King of Clay!!!

Asombroso....Amazing!!!

Will Nadal Win 18 Grand Slam Singles Events?

Read a news article on Rafael Nadal's amazing 9th triumph at the Roland Garros. The article also had comments from Nadal about what he feels about his future in the game. It threw a light on what the player honestly believes regarding where he is headed. His comments were disappointing for his fans.

Nadal has 14 majors in his kitty and is currently tied with 'Pistol Pete' (Pete Sampas). After so many majors and a career Grand Slam, he is already a legend. However, he is not the leading Grand Slam singles champion...yet. He is still three short of Roger Federer's mark, who is still playing but is way past his prime. As a hardcore Nadal supporter, I would like him to go past 17 Grand Slam victories. However, it is not going to be easy and now it is out that Nadal believes the same.

Nadal is already 28 and not many have won a Grand Slam singles event after crossing 30. Tennis is a physically draining sport and at this age, players start to slow down and thus, leave the door open for younger and fresher legs. 

If Nadal has to go past 17 Grand Slam wins, i.e., 4 more titles, he cannot rely only on wins at Roland Garros. That would require 4 perfect years and he would be 32 by then. Thus, he has to do better (than everyone) in other Grand Slam events as well. However, his Grand Slam victory record is skewed as he has won French Open more than any other event. He does have an all-round game but he is not as dominating on grass and hard courts.

Grand Slam Singles Victories of 3 Leading Grand Slam Winners

The above picture clearly shows that though Nadal is an all-time legend, he has not been as effective on other surfaces as he has been on clay courts. However, that is true for most other greats as well. Federer has been extremely effective on grass and hard courts (both acrylic and synthetic) but has largely struggled on clay courts. Pete Sampras never won a French Open and he was more effective on grass and acrylic hard courts (US Open).

So, the challenge in front of Nadal is that he needs to win few majors other than French Open. That is NOT going to be a cake walk. His style of play puts a lot of pressure on his knees and ankles. Moreover, he does not only have to worry about the challenge posed by Novak Djokovic as on other surfaces, there are few others who can give a serious fight. Andy Murray has been effective on grass as well as hard courts. Others like Stanislas Wawrinka and Juan Martin Del Potro are no pushovers as well. Wawrinka defeated Nadal in Australian Open final (though Nadal was struggling with a back trouble). Del Potro is indeed enigmatic and injury-prone but on his day, he can beat ANYONE. He possesses one of the strongest backhands in tennis and that negates Nadal's strength.

It is evident from his comments that he understands that he has tough times ahead. However, at the same time, it is clear that Nadal is planning to have a serious go. He was cramping in the French Open finals on Sunday but on Monday morning, he hit a grass court to kick-start his preparations for Wimbledon, It is an extremely positive sign and is encouraging for his supporters, including yours truly. 

If he wants a serious go at 17+ Grand Slam victories, he needs to probably reduce the number of events that he plays in. He should pick and choose the right events, which will (a) give him match practice against decent opposition and (b) help him in preparing for the majors. He needs fresh legs and a fit body to be able to climb the 'Mount 18 GS' summit, which is not going to be easy at his age and with his current workload.

So the answer to the question, 'Will Nadal Win 18 Grand Slam Singles Events?' is not clear yet. We do know that it is going to be a big challenge but we also know that the Champ is gearing for the final push. That is what all of us want, isn't it?

Note: The picture has been 'put together' by Animesh Kumar but it contains several pictures and icons, which have been taken from other websites. All pictures, trademarks, icons and logos are acknowledged as the properties of their owners. 

Awesome Run!! More to Come

Stan won Aus Open, Rafa won hearts

Stanislas Wawrinka played great tennis in the last two weeks to win the Australian Open title. He is in great form; he also won the Chennai Open at the beginning of the year but that tournament is far less competitive than a grand slam like Australian Open. In the finals, he dominated and defeated Rafael Nadal. Rafa's game was affected by a back strain that he suffered in the second set but before that as well, Stan was dominating the court.

There are no two ways about the fact that Stan deserved to win. He played better and aggressive tennis. Rafa played short initially and was extremely slow later on, due to his injury. Stan produced some amazing forehand as well as backhand winners through out the match. 

However, the match left a bad taste in the mouth. Rafa took a medical break of 5 minutes that the players are entitled to but clearly, Stan as well as the crowd did not like it for some reason. Stan had an animated argument with the chair umpire and the officials. Later, the crowd booed Rafa when he returned to the court after the 5 minute break!!! That clearly had an affect on Rafa. He was already crumbling physically but the crowd behavior seemed to have affected him mentally as well. He was almost in tears after his return and physical pain did not seem like the only reason.

That crowd behavior was uncalled for. Indeed they had paid good money for the tickets and they wanted a full game but Rafa had more to lose than anyone else. Honestly, it did not seem like he would be able to continue and complete the match but he did. He did not play for the crowd, he did not play to complete the match and give a decent and deserving victory to Stan but he played as he had come over there to fight and to win. 

He pulled up his game in the third set and won it. That was completely unexpected. Probably the painkillers had started to take affect. He clearly was not at the top of his game but he was fighting. And that was so heartening to see. He played and fought like a champion. 

Eventually, Stan went past Rafa in the fourth set to win his first grand slam but that does not matter. There would be other days and more battles. What matters is that Rafa had the will to fight till the end. Most of his die-hard fans gave up after the second set and did not expect him to complete the match. But Rafa proved them (including me) wrong and demonstrated what fighters and champions are made of.

Rafa beats Federer in straight sets to reach the finals of World Tour Finals. This is probably the only significant tournament that Rafa hasn't won so far. Finger crossed!!!

Rafa wins Roland Garros for the 7th time!!!

As Commodus said in the movie, Gladiator, " Your fame is well deserved, Spaniard. I don't think there has ever been a gladiator to match you!!!" 

Vamos Rafa!!!

Its all in the mind

(Pic courtesy: Toon Pool)

Nadal just lost in the US Open final. That is not particularly heart-breaking. You win some, You lose some. However, he lost once again to the Joker from Serbia. Now that's a worrying bit. 

Today's match was extremely close. Was stretched to the 5th set and either player could have crossed the finishing line. The first set did not have anything spectacular. They both played decent (read: Okay) tennis. Rafa managed to take the first set. In the next two sets and the first half of the fourth test, Djokovic completely dominated Rafa. Djokovic did play brilliant tennis but Rafa allowed himself to be dominated and that is another worrying bit. 

Rafa picked up his game brilliantly in the second half of the fourth set to take the set and he kept the momentum in the first half of the fifth set. Though Rafa did lose the fifth set (and as a result the match), there was nothing to be ashamed of the manner in which he played the fifth set. He played extremely well but so did the Joker. That's fine and acceptable.   

However, the consistency at which Novak Djokovic has been beating Rafael Nadal is amazing and disconcerting. The results of the recent and consistent losses to the Joker is showing on Rafa. The defeats seem to have created a mental block and Rafa has not been playing his normal game (for the most part) against Joker.

Rafa is a gifted athlete, who slowly but steadily wears down his opponents through long rallies. Plus the angles that he creates with his shots make the court much larger to cover for his opponents. Though he is still successfully doing that against most opponents, he has been unable to do that consistently against Joker. So what is so different? What has changed off late?

No matter how much I dislike the Joker, I cannot stop myself from admitting that his game has improved immensely in the last year and half. He has always been strong with his forehand as well as backhand but his forehand has suddenly become a lethal weapon. Not only it has become much faster, it has also become much more accurate. With an extremely effective forehand, a decent backhand, a good serve and a supremely fit body, he is definitely a package that is difficult to beat. If only he was not so irritating, he would have won some more fans. Not that he cares. He should be happy with the rankings, trophies and moolah!!

The sudden improvement in Joker's game caught everyone by surprise. From being a close 3rd, he suddenly got into top gear and overtook everyone else. He has been beating everyone, including Rafa. The first 1-2 losses seemed like 'Rafa was defeated by a better player on that day'. On those occasions (first few losses), there was not much wrong with Rafa's game. It was just that everything was absolutely flawless about Joker's game.

However, the defeats started affecting Rafa (that is my theory, Rafa has not told me that. Honestly!!!). Now, there seems to be a mental block. Quite often, he becomes a little too defensive against Joker. The shots become much shorter, the angles are usually missing and he tries to keep the ball in play rather than make Joker run around. As a result, Joker gets to show off the might of his supreme forehand. He makes Rafa run all around the court and he beats Rafa in long rallies!!! It may be an exaggeration but Nadal's defensive strategy is pretty similar to what Martina Hingis used to adopt or was made to adopt against Venus Williams!!! In that case, of course there was a huge difference in the abilities (as per my opinion....and the statistics). Yet Venus Williams, through her powerful game, was able to affect Hingis much more mentally than anything else. The same seems to be happening to Rafa against Joker.

Rafa should try to exploit the weaker backhand (weaker only compared to the forehand) of Joker ut he seldom manages to do that. Moreover, he seems to be trying to do a little extra with his first serve, which has so far not been a particularly successful ploy. He ends up making mistakes and the decreasing first serve percentages are an indication. That is not alarming though. This ploy does help Rafa win some easy points. It is just that when it does not click, the situation is worsened by an extremely defensive and weak second serve. His second serve is nothing but cannon fodder for Joker!!!  

It is not that Rafa lags behind through out the game. When he sees a window, he picks up his game and starts putting pressure. He did the same thing at the end of the fourth set and through out the fifth set. He played like usual....brilliantly. Yet, Joker won the fifth set as he played marginally better and he handled pressure a lot better.

There is nothing wrong with Rafa's game. It is not that he cannot beat Joker. However, he needs to overcome the mental block. He has to believe in himself like I and his millions of fans believe in him. If he plays his usual game against the Joker, he should be able to substantially decrease Joker's dominance on the outcome. Today's match was indeed an evenly-fought contest but that was probably because Rafa played his usual game only in patches. Had he been his usual self, the result could have been different. 

You must overcome the mental block Rafa and should not allow Joker to manipulate your game.  I know that you can do it Rafa!!! Vamos!!!

And ya, well played today (in patches)!!! 

Go Rafa Go!!!

Rafael Nadal with the US Open Trophy

!!!!

Whats this news?!!? Federer beat Nadal!!! on clay!!!!!! Federer is a great player indeed and he is also a three time finalist at Roland Garros...but still!!! C'mon Rafa, French is round the corner. You cannot let the swiss cowboy get such a morale boost. Get ready and thrash the world at French. All the best!!!

RAAAAAAAAFA..................RAFA

Ladies and Gentlemen, Rafael Nadal is the new Wimbledon Champion!!!! He won the championship two minutes back!!!!

Who is the boss (on clay)?

Yesterday, Rafael Nadal won the French Open for the fourth consecutive time!!! This is what I had been praying for. Final against Federer, arguably the best ever tennis player, and Rafa's victory. It was a pretty one-sided affair with Rafa dominating all through. Federer did come up with a good fight in the second set (some of the shots were truly amazing) but Rafa was too good. Federer was forced to play an unnatural game but he was not upto the mark. In the end, I was feeling sorry for Federer. No, I am not saying that to glorify my favorite's achievement. Its just that you dont like to see a champion without an answer. Federer is not my favorite tennis player but I still want him to win more grandslams than anyone else. He deserves that as he is the best. But for some reason, I do not want Federer to win the French.....ever. There are several reasons for that. Firstly, I do not want anyone, whose game is not best suited for clay, to win my favorite sports championship. Federer is proving to be a good clay court player (3 French Open finals cannot be a fluke), yet Rafa is way ahead of him on clay. If you find this reason silly, the second one is sillier. If Federer wins everything, it will get really boring. Moreover, there wont be anything for the other guys. So I do not want him to win the French....I wish him all the best for the Wimbledon. He will surely win. For now......cheers Rafa!!! Keep it coming!!!!

Rafa & Roger: The Rivalry

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal will meet in a Grand Slam final for the fifth time in Sunday's Roland Garros title match.

Nadal has emerged victorious in the past two years in the Roland Garros final, but during the same period Federer has taken the honors over Nadal in consecutive Wimbledon finals.

Federer and Nadal have played a total of 16 times, with Nadal leading the series 10-6. The Spaniard has won eight of their nine meetings on clay, including both showdowns during this year's clay court swing in the finals of ATP Masters Series events in Hamburg and Monte Carlo.

