Just a heads up for any of you tennis fans out there. The Monte Carlo Open Final will be aired at 7:30 AM (Houston time) on the Tennis Channel Sunday, April 23rd. Nadal seems to be the only guy on the tour that can challenge Federer (Nadal is 3-1 lifetime against Roger). Should be a great match and a challenge for Federer to win a big tourny on clay before the French. http://sports.yahoo.com/ten/ Federer ready to stand and fight against Nadal at Monte Carlo Masters final By JEROME PUGMIRE, AP Sports Writer April 22, 2006 MONTE CARLO, Monaco (AP) -- Roger Federer thinks the key to beating Rafael Nadal is to be ready for a fight. "Just stay with him, for the entire time," Federer said. "I have the feeling that other guys tend not to take the physical challenge with him. That's what I won't do." No. 1 Federer and second-ranked Nadal meet in Sunday's final at the Monte Carlo Masters, after semifinal wins Saturday. Federer beat 12th-seeded Fernando Gonzalez of Chile 6-2, 6-4, and Nadal downed Gaston Gaudio of Argentina 5-7, 6-1, 6-1. It will be Federer's 12th consecutive final appearance and sixth this year, while Nadal hopes to extend his unbeaten streak on clay to 42 matches and beat Federer for the fourth time in five meetings. Federer lost to Nadal at Dubai, United Arab Emirates -- his only defeat in 34 matches this year -- and feels he gained valuable knowledge then. "He's quite one-dimensional with his game," Federer said. "After Dubai, I thought I actually saw the way I should play against him. The more I play him, the better it is for me." Reaching the Monte Carlo final has "exceeded" Federer's expectations. The 24-year-old Federer feels he is ahead of schedule for the French Open -- the only major he has yet to win. "I've got another opportunity to play him," Federer said. "It's going to give me an indication, you know, if I will play him at the French (Open)." Federer has won the last four Masters series he has played -- at Hamburg, Cincinnati, Indian Wells and Miami -- and would extend his Masters winning run to 30 games with victory over Nadal. The match Sunday will be their first outdoor meeting since Nadal topped Federer in the French Open semifinals last June. Nadal's winning streak on clay is the third-longest in the Open era. However, he dropped his first set since July's final at Bastad, Sweden, against Tomas Berdych. "I always think about victory," Nadal said. "It was very important for me to stay in this final. If I play my best I have a chance (against Federer). I'm going to play aggressively, with determination." Only Bjorn Borg, with 46, and Vilas, with 53, have won more straight matches on clay than French Open champion Nadal. "He was actually too good," 2004 French Open champion Gaudio said. "I played a great first set and then he was playing much better than me." In a match lasting 2 hours, 39 minutes, and featuring spectacular lobs, drop shots, and improbable retrieves, Gaudio looked to test Nadal's weaker backhand early. Nadal's booming ground strokes often came straight back at him, as Gaudio's baseline defense and excellent backhand frustrated the Spaniard. Nadal's superior strength kept him in the first set, but he sliced into the net to give Gaudio the break for 6-5 -- and the Argentine closed out a 78-minute set on serve. Under a clear, sunny sky, Nadal started the second set brightly, winning his opening service game at love. Gaudio also held, but then lost the next five games. Walking back to his chair, Gaudio screamed and twice smashed his racket into the ground, collecting an umpire's warning for racket abuse.
Only on clay. Federer is on another level from Nadal (and everyone else) when its not on clay. Should make for an entertaining match though.
Vamos Rafael! Fed's still pretty cocky. Then again, he is one of the best ever to play the game. Still what's the head-to-head record now? 4-1 Nadal? Still think his game is "one-dimensional"?
This has to be screwing with Federer's head a little. I still think he will find a way to beat him. Federer is still the better player, as he is a better player on clay than nadal is on any other surface. He'll get him on clay one day, maybe at Roland Garros.
That's going to be something if it happens in June of this year. French Open title is the only slam that has eluded Federer so far in his career. The victory at Roland Garros in a little over a month from now will be significant at several levels: 1) a Career Grand Slam since he has already won the Wimbledon, US, and Australian Open; 2) an equivalent of "Tiger Slam" or "Serena Slam" in male professional tennis since he will be holding the titles of all four slams simultaneously; 3) a major step towards winning all four slams in same calendar year -- a true Grand Slam. Since the French is the most difficult event to win for Federer, who will be looking for defending his Wimbledon title in July and US Open title in September with relative ease, only few extreme detracters would question Federer's GOAT status. Of course the added bonuses are to turn around the head-to-head disadvange vs Nadal, and moving closer to catching or surpassing Sampras' slam record.
For you tennis fans out there, Nadal just topped Federer once again. Down 4-1 in the fifth, Nadal came back to win the match in a tiebreaker. Federer had two match (I believe) points prior to the tiebreaker but couldn't put it away. 6-7, 7-6(5), 6-4, 2-6, 7-6(5) Amazing tennis from Nadal! Vamos Rafael! http://www.boston.com/sports/other_...6/05/14/federer_is_in_for_colossal_challenge/ Federer is in for colossal challenge By Bud Collins | May 14, 2006 ROME -- Roger Federer isn't playing the Colosseum this week. It wouldn't be much of a challenge anyway since the house lions of old were farmed out to retirement homes centuries ago. Still, Il Foro Italico, a couple of miles away, is hot spot enough, what with the leonine-maned Rafael Nadal awaiting him with teeth bared this afternoon. Having never lost a tennis match within the intimate, steeply-tiered stadium, Nadal enters today's Rome Masters final with an 11-0 record following his 6-2, 6-2 semifinal crushing of whippy French teenager Gael Monfils. That's Raffa's 52d straight win on clay, either one or five short of Guillermo Vilas's pro record, about which there is some dispute. From the overhanging pines to the beige earthen floor, the Foro -- built by an earlier dictator named Mussolini -- is definitely Raffa's den where he dictates with massively topspun groundies. Only once has the 2005 champion been threatened here. Guillermo Coria goaded him through five sets in the '05 final, which climaxed in an 8-6 tiebreaker. Coria has never recovered, losing this time in the opening round to qualifier Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo. Although the top-ranked and highly composed Federer shocked the sun-sprayed, packed-in multitude of 9,000 yesterday by viciously hurling his racket at the ground as if he were trying to kill a snake, that act may have spurred him to a tense, very difficult victory. This has not been Federer's town. Arriving with an 8-5 record on Roman clay, he had been a first-round loser twice, making it past the third round only once. Then he lost the 2003 final to unseeded Spaniard Felix Mantilla in straight sets. That was like being kicked down the nearby Spanish Steps for Federer, who was No. 4 at the time. ''I didn't know the final was best-of-five sets until somebody mentioned it at the press conference after the semis. I wasn't ready for that. I lost," he laughs, ''in the press conference." Nor has the 19-year-old Nadal been Federer's optimal opponent. He trails the muscular Spanish kid, 4-1, all the defeats on clay, lately the Monte Carlo final. In their first shot at each other, on Key Biscayne (Fla.) asphalt last year, Federer barely escaped in five sets. After sweating, physically and emotionally, through 2 hours 42 minutes yesterday with No. 4 David Nalbandian, an old tormentor, Federer broke loose for a win in the decisive tiebreaker, 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (7-5), as the patrons roared louder than a pride of Colosseum lions. An erratic contest strewn with errors as well as some glorious shotmaking -- 50 mistakes for Federer, 53 for Nalbandian -- it was nothing if not dramatic as they clung to one another ferociously all the way. Argentine Nalbandian, now 6-5 lifetime against Federer, won their most recent clash, the Masters final last November at Shanghai in a fifth-set tiebreaker. Anyway, back to the attempted racket-mangling. It happened after Federer had lost serve to open the third set. Federer smiles that he can understand the ways of the noted philosopher and racket smasher Marat Safin. ''Sometimes you're so frustrated that it feels good to throw the racket," he said. ''You feel better. I was immediately down a break to start the third, so . . ." Not in the burly Safin's destructive class, Federer got a good high bounce out of his weapon, but not a fracture. In improved mood, he fought through the six-deuce fourth game to break back, depriving Nalbandian of three game points for a 3-1 lead. Instead it was 2-2, and a sizzling backhand passer sent Federer ahead, 4-2. But the quick, sharpshooting Argentine scrambled back into the picture with double-barreled backhands to 4-4. Federer couldn't shake him. It was 5-5, then 6-6 as Nalbandian held though teetering 2 points from defeat at four junctures. Federer strode ahead, 5-3, in the overtime on a big forehand, only to see Nalbandian duplicate that for a mini-break. A ringing backhand return made it 6-4 for the Swiss, but Nalbandian canceled the match point with a stunning backhand. However, Nalbandian, launching a last forehand beyond Federer's reach, groaned as it touched down an inch past the baseline. So now it's what everybody wanted, world Nos. 1 and 2 squaring off in the dirt rectangle. Merely twice before in this 76-year-old tournament have the first and second seeds collided in the final. Both times the second seed won: John Newcombe over Federer's present coach, Tony Roche, in 1970; Vitas Gerulaitis over Vilas in 1979. If that form follows, Nadal will make Federer wish he were hanging out in the solitude of the Colosseum rather than the feverish Foro. © Copyright 2006 Globe Newspaper Company.
Dammit, so close! To drop two match points must be devastating for Federer, but you can see with each match he is getting closer. I've got tremendous respect for Nadal's clay game, hopefully they can meet at the finals at Roland Garros. Man, two match points--must be heart breaking.
Nadal refused to lose. Federer played not to lose, hesitant to take chances. He'll have two weeks to do some soul searching and deep reflecting concerning this match before he meets Nadal again in the all likely Frech Open final. The stakes can't be higher at the Roland Garros.
I'm a huge fan of Federer's game. Personally, I don't understand it when people call him "cocky." If anything, he's probably the least cocky tennis champion I've ever seen. Nadal is an absolute beast on clay though...I have to admit. I think Federer is just sort of biding his time and trying to figure out Nadal's game. He's actually gotten better on clay that he was last year, seeing as how he's reached a number of clay court finals this season. However, it seems like it's still not enough to compete with Nadal. When grass-court season starts next month, I'm sure we will see the same kind of dominance from Federer that we're seeing from Nadal right now.
Hard to believe, but I think they're both playing Hamburg this upcoming week, so they could potentially meet in the finals there before the French. After that epic match, I don't see how... Can't wait 'til the French Open when there will finally be some coverage over here in the US.
It's interesting to see the kinds of players that'll rise up to challenge Federer. It's pretty clear the players in his generation (Roddick, Hewitt, Safin etc.) weren't up to the task. The younger players like Nadal, Gasquet, Monfils, and Murray are gonna be the ones that finally oust him from his grass/hardcourt dominance.
Whether you're for Fed or Rafa, it's good for tennis when Fed's not dominating tournaments left and right. Nice to see a little rivalry there. Whether that will eventually translate to grass is another thing though. At least Nadal is committed to improving on grass and plans on playing some of the Wimbledon tune-ups, unlike all the other clay-courters. As far as hard courts, I think Nadal has the better record head-to-head?
Yep, Nadal leads 2-1, but the sample size is too small. Besides, none of three matches was at Grand Slam level.
Injuries aside what is everybody's top players? No order is necessary I've got Federer Safin Nadal Roddick Nalbandian Agassi Ljubicic Blake Davydenko I don't rate Hewitt at all. But i really think Safin could be so great if he was just healthy and consistent. I think he is the only plyer who can hang with Federer on the hard court. But there is no one on grass who can play with Roger.
