinals while facing Dominic Thiem. 

Also Read: Novak Djokovic Beats Thiem In Five Sets To Win Eighth Australian Open

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Australian Open 2020: Rafael Nadal rooted for Dominic Thiem to win the final

World No. 2 Rafael Nadal recently revealed that he was rooting for Dominic Thiem to win in the finals of Australian Open 2020. The 33-year-old, while speaking to a Spanish publication, admitted that he wanted to see the current World No. 4 lift the title in Melbourne. He said that it would have been better for him personally if Thiem would have won.

Also Read: Australian Open: Dominic Thiem's Sportsmanship Vs Alexander Zverev In Semis Wins Twitter

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He added that it doesn’t matter if Dominic won or if Novak won, it is all a part of tennis. He added that Australian Open is particularly good for Novak Djokovic. He even said that Djokovic is the best player in the world right now according to the numbers. He said that the only thing that can be done is to congratulate Novak Djokovic on another great success.

Thiem had pushed Novak Djokovic all the way to the fifth set and was playing some of the best tennis of his life. Sadly, the young man's dreams came crashing down after Djokovic delivered another masterclass in the fifth set. 

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Also Read: Rafael Nadal Wears Lakers Cap In Honour Of Kobe Bryant After Defeating Nick Kyrgios

Roger Federer And Rafael Nadal to play an exhibition match 

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal will play an exhibition match in Cape Town on February 7th, 2020. The match will be played at the Cape Town Stadium. It can hold a crowd of more than 50,000 people. The match will witness Roger Federer and Microsoft founder Bill Gates take on Rafael Nadal and South African comedian Trevor Noah. 

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Also Read: Rafael Nadal Kisses Ballgirl At Australian Open; Twitterati Reacts In Awe

22:01 IST, February 6th 2020