Here is a history of the duo’s 16 career meetings, beginning with their first match at Miami in March 2004.

2008 Masters Series Hamburg Final: Nadal def. Federer 7-5 6-7(3) 6-3 (Clay)

Rafael Nadal had a score to settle against Roger Federer, who snapped his Open Era record 81-match winning streak on clay in the 2007 final. Nadal was looking to become only the third player since 1990 to win the three ATP Masters Series titles on clay – Monte Carlo, Rome and Hamburg in his career. The only players to accomplish the feat were former World No. 1s Gustavo Kuerten and Marcelo Rios.
Federer started the match strongly with breaks of serve in the second and sixth games for a 5-1 lead, but Nadal clawed his way back by winning six successive games to clinch the opening set 7-5 in 61 minutes. The pair exchanged breaks of serve early in the second set, but it was Federer who moved into a 5-2 lead before Nadal broke back in the ninth game. The writing appeared on the wall for Federer, but the Swiss regained his composure and calmly sealed the tie-break to take the pair’s 16th career meeting to a deciding set.

Nadal secured the crucial break in the fourth game of the third set and failed to convert two further opportunities for a 5-1 lead. Federer kept battling but Nadal was not to be denied as he fought off one break point in the seventh game to record a 7-5, 6-7(3), 6-3 win in two hours and 53 minutes.

2008 Masters Series Monte-Carlo Final: Nadal def. Federer 7-5 7-5 (Clay)

As always seems the case, the stakes were high when Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer met in the 2008 Masters Series Monte-Carlo final. Nadal was looking to become the first player in the Open Era - and the first in almost 100 years - to win four consecutive titles in Monaco. Coming off his seventh career clay title one week earlier in Estoril, Federer was desperate not to fall to Nadal for a third consecutive year in the Monte-Carlo final.

The ATP World No. 1 broke Nadal in the first games of the first and second sets, even racing to a 4-0 lead in the second when Nadal eked out just five points during that stretch. But Federer's inability to hold serve - he was broken six times and saved just one of seven break points - was his undoing, as Nadal embarked on a five-game winning streak of his own before closing out the match 7-5, 7-5.

Since winning his first Monte-Carlo title in 2005, Nadal had won 98 of 99 clay-court matches through his title title run in Monaco in 2008. The victory marked the 21-year-old's 10th ATP Masters Series title and his 24th title overall. Nadal also snapped a nine-month title drought dating back to Stuttgart in 2007.

2007 Tennis Masters Cup Semi-Final: Federer def. Nadal 6-4 6-1 (Hard)
Federer claimed the most lopsided win in his storied rivalry with Nadal to race into the Tennis Masters Cup final in Shanghai. After holding his nerve in a tense first set, Federer blew open the match by winning 13 consecutive points at the start of the second set before closing out a 6-4, 6-1 victory.

Federer produced one of the best serving performances of his career, putting 81 percent of first serves into play and, in the first set, firing four consecutive aces to get out of a 0-30 hole.

The ATP World No. 1 hit with conviction the topspin backhand that has so often let him down against Nadal. He was confident on return, opting for a more aggressive topspin backhand rather than his slice. And he found the time he needed to dance around his backhand and unleash the full force of his mighty forehand.

After his early challenge, Nadal fell well short of his best form. His groundstrokes lacked their normal penetration and he made a number of unforced errors.

Yet Nadal did have a number of chances on the Federer serve in the first set and only gave up his first break chances when he dropped serve to lose the irst set 6-4. Federer then embarked on his 13-point sweep at the beginning of the second set to take a 3-0 lead. During that run he made seven of eight first serves and broke Nadal to love.

2007 Wimbledon, Final: Federer def. Nadal 7-6(7) 4-6 7-6(3) 2-6 6-2 (Grass)
After a draining run to the Wimbledon final for the second consecutive year, Rafael Nadal's mental and physical toughness was on show as he produced the best grass court performance of his career against four-time defending champion Federer. Playing for the seventh consecutive day after rain wreaked havoc with the tournament, Nadal pushed the mighty Federer to five sets for the first time in his 34-match winning streak at the All England Club.

