Federer vs. Nadal: Rafael Nadal's Dominance Continues with Semi-Final Win

Rafael Nadal still has Roger Federer's number. The crafty Spanish lefty outlasted his fiercest rival in the Australian Open semifinals to earn a spot in the first major final of the year. It was a dominant performance in all respects, and a deserved victory for Nadal.

It wasn't a match without some tense moments during the 6-7, 6-2, 7-6, 6-4 win, but Nadal stepped up at every crucial moment in the fourth set to prevail. He has now won 18 of the 27 meetings between two of the game's greatest players in history.

Federer simply didn't bring his 'A' game to the table. He had 63 unforced errors and just 46 winners. He was clearly trying to be the aggressor throughout the match, but there should have been a change of strategy at some point because it wasn't working out like he had hoped.

Instead he kept trying to crack quick winners and Nadal, who has always been known for his remarkable defense, was able to get most of the shots back.

There have been a lot of questions about Rafa's health throughout the tournament, but he didn't show an ill-effects in the tournament's most anticipated match. He was moving around the court with his usual lightning quickness, which Federer probably wasn't expecting.

Nadal has now emerged victorious in 10 of the pair's 13 matches dating back to 2008. While he certainly deserves a lot of credit for that run, Federer's unwillingness to change his approach has also played a role.

The Swiss star has long set the standard, and for many years he was able to beat anybody else on tour playing the same style of game regardless of the opponent. With the rise of Nadal and Novak Djokovic, however, that's not the case anymore.

Federer has to start preparing his game differently against these other elite players because the status quo isn't working any longer at the back end of majors. It's a tough realization for a 16-time Grand Slam champion like Federer, but he'll be much better off once he starts making adjustments.

As for Nadal, he'll face the winner of Friday's Djokovic vs. Andy Murray semifinal clash in the championship match on Sunday. He holds a 16-13 edge over the world's current No. 1 and a 13-5 advantage over Murray.

Murray would be less of a matchup problem for Nadal, but he can beat anybody if he plays as well as he did against Federer in the latest chapter of their storied careers.