mtenis.com.pl

Relive the semi-final between the legends from 2019 Wimbledon
The 2019 Wimbledon semi-finals featured an ATP Head2Head clash that hadn't been seen at the All England Club in more than a decade: Roger Federer playing Rafael Nadal.

The last time the legendary foes met on the London grass was in the 2008 championship, which many experts still say is the best match in history. Entering the match, Federer had won five of their past six meetings, with three of those victories coming in straight sets.

But Nadal, who was trying to reach his first Wimbledon final since 2011, had just cruised past the Swiss with the loss of only nine games in the Roland Garros semi-finals. The Spaniard led their rivalry 23-16.

“It's always very, very cool to play against Rafa here, especially [as we] haven't played [here] in so long,” Federer said.

ATP Coach Programme

After a hiccup in the second set, Federer booked a place in his 12th final at The Championships with a 7-6(3), 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 triumph.

“It lived up to the hype, especially from coming out of the gates, we were both playing very well. Then, the climax at the end, with the crazy last game, some tough rallies there. It had everything at the end, which was great," Federer said. "I'm just relieved it's all over at this point.

“But it's definitely, definitely going to go down as one of my favourite matches to look back at, again, because it's Rafa, it's at Wimbledon, the crowds were into it, great weather. I felt like I played good also throughout the four sets. I can be very happy.”

Federer, first set

The Swiss superstar played at his aggressive best on return of serve, at the net and in long rallies across the three-hour, two-minute battle on Centre Court.

Federer seized the momentum in his 40th FedEx ATP Head2Head meeting against Nadal with a break of serve at 3-1 in the third set and, in spite of an early break in the fourth set, kept 18-time Grand Slam championship winner Nadal at bay before converting his fifth match point chance.

The 37-year-old became the third oldest man in the Open Era (since 1968) to reach a Grand Slam championship final. Federer, who registered his 100th Wimbledon match win over Kei Nishikori in the quarter-finals, earned a chance to capture the 21st major crown of his career in his 31st final.

Nadal stood deep behind the baseline on return of serve and Federer soon picked up on the ploy, exposing the angles of the court and serve and volleying with great frequency.

“I thought it was a tough first set with not many chances,” said Federer. “[It] came down to I thought a really good tie-break. I think I served well there, but also came up with some really good returns and rallies. He got off the gates faster with a great lob, I believe, to get the mini break first. As the first set was dominated by a lot of good serving, I thought that was probably a big problem for me. But I was able to get out of that one."

While Nadal’s return positioning, deep behind the baseline, was questioned, the Spaniard soon won 10 points in a row, capitalising on a lapse in concentration from Federer, who lost his serve to love after a backhand error in the second set. That allowed Nadal to gain the momentum.

But as the intensity level increased early in the third set, Federer out-duelled Nadal in the key moments and took over the match.

“The early break in the third set, I had a couple of mistakes in that moment. That was a tough moment I needed to resist. The beginning of the third set probably was one of the keys of the match,” said Nadal. “I started to play much better at the end of the match, but it was too late.”

Nadal, second set

Federer converted his fifth match point and pumped his fists in celebration. He struck 51 winners, including 14 aces, saving six of eight break points against Nadal, who committed 25 unforced errors.

"It's been a tough one. I had my chances, but he played a little bit better than me," said Nadal. "Probably I didn't play as good as I did in the previous rounds, and he played well. So he deserves it. Congrats to him."

Nadal bounced back from his defeat, triumphing at the Coupe Rogers and earning his 19th Grand Slam title at the US Open. The lefty finished atop the year-end FedEx ATP Rankings for the fifth time.

Federer, however, suffered heartbreak in the Wimbledon final. Novak Djokovic saved two championship points to stun the Swiss 7-6(5), 1-6, 7-6(4), 4-6, 13-12(3).

Nadal's coach looks back on Spaniard's epic clash with Federer
What is the greatest match of all time? Every era has enjoyed different milestones, records and unforgettable moments, making it nearly impossible to choose one match above the rest. However, there is no doubt that the final between Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer at 2008 Wimbledon holds a special place in the history of this sport.

“The standard was so high, but it’s difficult to compare different eras,” Francis Roig, Rafael Nadal's coach, told ATPTour.com. “It was so exciting, really wonderful. If it’s not the best match in terms of tennis that you could see, in terms of excitement, it's surely one of the best in history for everything it had: the time it finished, the flashes, the break, the match points."

Any fan who watched this match would agree with Roig's assessment. Everything that happened in the cathedral of tennis on 6 July 2008 is now part of legend.

The Spaniard was facing the No. 1 player in the FedEx ATP Rankings and defending champion for the third consecutive time in a Wimbledon final. The result had come out in favour of the Swiss in the previous two years. But this time it was different. Despite Federer coming close to turning the match around. Nadal won 6-4, 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-7(8), 9-7 after four hours and 48 minutes.

“It was clearly a turning point,” Roig said. “Nadal had played in two finals before. He had fewer chances in the first [2006], but I think the second was a lot closer [2007]. They then played a third final and winning it changed things. Beating Federer at Wimbledon, in a final, says it all.”


It's a sentiment that Nadal fully agrees with.

“It's one of the best matches of my career, without a doubt,” Nadal admitted in a recent report shown on #Vamos. “I had lost two finals. It was a big goal and a dream for me to win Wimbledon. I had two match points, one of them on my serve, and with a mid-court forehand that was comfortable enough to be able to do more. I did the minimum I could, safe, but getting the ball back is not enough against Federer. He produced a spectacular pass and we went to the fifth set.”

Roig sees that all-or-nothing fifth set as the key moment of the final. However, Nadal already knew what it was to win a Grand Slam. He had lifted the Coupe des Mousquetaires four times at Roland Garros (2005-08) and Federer was his opponent in the final on three of those occasions. But he had never been so close to winning Wimbledon as he was in the fourth set of the 2008 final.

“When he missed the chance to close out the match and went to the locker room, rather than feeling beaten, he said that he wouldn’t lose the match. Roger would have to win it,” Roig revealed. “Rafa had a winning attitude and that gave the team peace of mind. It was an important moment. In the end, matches are not over until they are over.”

You May Also Like: Federer's 100: 10 Memorable Match Wins At Wimbledon
As night fell in London, a forehand from the Swiss that landed in the net gave Nadal the title. Sprawled out across Centre Court, the Mallorcan was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief. The Wimbledon men’s singles trophy was his.

“It was a very important achievement," Roig said. "I think it really helped him believe that he could do the great things at Wimbledon that he has shown.”

Nadal had already beaten Federer on clay and hard courts, but now he had done it on grass. Besides the significance of that victory, Nadal’s coach also believes another match in their ATP Head2Head series was key.

“I think their first match was an important one, when he beat Federer at age 17 in Miami," Roig said. "When you play a player who you theoretically have to beat to become No. 1, and you have a great match and win on the first try, it gives you a lot of confidence so that you believe you can win in the next matches."

This is how Roig remembers one of the greatest stories in the history of tennis, 12 years on from that memorable tie.

Relive the 2007 and 2008 Hamburg finals between Federer and Nadal
Rafael Nadal won his first five clay-court battles against Roger Federer, with four of them coming in a championship match. That didn’t discourage the Swiss, though, and he’d get his revenge in a big way in the 2007 Hamburg final.

Nadal entered that championship match against Federer carrying an 81-match clay-court winning streak, the longest single-surface run in the Open Era. The Spaniard hadn’t lost on clay since April 2005 in Valencia against Igor Andreev.

“Winning 81 matches is an amazing streak,” Federer said after the final.

The Swiss had lost in straight sets the previous week in Rome against World No. 53 Filippo Volandri. But he found his best tennis to bring Nadal’s legendary run to an end, winning 2-6, 6-2, 6-0 to capture his record fourth Hamburg title.

“It’s great to play here again and win again,” Federer said. “I’ve fallen in love with this tournament.”

ATP Coach Programme

In the semi-finals, Nadal had survived a scare against former World No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt 7-5 in the third set. The lefty appeared to put that behind him, looking sharp early against Federer. He was always a step ahead in the rallies, attacking relentlessly when given the opportunity and holding steady on defence until Federer beat himself with errors.

But Federer cleaned up his game in the next two sets and Nadal found few answers for the Swiss’ aggressive play.

“If I had to lose to anyone, Roger is the man,” Nadal said.

The final set marked the third time Nadal lost a tour-level set on clay 0-6. It has not happened in the 13 years since.