Federer, who had never lost a match at Wimbledon after winning the first set, claimed the crucial first set tie-break despite Nadal's gallant effort to save three consecutive set points at 3/6 in the 'breaker.

An attacking Federer made many forays to the net but Nadal had his blistering passes dialed in, protected his serve and volleyed with confidence. The Spaniard saved a break point in the first game of the third set and then didn't face another break point until Federer claimed the decisive break in the sixth game of the fifth set.

Having seen Nadal save 16 of 17 break points against him to win Roland Garros, ederer twice rallied from 15/40 in the fifth set to avoid going down an early break.

Federer, who clubbed 65 winners - including 24 aces and many cross court backhand winners - equaled Bjorn Borg's record of five consecutive Wimbledon titles. Nadal was attempting to become the first player since Borg in 1980 to win Roland Garros and Wimbledon in the same year.

2007 Roland Garros, Final: Nadal def. Federer 6-3 4-6 6-3 6-4 (Clay)
The stakes were higher than ever when Federer and Nadal clashed in the 2007 Roland Garros final. For the second consecutive year Federer was attempting to become just the sixth man in history to win all four Grand Slam titles and to be just the third man to hold all four majors at the same time. Nadal was looking to join Bjorn Borg as the only player to win three consecutive Roland Garros crowns.

Earlier in the clay swing Nadal had beaten Federer in the Masters Series Monte-Carlo final but Federer avenged that defeat with his first clay court victory over Nadal in the Masters Series Hamburg final.
Federer took the fight to Nadal early, earning 10 break point chances over three consecutive Nadal service games in the first set. But the tough Spaniard refused to buckle and scrapped to win the first set. Although Federer rebounded to win the second set, Nadal's ability to fight off 16 of 17 break point opportunities in the match as the telling factor.

Federer returned more aggressively - particularly on the backhand - to try to stop Nadal from controlling points, but, as in past meetings, the Spaniard's high kicking left-handed forehands into his backhand were too much for Federer to handle.

2007 Masters Series Hamburg, Final: Federer def. Nadal 2-6 6-2 6-0 (Clay)
Federer had gone four tournaments without lifting the trophy - the longest title drought of his 172-week reign as ATP World No. 1 - but capped off his week by avenging two years of clay-court torment at the hands of Nadal. He snapped the Spaniard’s 81-match clay winning streak and 16-0 record in clay-court finals, denying Nadal a historic sweep of the clay ATP Masters Series titles as he hoisted the Hamburg trophy for the fourth time.

After a lackluster first set in which he faced break points in his first three services games and lost five consecutive games, Federer changed course and took the attack to his arch rival. He conceded just six points on serve in the second set and seven points on serve in the third set as he hit peak form in his last appearance before Roland Garros.

2007 Masters Series Monte-Carlo, Final. Nadal def. Federer 6-4 6-4 (Clay)
Federer entered Monte-Carlo on the heels of two surprisingly early exits, seeing his career-high 41-match winning streak come to an end with an opening round loss to Guillermo Canas in Indian Wells and losing to the Argentine again in the fourth round at Miami. He regrouped at the year's first clay court ATP Masters Series event to set up a final rematch with two-time defending champion Nadal. But Nadal, who dropped serve just three times in his five matches, proved too much for the top seed in their first meeting of the 2007 season. He broke Federer's serve once in each set and saved all three break points he faced to capture his eighth career ATP Masters Series shield and extend his Open Era record-winning streak on clay to 67 matches.

2006 Tennis Masters Cup Shanghai, Semi-Final. Federer def. Nadal 6-4 7-5 (Hard)

Federer notched his second straight victory over Nadal, ending with a vicious cross-court winner to become the first player to reach four consecutive finals at a circuit-ending championship since Ivan Lendl. He broke Nadal early in the opening set and clinched it with a second break of the Spaniard after 49 minutes. Nadal got out of jail twice on match points in the tenth game from Federer errors, but could not hold off the World No. 1 as Federer wrapped up the win two games later. The Swiss went on to capture his career-best 12th title by defeating James Blake in the final and finished the season with a 92-5 record.

