Roger Federer vs. Rafael Nadal: the arch rivals – Part Seven
Here is the seventh instalment summarizing the overall encounters so far played between two tennis greats; Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal on the tour.
14. 2006 Wimbledon; title battle
The pressure was on the sixteen times Grand Slam champion, Roger Federer, as the top seed was contesting on his favourite court. The Swiss superstar was coming into the title battle with forty seven match grass court winning streak.
The 29-year-old started the clash in hot form, breaking his opponent during the second, fourth and sixth games to earn a lead of one set at 6-0. Nadal, despite of the loss of one set, bounced back well in the following set and broke Roger in the opening
game; however couldn’t maintain his lead. Roger took no time to once again take charge of the game and eventually won the second set in a tie break at 7-5.
The Swiss tennis maestro, however, couldn’t continue his form in the third set as he was stunned by the 24-year-old Nadal who took it with a score line of 7-2. In the decisive set, Roger once again improved his game to stay ahead right from the start, breaking
his opponent at 2-1 and 4-1 and at last winning the title while serving at 5-3. The final match score was 6-0, 7-6, (5) 6-7, (2) 6-3. It was Federer’s sixth Wimbledon crown in a row.
15. 2006 French Open; title battle
Making his debut appearance in the final at Roland Garros, Roger was looking to become the first contender since Rod Laver in 1969 to capture four major titles in a row.
The Manacor born, Rafa, on the other hand, was attempting to register his name as the youngest contender to successfully defend the French Open crown since Bjorn Borg back in 1974-75. The left hander was also in quest to improve his ideal mark at French
Open to 14-0, his clay court winning streak to sixty clashes and to post his 100th career clay court victory on the tour.
As the match started, the Swiss broke his opponent on two occasions to take a lead of 5-0. However, then it was Rafa who dominated the battle with his aggressive forehand until the end.
The Spaniard did not stop serve again until he attempted to close out the clash at 5-4 during the fourth set. He, however, sealed win soon after the tie breaker. The final match score was 1-6, 6-1, 6-4, 7-6. Rafa, by virtue of this win, won his fourteen
consecutive title battle on the tour.
16. 2006 Masters Series Rome; title battle
Just three weeks after the pair’s Monte-Carlo clash, Nadal and Federer once again faced each other in the final in Rome. Roger rested in the time in between the two competitions, whereas, Rafael went to Barcelona and added another title to his tally, beating
Robredo in the finals.
This battle was undoubtedly the best one between the two arch rivals in the world of tennis as it lasted for five hours and five minutes. Roger forced the action and won more points than his opponent; however it was the current world number one, Rafael Nadal,
who won the major points.
The Swiss had two match points with Rafa serving at 5-6, 15-40 in the decisive set. However, he missed forehands on both occasions. The final match score was 6-7, (0) 7-6, (5) 6-4, 2-6, 7-6(5).
With this win, Rafa also managed to level Guillermo Vilas’ Open Era mark of fifty three clay court victories in a row. The Spaniard as a result of this victory also improved his career record in the finals to 16-2.
Federer, on the other hand, despite losing the title battle, still had an incredible 2006 mark of 39-3, with all three defeats at the hands of Rafael.
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