mtenis.com.pl

Test your knowledge ahead of the Indian Wells semi-final
Click here to stay informed all year with tennis news from the ATP Tour.


Done with the quiz? Scroll back up to the top to see how you did!

Saturday's semi-final will be the fourth Rafa-Roger match in the desert
Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are set to compete at the BNP Paribas Open for the fourth time in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series on Saturday, when they meet in the semi-finals.

Federer has won two of the pair’s three meetings in Indian Wells, but three-time champion Nadal will try to even their rivalry in the desert. ATPTour.com looks back on the pair's first three clashes in the desert:

You May Also Like: Roger & Rafa: Every Match Ever Played
2012 Semi-finals: Federer def. Nadal 6-3, 6-4
For the first time since 2003, Federer arrived in Indian Wells outside the Top 2 of the ATP Rankings. In 2011, the Swiss did not capture a Grand Slam title for the first time since 2002. And less than two months before this match, Nadal defeated Federer in the Australian Open semi-finals. The pressure was on for Federer to earn a big win.

Federer got off to a perfect start in their BNP Paribas Open semi-final, storming to a 3-0 lead to set the tone for the match. While Nadal battled hard, the Swiss was too strong on the day, breaking the World No. 2’s serve four times to advance to the final.

“I felt good about my game. I guess I had a no‑lose mentality,” Federer said. “I've not felt great this week. I didn't expect myself to play so well tonight, and this is sometimes when you can pull off the biggest wins of your career. That's why I'm happy I gave myself a chance this week.”

Watch Live

Federer lost a set in the third round against 21-year-old Milos Raonic and another in the fourth round against Thomaz Bellucci. But he was able to summon his best tennis against Nadal to triumph after after one hour and 32 minutes on a windy day.

“He played fantastic. His serve was with high percentage, and I wasn't able to play my usual tactics against him with those conditions,” Nadal said. “I tried, fought until the last ball. I lost against a player who played better than me this afternoon.”

Federer had not lifted the Indian Wells trophy since capturing his third straight in 2006. But the Swiss went on to defeat home favourite John Isner in the final to win his fourth of five titles in the desert.


2013 Quarter-finals: Nadal def. Federer 6-4, 6-2
After the pair’s 2012 semi-final in Indian Wells, the legends did not meet again until the next year’s BNP Paribas Open. That was in part due to Nadal not competing after his second-round loss at Wimbledon because of knee tendinitis.

Nadal, who began 2013 in February by playing three clay-court events, won 12 of 13 matches leading into Indian Wells. And while it was his first hard-court tournament of the year, you wouldn’t have known by watching him play, squeaking by Ernests Gulbis in a three-set thriller that lasted more than two-and-a-half hours to reach the quarter-finals against Federer.

The World No. 5 feasted on the Swiss’ second serve, winning 70 per cent of those points. Nadal earned 11 break points, converting four times.

Are You In? Subscribe Now!

“Two weeks ago I didn't know if I can be here, and tomorrow I will be in semi-finals,” Nadal said. “A lot of positive energy, and [I’m] very happy.”

Federer struggled a bit with a back injury, so Nadal knew winning the first set would be key. The Swiss dismissed two set points on his own serve at 3-5, before Nadal held to close out the opener, and that was all the momentum he needed.

“I played a fantastic first set,” Nadal said. “The first set was a good match, my opinion. Both of us tried to play our best. I played much better than yesterday. My movements today were much, much better than what it used to be yesterday, so [I’m] very happy for that."

That victory served as a springboard for Nadal, who would go on to beat Tomas Berdych and Juan Martin del Potro to lift his third Indian Wells trophy. Nadal won 10 tour-level titles in 2013, the second-most in his career, and he would also return to No. 1 in the ATP Rankings.


2017 Fourth Round: Federer def. Nadal 6-2, 6-3
Federer and Nadal had not met in more than a year when they clashed in the 2017 Australian Open final, a five-set classic that saw 17th seed Federer return to Grand Slam glory.

Yet less than two months later, they were across the net from one another for the third time in Indian Wells, meeting in the fourth round. It was the first time they had played before the quarter-finals of any event since their first FedEx ATP Head2Head match 13 years earlier in the third round in Miami.

