Rafael Nadal versus Roger Federer: the arch rivals – Part IV
Here is the fourth part explaining the total number of clashes played between two top ranked players on the ATP tour; Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.
7. 2008 Masters Series Hamburg; title battle
The current world number one Rafael Nadal had to score a settler versus the Swiss tennis maestro, Roger Federer, who ended his Open Era mark of an eighty one match winning streak on the clay in the final back in 2007. The professional
tennis ace from Spain, was attempting to register his name as the third contender since 1990 to capture three ATP Masters Series crowns on the clay in Rome, Monte Carlo and Hamburg in his career. The other two contenders to achieve the feat are former top
ranked Gustavo Kuerten and Marcelo Rios.
The 29-year-old Roger Federer, who made his debut on the ATP World Tour back in 2002, started the battle strongly with breaks of serve during the second and sixth games of the opening set to earn a lead of 5-1. His Spaniard opponent
however rallied back into the match by taking six games in a row to clinch the first set with a score line of 7-5 in sixty one minutes. Both of them exchanged breaks of serve early during the middle set, however it was the sixteen time Grand Slam champion,
Federer, who jumped to a lead of 5-2 before Rafa bounced back during the ninth game.
The score board at this point looked to favour Roger; however the left handed Rafa regained his composure and smartly won the tie-break to take the pair's sixteenth career encounter to a third and final set.
The 24-year-old Nadal earned the crucial break during the fourth game of the decisive set and despite failing to convert next two chances, still managed to earn a lead of 5-1. Roger kept battling hard however Rafa was not to be
denied as he fought off one break point during the seventh game to post a three setter victory in the end. The final match score was 7-5, 6-7(3), 6-3. The clash lasted for a time period of two hours and fifty three minutes.
8. 2008 Masters Series Monte-Carlo; title battle
As always, the stakes were high when Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal faced each other in the title battle of the Masters Series Monte-Carlo back in 2008.
The Spaniard was hoping to register his name as the first contender in the Open Era and the first in nearly a hundred years, to pick up four crowns in Monaco in a row.
Coming off his seventh career clay crown a few days earlier in Estoril, the Fed Express was eager not to lose at the hands of Rafa for the third time in the Monte-Carlo final.
The former world number one broke Rafa during the opening game of the first and second sets, even advancing to a lead of 4-0 in the second, when the left hander eked out only five points during that stretch.
However, due to Roger’s inability to hold serve, he was broken on six occasions and prevented only one of seven break points while Nadal, on the other hand, embarked on a five-game winning streak of his own before sealing win in
two sets in the end.The final match score was 7-5, 7-5.
Since capturing his first Monte-Carlo crown back in 2005, Rafa had triumphed in ninety eight of ninety nine clay court clashes through his title run in Monaco back in 2008.
The win marked the Spaniard’s tenth ATP Masters Series crown and his twenty fourth overall on the tour.
Tags: