Hurting Nadal falls to Ferrer in Australia

Rafael Nadal wiped the tears with his taped-up fingers.

His Rafa Slam was evaporating. The 25-match winning streak in Grand Slams and his bid to become the first man since Rod Laver in 1969 to hold all four major titles at once was three games from ending.

He was hurt. He was down two sets and a break. It was the same court, and the same round where he retired in the Australian Open last year. Yet the idea of packing it in didn't even enter his mind.

"I hate the retirements," he said. "This wasn't the day. I did last year. I hate that moment . . . Didn't want to repeat that."

Six games later, Nadal was out of the tournament, losing 6-4, 6-2, 6-3 to fellow Spaniard David Ferrer last night at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, the center court at Melbourne Park named after the Australian great whose four consecutive majors he was trying to match.

"It's a victory for me. But it's not a victory really," Ferrer said.

Laver, who lives in Carlsbad, Calif., was surprised to hear of Nadal's loss. "I'll be darned," Laver said in a phone interview. "I thought he'd come all the way through but he didn't. They were all counting that he was going to be the defending champion in all four tournaments.''

Nadal's match was interrupted by fireworks celebrating Australia Day. He received treatment to his upper left thigh after the third game. He had the thigh heavily strapped. He was treated again after the first set.

"I can say nothing about the injury," he said after the match. "Seriously, I would prefer don't talk a lot about the injury.

"Tonight, first of all, I don't know nothing. Second thing, for respect to the winner and to a friend, I prefer to talk about the match. I think he played at a very high level. I just congratulate him and wish him all the best for the semifinal."

He was later quoted in Spanish as saying he had a small tear in a muscle in his upper left leg.

Ferrer will meet 2010 finalist Andy Murray in the semifinals. It was Murray who was leading Nadal by two sets and a break last year when the Spaniard withdrew with an injured right knee.

Murray had a struggle on his hands yesterday, constantly trying to find his rhythm against Alexandr Dolgopolov before advancing, 7-5, 6-3, 6-7 (3), 6-3.

Henin retiresFormer No. 1 Justine Henin retired from tennis for a second time, citing a lingering right elbow injury that cut short her comeback from a glittering career that included seven Grand Slam titles.

"I have undergone several tests the past few days, confirming that my elbow has sustained a lot more damage during my adventure in Australia," the 28-year-old Belgian said on her website.

Henin lost to Svetlana Kuznetsova, 6-4, 7-6 (8), in the third round of the Australian Open.