Dear fellow posters and readers,
Let's wish heartfelt commiserations to one of the great players of our time,
Mr. Rafael Nadal, who was obviously seriously compromised even before the tournament had begun due to a prolonged period of inactivity and corresponding lack of consistent form, but still had the courage to play in this major event even though he humbly proclaimed beforehand that he wasn't good enough to win.

He gave it his best, and the amount of matches he played should help him shake off more of the rust as he finally gets off the hard courts and begins his clay campaign in South America. Rafael will need to continue to work on his fitness and his return of serve foremost, and consistency and confidence should come with more match play and wins.
Let's also wish a hearty congratulations to
Mr. Tomas Berdych, who in a considerable number of meetings with Rafael has been up against the fence so long, the splinter scars must be permanently etched on a certain portion of his anatomy seen only by his fiance. Yet Tomas finally managed to overcome his long ignominy to not only prevail in this match, but to completely subdue his obviously impotent tormenter for a long part of the match, and when the inevitable final challenge arose from the mighty warrior, was able to surmount his doubts and complete his victory with a flourish.

He has a reasonable chance to make a final in this Australian Open with his solid play, new team and confidence.
Best of luck and health to both players as they recover from this match and continue their journey throughout the year.
Respectfully,
masterclass