2006 Wimbledon, Final: Federer def. Nadal 6-0 7-6(5) 6-7(2) 6-3 I (Grass)
The pressure was on Federer, as the top seed and three-time defending champion was playing in his favorite surface, riding a 47-match grass court winning streak and facing Nadal in a surface that the Spaniard had not managed to produce good results prior to this year's Wimbledon.

Federer started the match in hot form, breaking Nadal in the second, fourth and sixth games to take the set 6-0. The Spaniard would break Federer in the first game of the second set and serve at 5-4 but fail to close it out. Federer won the second set in a tie-break 7-5 but ended up losing the third set also in a tie-break (7-2). In the fourth set Federer took early control, breaking Nadal at 2-1 and 4-1 and eventually winning the Championships when serving at 5-3.

Federer, who captured his 39th career title and eighth Grand Slam crown, became the sixth man to secure four straight Wimbledon titles.

2006 Roland Garros, Final: Nadal def. Federer 1-6 6-1 6-4 7-6(4) (Clay)

The stakes had never been higher in a Federer-Nadal showdown than when the top two players in the INDESIT ATP Rankings went head-to-head in the Roland Garros final. Playing in his first Roland Garros title match, Federer was attempting to become the first player since Rod Laver in 1969 to win four straight Grand Slam events, and just the third player in history to achieve the feat. Nadal was looking to become the youngest player to defend the Roland Garros title since Bjorn Borg in 1974-75. The Spaniard also was trying to improve his perfect record at Roland Garros to 14-0, his clay court winning streak to 60 matches and to notch his 100th career clay court win.

Federer broke Nadal twice in the first set to race to a 5-0 lead. But then Nadal began to dominate the match with his crushing forehand and Federer struggled with many unforced backhand errors. Nadal did not drop serve again until he tried to close out the match at 5-4 in the fourth set. But he clinched the match soon after in the tie-break. Nadal won his 14th consecutive final (second only in the Open Era to Federer's mark of 24 straight finals won).

2006 Masters Series Rome, Final: Nadal def. Federer 6-7(0) 7-6(5) 6-4 2-6 7-6(5) (Clay)
In May, only three weeks after their Monte-Carlo match, Federer and Nadal were at it again. Federer rested in the time in between the two tournaments, while Nadal went to Barcelona and won the title (d. Robredo). This match was the best between the two warriors yet, lasting five hours and five minutes. Federer forced the action, successfully approaching the net again and again. The Swiss tennis genius won more points than Nadal, just like in Dubai, 179 to 174. But once more Nadal won the big points. Federer had two match points with Nadal serving at 5-6, 15-40 in the final set. But he missed forehands on both opportunities. With the victory, Nadal tied Guillermo Vilas’ Open Era record of 53 straight match wins on clay. He also lifted his career record in finals to 16-2, the best winning percentage in Open Era history. Even after the defeat, Federer had an incredible 2006 record of 39-3, with all three losses at the hands of Nadal.

2006 Masters Series Monte-Carlo, Final: Nadal def. Federer 6-2 6-7(2) 6-3 7-6(5) (Clay)
Between the Dubai match and this one in April, Federer went undefeated, winning Masters Series events for the third year in a row at Indian Wells (d. Blake) and the second year in a row at Miami (d. Ljubicic). Nadal, meanwhile, reached the semifinals of Indian Wells (l. to Blake) and fell in the second round at Miami (to Moya). But Nadal regained his footing at Monte-Carlo. He took the exciting match in 3 hours and 49 minutes and overcome a 0-3 deficit in the final tie-break.

2006 Dubai Tennis Championships, Dubai, Final: Nadal def. Federer 2-6 6-4 6-4 (Hard)
Federer came into the pair’s first encounter of the 2006 season undefeated, having won the title at Doha (d. Monfils) and the Australian Open (d. Baghdatis). Nadal was just getting his groove back after suffering an ankle injury at the Madrid Masters Series event in October. Dubai was only Nadal’s second tournament since suffering the injury. He opened the year with a semifinal showing at Marseille in February (l. to Clement). This was the first match between Federer and Nadal with the Spanish superstar holding the INDESIT ATP Ranking of No. 2. Nadal won the encounter despite winning less points: 71 to 78. They each broke serve three times, but Nadal won the points that mattered. The win represented his 10th straight victory in finals. Nadal’s victory also broke Federer’s Open Era record of 56 straight match wins on hard courts.

