Rafa-Roger rivalry still on fire
Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal dominated the ATP tour throughout the 2010 season. Their legendary rivalry reached new heights, making fools of those who had unwisely written off the two players as spent forces.
For what has been a truly stellar season for the World No. 1 Rafael Nadal, the Spaniard picked up the French Open, Wimbledon as well as the United States Open to register his name as the seventh contender in men’s tennis history
to complete a career Grand Slam.
The 24-year old also won three straight clay court Masters Events on his way to his fifth French Open crown. Rafa ended the season, ranked number one in the South African Airways ATP list despite having a slow start to the year.
He couldn’t go beyond the quarterfinal round at the year’s opening Grand Slam, the Australian Open because of an injury. The Manacor native retired from his final eight round against Andy Murray as a result of his knee problems.
After taking two months off, the professional tennis ace from Spain made a comeback on the tour by playing at Indian Wells and Miami, finishing a semifinalist on both occasions.
The left-hander did not stop afterwards and went on to win titles in Monte Carlo, Rome as well as Madrid before picking up the French Open crown. By the end of 2010, Nadal had a 71-10 match record, with his major count to nine.
"I think it was a very emotional season. I am very happy for everything and just want to say thank you very much to all the people that supported me when I had the difficult moments and when I was winning. As far as my relationship
with Federer is concerned, it has not changed a lot since the beginning because all the time we have been very respectful. So I think it is not a rivalry. We never had any problems in all of our careers,” said the Spaniard at the season finale event in London.
The Swiss tennis maestro Roger Federer, on the other hand, had a perfect start to the year as he captured his sixteenth Grand Slam crown at the Australian Open in Melbourne. Federer, however, later saw his rival Rafa inherit his
French Open as well as Wimbledon crowns.
The Fed Express suffered a slump after the Australian Open, going without a trophy until the Cincinnati Masters in August, suffering a surprising quarterfinal loss at the hands of Tomas Berdych at the All England Club along the
way.
However, a fifth World Tour title in London back in November provided the Basel born tennis star, renewed hope for next year. His confidence level increased tremendously as the Swiss not only emerged victorious but also beat Rafael
Nadal comprehensively in the title battle.
Federer posted a win against Rafa after previously losing six encounters in a row. Rafa, however, still leads the pair head to head series at 14-8 on the tour.
"I have no plans at all about stopping, quitting, whatever you want to call it. Hope I can play for many more years to come. I enjoy it and take pleasure out of travelling the world, playing against the best and challenging myself,”
said the rejuvenated Federer after winning his WTF crown.
World No.1, Nadal, after losing the finals at the elite eight man field in London, while talking about his rivalry with Roger Federer said that their relationship has not changed a great deal since the beginning as they have respected
each other from the start of their careers and never had any problems with one another.
However, their dominance proves to be a hurdle for the likes of Andy Murray as well as Novak Djokovic, who are looking to reach the top rankings in the near future.
Tags: