Nadal wary of improving Spanish rival Verdasco

RAFAEL NADAL is looking forward to taking on his Davis Cup team-mate in the Australian Open semi-finals tomorrow and expects Fernando Verdasco to provide by far his sternest challenge so far.

Spain’s world number one has played his 25-year-old compatriot six times and dropped just one set to him.

But after watching Verdasco’s defeat of world number four Andy Murray in the fourth round and his quarter-final triumph against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Nadal is expecting a great deal more from his friend.