While their Melbourne battle was a nail-biter, Federer was in control from the start in Indian Wells. The 35-year-old was aggressive — hitting over his backhand with authority — to keep Nadal on the back foot. A tremendous backhand return winner gave him the double-break in the first set, eventually finishing the opener in just 34 minutes.

“It was all about coming out and trying to play the way I did in Australia. I didn't think it was going to be that possible, to be quite honest, because the court is more jumpy here or more rough, so it's hard to put the ball away,” Federer said. “Once I got the break in the second set, obviously you had to be very careful you didn't get down double-break. I was able to hold my serve, and he couldn't find a way how to get into my service games more frequently. Next thing you know, it's all over. It was a really good performance by me.”

Dive deeper into the Federer-Nadal rivalry before their Indian Wells semi
Thanks to quarter-final victories on Friday at the BNP Paribas Open, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal will meet for the 39th time in the Indian Wells semi-finals Saturday. This will be their fourth clash in Indian Wells.

History is on the line for both men at this tournament, the first ATP Masters 1000 event of the year. If Federer can move past Nadal and triumph in the final, he will lift a record sixth trophy at the event. Nadal on the other hand could extend his record of 33 Masters 1000 triumphs to 34 if he wins in the California desert for the fourth time.

ATPTour.com looks at some of the stats you need to know ahead of Federer and Nadal's encounter:

- Nadal and Federer’s 38 prior meetings are third-most in the Open Era (Nadal/Djokovic 53, Federer/Djokovic 47).

- Federer is 37 years old, making him the oldest semi-finalist in BNP Paribas Open history (since 1976).

- Nadal holds the record for most Masters 1000 titles with 33. Federer is third with 27, trailing only Nadal and current World No. 1 Novak Djokovic, who has 32.

- Federer has held in 31 straight service games against Nadal.

- Nadal and Federer have met 19 times at Masters 1000 tournaments (Nadal leads 12-7).

- Nadal has won 17 more sets than Federer in their rivalry (Nadal leads 67-50).

- Federer has won 11 matches against Nadal on hard courts (11-9).

- Nadal and Federer have met in nine semi-finals (Nadal leads 6-3).

- Federer has won five straight matches in this rivalry after Nadal won five in a row. Nadal has had 3 runs of 5 straight wins

- This will be Federer and Nadal’s fourth FedEx ATP Head2Head meeting in Indian Wells. In addition, Federer and Nadal have both won four matches against one another in the United States.

Federer & Nadal's Three FedEx ATP Head2Head Meetings At Indian Wells

Year Round Winner Score
2012 SF Roger Federer 6-3, 6-4
2013 QF Rafael Nadal 6-4, 6-2
2017 R16 Roger Federer 6-2, 6-3
Combined Statistics - Federer vs. Nadal at Indian Wells

Stat Roger Federer Rafael Nadal
First-Serve Points Won 66.1% (72/109) 63.6% (68/107)
Second-Serve Points Won 53.7% (36/67) 52.7% (29/55)
Break Points Won 69.2% (9/13) 37.5% (6/16)
Break Points Saved 62.5% (10/16) 30.8% (4/13)
Did You Know?
While Djokovic is currently in the top spot, Federer (310) and Nadal (196) have combined for 506 weeks at No. 1 in the ATP Rankings — nearly 10 years!

Tennis’ Greatest Rivalry Returns to Indian Wells Tennis Garden
Borg-McEnroe. Evert-Navratilova. Sampras-Agassi. Federer-Nadal. They’re the kind of rivalries that transcend the sport; rare, epic narratives forged over decades on tennis courts from Queens Club to Queens, New York.

ROGER FEDERER VS. RAFAEL NADAL
SEMIFINALS IN TENNIS PARADISE
BUY TICKETS

They highlight contrasts in personality, in style, sometimes both. They play out like racquet-dueling sagas: baseliner vs. serve-and-volleyer, girl-next-door vs. Eastern Bloc defector, tennis whites vs. jean shorts. Chrissie and Martina built an unlikely friendship over some 80 head-to-heads. The Sampragassian Wars famously spilled over onto the streets of rush-hour San Francisco, the Nike-orchestrated ‘Guerilla Tennis’ spot setting off a Muni-bus logjam. Super Brat vs. Ice Man became fodder for book deals and Hollywood scripts.

Roger Federer vs. Rafael Nadal has a flavor all its own. Baryshnikovian perfectionism meets clay-stained bullfighter. Effortless vs. effortful.


