Six years after Rafael Nadal beat countryman and fellow lefty Fernando Verdasco in a semifinal classic at the Australian Open, his good friend finally exacted revenge on Tuesday.<br />Verdasco, a 32-year-old ranked No. 45 in the world, shocked the No. 5 seed and 2009 champion Nadal in a first-round five-setter, 7-6 (7-6), 4-6, 3-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6-2 in four hours, 41 minutes.<br />It’s the biggest upset of the tournament so far, trumping Venus Williams’ exit earlier in the day.<br />Verdasco claimed the first set, but it appeared as though Nadal would run away with the match as he won sets two and three with relative comfort.<br />But Verdasco righted his ship, scoring just a third win in 17 tries over the former world No. 1 who has struggled in the majors over the last 18 months.
