It took until the last of 2009’s three clay court Masters Series for it happen, but the two dominant tennis forces of recent times were ready to once again collide. Of course, as rivalries go, what Rafael Nadal vs Roger Federer exudes in intensity, it lacks in equality. For this was a ‘rivalry’ with one protagonist clearly superior to his opponent: Nadal had won his last five matches against Federer, including a draining five setter in Australia which left Federer beaten, battered and quite literally in tears.
Their head-to-head record on clay made even more sobering reading for the Swiss: Federer had only once triumphed out of 11 meetings, and that was in Hamburg two years ago. Since then, Nadal had racked up four consecutive wins, including a 6-1 6-3 6-0 pulverisation in the 2008 French Open final. In short, Fed-ex’s prospects could barely have looked worse.
However, according to the bookmakers, the Swiss had a fighting chance. His 25:0 (which makes up 25 if he wins the match and 0 if he loses) was 6.5 – 8, which was a couple of points higher than I had expected it to be. Nadal, it must never be forgotten, is pretty much Superman on clay – his record since 2005 was a mind-boggling 150 wins and four defeats. Add to this the hoodoo he seemed to hold over Federer and there was just no way that I could see the Swiss winning this match. And so, despite a usual reluctance to pile into short prices, I CHOSE TO SELL FEDERER’S 25:0 AT 6.5.
DURING THE MATCH
The contest started off as expected, with Nadal looking his usual supreme self on the red stuff and Federer struggling a little, saving break points in both his second and third service games. Then, however, the tide slowly began to change, with Federer exerting his own pressure on the Nadal serve and the King of Clay, unusually, finding it hard to respond. Federer duly took the first set 6-4 and another factor came into play. For in the semi-finals, Nadal played one of the matches of the year against Novak Djokovic, saving three match points before winning a 3rd set tie-break 11-9 to clinch a memorable triumph in four hours and three minutes.
Now, less than 24 hours later, he was being asked to come back again from one set to love down, this time against an inspired Roger Federer. Now, normally the words ‘Nadal’ and ‘fatigue’ go together about as well as ‘Murray’ and ‘charming’ or ‘Kim Clijsters’ and ‘in shape’. On this occasion, however, Nadal worryingly looked absolutely knackered. Backhand passes that he’d normally rip cross-court were landing in the tramlines, second serves were being buried in the net.
Nadal was looking like a shadow of himself and playing like one as well. Federer, sensing blood, seized upon his fatigued opponent and broke again midway through the second set, before serving out the match for a 6-4 6-4 victory. A shock result in many ways and not a good outcome for my bet, although it did offer much needed confirmation that Nadal is not quite Superman. Yet.
JW
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