2005 Roland Garros, Paris, Semi-Final: Nadal def. Federer 6-3 4-6 6-4 6-3 (Clay)
Theirs was the most eagerly awaited match of the tournament. Federer was already No. 1 in the world and fast-rising Nadal was at No. 5. Nadal came to Roland Garros on the heels of clay-court titles at the ATP Masters Series events at Monte-Carlo in April (d. Coria) and at Rome in May (d. Coria again). Federer, meanwhile, was fresh off of his second straight clay-court crown at Masters Series Hamburg in May (d. Gasquet). Federer evened the score by winning the second set, but after that his form fell, while Nadal kept the pressure on, ousting Federer in four sets on the way to winning the Roland Garros title on debut.

2005 NASDAQ-1OO Open, Miami, Final: Federer def. Nadal 2-6 6-7(4) 7-6(5) 6-3 6-1 (Hard)
Federer was primed for revenge. Again he came into the Miami event with only one loss for the year (to Safin in the semifinals of the Australian Open) and fresh off a title in Indian Wells (d. Hewitt). Nadal was a year older and wiser, already having won three ATP titles. The balls were flying at Federer from Nadal’s exploding topspin groundstrokes, and the Spaniard was running down every ball in sight. Before he knew it, Federer was down 5-3 in the third set tie-break, two points from defeat. But he rallied back, and leveled the head-to-head series at 1-1

2004 NASDAQ-100 Open, Miami, 3rd RD. Nadal def. Federer 6-3 6-3 (Hard)
Federer came into the ATP Masters Series event on a roll, having won the Australian Open final over Marat Safin in February and the Pacific Life Open (also a Masters Series event) in Indian Wells over Tim Henman just before coming to Miami. He had lost only once in 2004 prior to this match (in the quarterfinals of Rotterdam to Henman). Nadal, the youngest man in the tournament at 17, was just starting to emerge as a force on the ATP circuit and hadn’t yet won a title. He breezed by Federer in only 69 minutes for the best win of his career at that point. The Spaniard said after the match that it was probably the best he had ever served.

Source: ATP (June 6, 2008);

Link: http://www.atptennis.com/1/en/2008news/federer_nadal.asp

Go Rafa Go

Rafael Nadal: The King of Clay

I was pretty nervous when the French Open started. The reason being, I am a huge fan of Rafael Nadal and he lost to Roger Federer in the finals of the Hamburg Open, the tournament before the start of the French Open. You may ask why did I get nervous after just one defeat but this defeat mattered a lot as it came on clay. Moreoever, the defeat broke Nadal's record winning streak on clay. Federer is an artist on a tennis court. If the surface is fast, he is almost impossible to defeat. So for Nadal, clay is the best chance to win tournaments and French the best chance to win a Grand Slam. With a win at Hamburg, Federer made his intentions pretty clear.

But, Nadal once again proved that he is pretty tough to beat on clay. He met some pretty strong players in route to the finals, including his idol and mentor Carlos Moya. The final was pretty exciting with Federer giving a tough competition to Nadal. Moreover, Nadal's nerves did not help him in the initial part of the match. But once he settled down and started going for his shots, he was a sight to watch!!!! Man, did he crush Federer's confidence and dreams to win the French.

Federer is a champion player. He is so good that a lot of people are losing interest in tennis tournaments as they know the outcome!!!! But.....for some reason, he finds Nadal pretty tough to handle. Nadal has an envious 8-4 record against Federer and if we include the exhibition match on the half grass-half clay court, its 9-4 in Nadal's favor (Being a great Nadal fan, I would definitely include that). Now that record says everything regarding the way Nadal has dominated Federer over the years.

Unfortunately, in all likelihood my party will be over soon as Wimbledon is starting from the coming monday. Now, thats a surface where Federer is God. But I will be keeping my fingers crossed as Nadal, very surprisingly, did manage to reach the finals of Wimbledon last year. Though he did lose to Federer but he managed to take a set away!!!! Now thats a rare accompalishment against Federer on grass. So I will definitely be praying for a better performance this time around. Go Nadal Go!!!!