A moth lands on the nose of Spain's Rafael Nadal during his quarter-final match against Canada's Milos Raonic during the Australian Open tennis torunament in Melbourne, Australia, January 25, 2017. AAP/Lukas Coch/via REUTERS
MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Standing in close to face a Milos Raonic serve might seem a recipe for self-harm but Rafa Nadal's daring ploy helped him defuse the Canadian's biggest weapon and book an Australian Open semi-final place on Wednesday.
The Spaniard broke the 26-year-old twice but was impenetrable on his own serve to close out a brilliant 6-4 7-6(7) 6-4 win and reach the last four at a grand slam for the first time since his 2014 French Open title.
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