Monday, March 06, 2006

Nadal emerges as Federer's nemesis in new world order

Rafael Nadal's little courtside weep after his unexpected 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 victory over Roger Federer in the final of the Dubai Open expressed not only relief at recovering from a worrying foot injury but joy at reviving what looks like becoming the finest rivalry of modern times.

Few expected Nadal's triumph in only his second tournament after three months out, during which he spent two entire days in aeroplanes seeking better-fitting shoes to protect him from the thousand-mile pounding he gets. But suddenly he halted Federer's open-era record of 56 successive hard-court wins, and now the 19-year-old has won three times out of four against an opponent who was being touted very conspicuously as the greatest after regaining the Australian Open title only six weeks ago.

Already it has become the most eye-catching rivalry since Sampras and Agassi in the late 90s. With its differences in personalities, Mr Silky Smooth versus Mr Ebullient, and its contrast in styles, a fluidly ubiquitous all-court attacker versus a bouncing Energiser bunny marauding the baseline, it could develop the most intriguing emotional chemistry since that other famous left-right confrontation, Borg versus McEnroe.

When asked if he could take over from Federer as No1, Nadal preferred to deflect the pressure. "No," he said. "I don't have chance. For me, he's unbelievable. I will continue with my comeback and I am just happy with that."

Long-term may be different because, as Federer himself volunteered, his only victory over Nadal, from two sets down in Miami 11 months ago, owed something to good fortune. This time Nadal's triumph owed something to Federer falling away from his high standards after an impressive first set. The three-times champion missed oddly with his favourite inside-out forehand drive, sometimes from positions well inside the baseline, and made forays to the net which were not as well judged as they needed to be against one of the supreme passing-shot exponents.

This offered Nadal a period for retrenchment, during which the clay-raised Spaniard converted his loopy top-spins into the flatter, more penetrating attacks required on a hard court and got his adrenalin pump working. "When he playing aggressive with his forehand I can do nothing, because I playing very short and it easy for him," said Nadal, who has an amusing ability to communicate much more than the sum of his limited English. "After I change a little bit, the match change. I change a little of tactic, and he had some misses."

When Federer's first serve eluded him, Nadal came up with the returns which broke the champion in the penultimate games of both the second and third sets. There was minimal time to recover. "Rafael was better on the day," acknowledged Federer. "We knew I was going to be the aggressive player and he would be the consistent one. But when I went down a bit he broke at just the right times.

"It's not easy being expected to win all the time. But I am still happy with my game. And it gives me something to look forward to when I play him again."

This suggests a taste for revenge. That could happen in either of this month's Masters Series events, in Indian Wells and Miami. But the biggest focal point of the rivalry is likely to be on the Paris clay in May and June, when the current holder of three grand slam titles will become the one needing to adapt to the surface as the young French Open champion takes over the burden of favourite.

Federer has carefully avoided saying it, but that has become his main focus. It became even more so after Rod Laver, the only man to have won all four grand slam titles in a calendar year twice, announced in Melbourne that he thought Federer was ready to win the fourth one as well. It is this which puts the Swiss's defeat on Saturday in perspective. If he does feel happy with his game, that may be far more important. But for the first time in a long while, nobody can be sure.

Source:
Richard Jago in Dubai
Monday March 6, 2006
The Guardian

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