Wednesday, March 13, 2019 – Roger Federer plays Kyle Edmund in the 4th round of the BNP Paribas Open in Stadium 1 at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in Indian Wells, California. (Jared Wickerham/BNP Paribas Open)
“I think we’re very different personalities, maybe also player types,” said Federer after his quarterfinal win over newcomer Hubert Hurkacz at the BNP Paribas Open, a match that set the stage for Fedal XXXIX. “The way we go about it is very different, yet we both find a way to excel. The way he came up was very clay-court based, and I was apparently very grass-court based, and we both found our ways on other surfaces.”

“It’s the combination of two different styles that makes these matches really special,” said Nadal before their title clash five-setter at the 2017 Australian Open. “They’re different ways to play tennis. Both of us have had a lot of success with these two different styles. I feel that this rivalry is not only in the tennis world — people from outside tennis also talk about it, and that’s good for our sport.”


Friday, March 15, 2019 – Rafael Nadal plays Karen Khachanov in the quarterfinals of the BNP Paribas Open in Stadium 1 at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in Indian Wells, California. (Kathryn Riley/BNP Paribas Open)
All along, it’s been a veritable Mutual Admiration Society. Unlike the antagonism between, say, John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors, who as Davis Cup teammates once refused to stay in the same hotel, these frequent foes are quick to praise each other’s accomplishments. They recognize the history-book significance, that they might not be where they are had the other not been there to push him.

“When he came up, I was already World No. 1,” said Federer, who’s closed the gap on career head-to-heads with five straight wins, but still trails, 23-15. “Clearly, that adds to it — him trying to figure things out and getting there himself while I was at the top. I think it all adds to the cool rivalry that we’ve had. And then you add all the foundation stuff, promotional things we’ve done for the tour, political things, whatever it’s been, it’s been quite a journey with Rafa side by side.”

VIEW FULL FEDERER VS. NADAL HEAD TO HEAD HISTORY
The tricenarians — Federer is now 37, Nadal 32 — continue to play for the record books. Federer, the all-time Slam king with 20, recently hit the 100-title mark and is chasing an unmatched sixth trophy in Indian Wells. For his part, Nadal, winner of 17 majors, is pursuing an industry-best 34th ATP Masters 1000 title.


Wednesday, March 13, 2019 – Roger Federer plays Kyle Edmund in the 4th round of the BNP Paribas Open in Stadium 1 at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in Indian Wells, California. (Kathryn Riley/BNP Paribas Open)
Saturday’s semifinal will be their 20th Masters 1000 encounter, which includes three right here in the Coachella Valley. Federer won two of those matches, the most recent a 6-2, 6-3 Round-of-16 decision in 2017. It’s been more than a year since they last faced each other, and you get the feeling fans are savoring each occasion more than ever when they do line up in the draw. As Federer and Nadal edge closer to the end of their respective careers, we wonder just how many more of these much-cherished clashes we’ll witness.

“It brings extra energy to the building,” noted Federer on Friday. “There’s always a lot on the line.”

Federer, the No. 4 seed, has been sharp throughout the tournament. He dispatched countryman Stan Wawrinka, 6-3, 6-4, in a rematch of the 2017 final, and took out 22nd-seeded Brit Kyle Edmund in the quarters, before overwhelming Hurkacz, 6-4, 6-4. The Swiss has yet to drop a set.


Friday, March 15, 2019 – Rafael Nadal plays Karen Khachanov in the quarterfinals of the BNP Paribas Open in Stadium 1 at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in Indian Wells, California. (Kathryn Riley/BNP Paribas Open)
The No. 2 seed Nadal also boasts a clean slate in wins over Jared Donaldson, Diego Schwartzman, Filip Krajinovic and Karen Khachanov. The Spaniard showed some real gumption in the last, a 7-6(2), 7-6(2) squeaker in which he not only battled his 6-foot-6 Russian opponent, but also his compromised right knee.

“The main thing is all the things that we’ve shared in our careers,” said Nadal of his career-long rivalry with Federer. “That makes always the matches really special. Different styles, different ways to understand the sport. At the same time, we’re two players with a good relationship after all the things that we went through in our careers, competing for the most important titles. All these things make the match always really special between us and it’s beautiful to have the chance to keep competing at the highest level in late rounds, in the most important events at that late part of our tennis careers.”