You May Also Like: Nadal's Memorable Marathon Win Against Djokovic In Hamburg
Nadal didn’t get down on himself, defeating Federer in that year’s Roland Garros final. When he returned to Hamburg the following year, he had a chance to avenge his defeat in the final.

The lefty was tired after a three-hour, three-minute marathon against Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals and Federer started their Hamburg rematch quickly with two breaks in his first three return games for a 5-1 lead. Nadal never stopped fighting though, winning six consecutive games to sneak out the first set and eventually claim his first Hamburg title 7-5, 6-7(3), 6-3 across two hours and 52 minutes.

<a href='/en/players/rafael-nadal/n409/overview'>Rafael Nadal</a>

"[It] was an important win for me," Nadal said. "I was focused all the time. Roger had some important mistakes in the first set that helped me a lot. I started the match playing bad. It was tough for me. After yesterday [against Djokovic] it was tough in the beginning.

"But it's not only the body. Mentally it is tough, too, because it was a lot of tensions yesterday, a lot of pressure. Today it was tough when I was coming on court. But later everything changed. For sure it’s important to beat the [World] No. 1.”

Federer was on a 41-match winning streak in Germany, which included a perfect 9-0 in finals.

“All in all it was alright. It wasn’t my best performance,” Federer said. “If you get broken so many times, there is always something you are a little bit unhappy about.”

Nadal carried that momentum against Federer by beating the Swiss again at Roland Garros and then defeating him for his first Wimbledon title in what is considered by many the greatest match in history.

Relive the 2007 and 2008 Hamburg finals between Federer and Nadal
Rafael Nadal won his first five clay-court battles against Roger Federer, with four of them coming in a championship match. That didn’t discourage the Swiss, though, and he’d get his revenge in a big way in the 2007 Hamburg final.

Nadal entered that championship match against Federer carrying an 81-match clay-court winning streak, the longest single-surface run in the Open Era. The Spaniard hadn’t lost on clay since April 2005 in Valencia against Igor Andreev.

“Winning 81 matches is an amazing streak,” Federer said after the final.

The Swiss had lost in straight sets the previous week in Rome against World No. 53 Filippo Volandri. But he found his best tennis to bring Nadal’s legendary run to an end, winning 2-6, 6-2, 6-0 to capture his record fourth Hamburg title.

“It’s great to play here again and win again,” Federer said. “I’ve fallen in love with this tournament.”

ATP Coach Programme

In the semi-finals, Nadal had survived a scare against former World No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt 7-5 in the third set. The lefty appeared to put that behind him, looking sharp early against Federer. He was always a step ahead in the rallies, attacking relentlessly when given the opportunity and holding steady on defence until Federer beat himself with errors.

But Federer cleaned up his game in the next two sets and Nadal found few answers for the Swiss’ aggressive play.

“If I had to lose to anyone, Roger is the man,” Nadal said.

The final set marked the third time Nadal lost a tour-level set on clay 0-6. It has not happened in the 13 years since.

You May Also Like: Nadal's Memorable Marathon Win Against Djokovic In Hamburg
Nadal didn’t get down on himself, defeating Federer in that year’s Roland Garros final. When he returned to Hamburg the following year, he had a chance to avenge his defeat in the final.

The lefty was tired after a three-hour, three-minute marathon against Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals and Federer started their Hamburg rematch quickly with two breaks in his first three return games for a 5-1 lead. Nadal never stopped fighting though, winning six consecutive games to sneak out the first set and eventually claim his first Hamburg title 7-5, 6-7(3), 6-3 across two hours and 52 minutes.

<a href='/en/players/rafael-nadal/n409/overview'>Rafael Nadal</a>

"[It] was an important win for me," Nadal said. "I was focused all the time. Roger had some important mistakes in the first set that helped me a lot. I started the match playing bad. It was tough for me. After yesterday [against Djokovic] it was tough in the beginning.

"But it's not only the body. Mentally it is tough, too, because it was a lot of tensions yesterday, a lot of pressure. Today it was tough when I was coming on court. But later everything changed. For sure it’s important to beat the [World] No. 1.”

Federer was on a 41-match winning streak in Germany, which included a perfect 9-0 in finals.

“All in all it was alright. It wasn’t my best performance,” Federer said. “If you get broken so many times, there is always something you are a little bit unhappy about.”

Nadal carried that momentum against Federer by beating the Swiss again at Roland Garros and then defeating him for his first Wimbledon title in what is considered by many the greatest match in history.

Infosys ATP Beyond The Numbers looks at a key component of their rivalry
One of Rafael Nadal’s greatest strengths is to maul an opponent’s second serve until it’s unrecognisable.

For 11 straight years from 2004 to 2014, Rafael Nadal lacerated Roger Federer’s second serve to build a 23-10 lead over the Swiss star in their ATP Head2Head series, during the prime of Federer’s career. Federer was ranked No. 1 in second-serve points won for seven seasons during this period and was never ranked below fifth-best in this category.

For over a decade, Federer’s second-serve metrics against the rest of the Tour were from another planet. But against Nadal, the Spaniard surgically moved Federer’s second serve from the asset to the liability column.

You May Also Like: Ready To Serve? Hope Nadal Isn't Across The Net!
This rivalry exists in two stanzas - the first 11 years (2004-14) when Nadal built a 23-10 lead, and the past five years from 2015-2019, when Federer won six of seven clashes, including five on the trot. The canary in the coal mine has been Federer’s second-serve performance.

An Infosys ATP Beyond The Numbers analysis of the vaunted Federer vs. Nadal rivalry identifies second-serve performance as a critical factor when these two titans faced off. From 2004-2014, Federer’s second-serve performance was exceptional against all players on Tour - Nadal excluded - winning a jaw-dropping 58 per cent of second-serve points. Nobody else put up such lofty second-serve numbers over that period of time.

But when Federer faced Nadal from 2004-2014, the Spaniard racked up 23 wins while yielding just 10 losses by knocking Federer’s second-serve win percentage below the 50 per cent mark.

2004-2014: Federer Second-Serve Points Won

•Against Nadal = 48.7% (589/1209)
•Against Everyone Else = 58.3% (13,593/23,302)
Nadal was especially ruthless on clay during this period against Federer’s second serve, where the Swiss only won 44.3 per cent (259/585) of second-serve points. Federer never won more second-serve points than he lost against Nadal at any of the five clay-court tournaments they competed in.

2004-2014: Federer Second-Serve Points Won v Nadal On Clay

•Hamburg = 40.7% (33/81)
•Monte Carlo = 42.6% (49/115)
•Roland Garros = 43.1% (88/204)
•Rome = 46.2% (42/91)
•Madrid = 50.0% (47/94)
In 2008, Nadal won all four finals they squared off in (Monte Carlo, Hamburg, Roland Garros, Wimbledon). The Roland Garros final, which Nadal won 6-1, 6-3, 6-0, was particularly brutal in this specific area. Nadal won a head-turning 65 per cent (11/17) of his second-serve points, while Federer managed to win just 21 per cent (5/24).

But how did Nadal’s second serve stand up against Federer during this 11-year period? Actually, just fine. While Federer struggled to win 48.7 per cent against Nadal, the Spaniard won a healthy 55.9 per cent (337/603) of second-serve points against the Swiss.

Overall, Nadal and Federer sit at the very pinnacle of second-serve points won since 1991, when official statistics were first recorded.

Career Second-Serve Points Won (1991-2020)

1. Nadal = 57.4% (15,308/26,664)
2. Federer = 56.8% (24,303/42,760)
Federer sits second on the all-time list, winning 56.8 per cent of second-serve points. But his career second-serve points won from 40 matches against Nadal sits at 49.7 per cent (707/1423). His record just against Nadal would have Federer sit at No. 177 on the list.

2015-2020: Federer Second-Serve Revival
After winning only 10 of their first 33 meetings, Federer has won six of seven encounters from 2015-2019, including five in a row. Federer also won the last time they played, squeaking by the Spaniard 7-6(3), 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the 2019 Wimbledon semi-finals and winning 62 per cent (23/37) of second-serve points to Nadal’s 48 per cent (22/46).

A massive part of Federer’s recent revival against Nadal is moving his second-serve win percentage back into positive territory. Federer has won an impressive 55.1 per cent (118/224) of second-serve points from 2015-2019 against Nadal, while Nadal has dropped off slightly to win 54.1 per cent (96/214).

When analysing overall performance in this area, part of the focus needs to be on the quality (depth, direction, speed, spin) of the second serve and the Serve +1 groundstroke that immediately follows it, along with the ensuing tussle for control for the rest of the point.

Drilling down into data tables sheds light on where players really forge their advantage. The second-serve battleground repeatedly takes centre stage when looking at what matters most to winning at all levels of our sport and begs the question: Have you worked on your second serve lately?

ATPTour.com takes a closer look at the pair’s individual journeys to 20 Grand Slam titles.

When Rafael Nadal landed an ace out wide to convert championship point against Novak Djokovic in the Roland Garros final, not only did he lift a record-extending 13th Coupe des Mousquetaires, he also equalled one of the most important records in tennis history.

For the first time, the Spaniard is on equal terms with Roger Federer on the Grand Slam titles leaderboard. Federer has held the outright lead in the category for more than 11 years, dating back to his 15th major championship victory at Wimbledon in 2009.

Chasing Federer ever since his first Roland Garros victory on his tournament debut in 2005, Nadal’s major haul is built on a foundation of consistent success at Roland Garros. The Spaniard has claimed 13 of his 20 major crowns on the Parisian terre battue, winning 13 of the past 16 editions of the event and clinching 100 wins from 102 matches at Stade Roland Garros.

<a href='/en/players/roger-federer/f324/overview'>Roger Federer</a> and <a href='/en/players/rafael-nadal/n409/overview'>Rafael Nadal</a> share a moment at the net following the conclusion of the 2008 <a href='/en/tournaments/wimbledon/540/overview'>Wimbledon</a> final.

Nadal’s remaining seven Grand Slam title runs can be split into two chapters. Nadal claimed three major titles outside of Paris between visits to Wimbledon in 2008 and 2010. In one of the greatest matches in tennis history, Nadal ended Federer’s hopes of earning a record-breaking sixth straight Wimbledon trophy with a 6-4, 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-7(8), 9-7 triumph.

The 34-year-old also claimed a five-set victory against Federer to win his only title at the Australian Open in 2009, before earning a second Wimbledon trophy in 2010. Throughout the 2010s, Nadal became the most successful player of the decade at the US Open, winning four titles at Flushing Meadows.

Nadal's 20 Grand Slam Titles

Event Titles
Australian Open 1
Roland Garros 13
Wimbledon 2
US Open 4
On the other side of the rivalry, Federer has largely spread his success across three Grand Slam events. Federer has won 19 of his 20 titles across Wimbledon (8), the Australian Open (6) and the US Open (5). The Swiss completed the Career Grand Slam in 2009 at Roland Garros, beating Robin Soderling to match then-record holder Pete Sampras’ mark of 14 major trophies.

Federer's 20 Grand Slam Titles

Event Titles
Australian Open 6
Roland Garros 1
Wimbledon 8
US Open 5
Throughout their rivalry, the two men have clashed in a record-equalling nine Grand Slam finals (Nadal leads 6-3). Those meetings have not only influenced their own major championship total, but also the tally of their greatest rival.

Ahead of their most recent Grand Slam final clash at the 2017 Australian Open, Andy Roddick billed their meeting as “the most important match in Australian Open history and possibly Grand Slam history.”


At the time, Federer and Nadal were separated by three major titles (17-14) and were both attempting to end the biggest Grand Slam title droughts of their careers. Federer was bidding to win his first Grand Slam crown since 2012 Wimbledon, while Nadal was attempting to lift his first major title since 2014 Roland Garros.

The victory went to Federer. The Basel native rallied from 1-3 down in a deciding set to defeat Nadal at a Grand Slam for the first time in almost a decade and move four Grand Slam trophies clear of his longtime rival.

Federer

It was Nadal’s second near-miss in Melbourne, having owned a 4-2 lead in the fifth set of his 2012 final against Djokovic. Federer has also experienced disappointment from winning positions, having fallen to Juan Martin del Potro in the 2009 US Open final. The Swiss also failed to convert two championship points at 8-7, 40/15 in the fifth set of last year’s Wimbledon final, as he attempted to capture a 21st Grand Slam trophy.

But despite their rare near-misses, Nadal and Federer have enjoyed more success at this level than any other players. After defeating Nadal in the 2017 Australian Open final, Federer told his close friend, “There are no draws in tennis, but I would have been very happy to accept one and share it with Rafa tonight.”

That may not have been an option, but the pair now stands side-by-side in the history books.