The greatest Roger Federer vs Rafael Nadal matches

Federer and Nadal have redefined ‘tennis-rivalry’ in the 21st centuryIf ever there is a sporting rivalry for which even Gods will buy tickets to see, then it has to be the Federer-Nadal rivalry.What made this dual the ‘greatest rivalry’ is the nature of the players which are as distant from each other as the North and South Pole.For Latest Tennis News, download Sportskeeda android app! Federer and Nadal are at the opposite extreme of the Tennis world. While Federer’s effortless style is defined as classic and elegant, the exhaustive combo of power and muscle are the features of King of Clay. If Federer is known for his net approaches and taking the ball early from the baseline, Nadal is infamous for his wrecking passing shots from 2 meters behind the baseline. The list of their corresponding extreme points continues to inspire the works of Tennis Pundits.They seem to be filling the missing pieces of each other’s game. And when they both embrace the court against each other, what we see is Tennis in its totality.This year marked 10 years of their historic rivalry. Here is a recount of some of those greatest matches that the Greatest Rivalry has produced in the last decade:

#1 Miami Masters, final 2005

Federer def. Nadal 2-6, 6-7(4), 7-6(5), 6-3, 6-1

Rivalries take time to nurture. The repetitions of matches between two players over a good period of time make their matchups assume the aura of ‘rivalry’. But that wasn’t the case with Federer and Nadal.

When Federer was at the top of his game and was all but invincible, Rafael Nadal recorded a straight set victory over him at the hard court of Miami in their first ever match together in 2004. The quest for a player who could wound Roger Federer felt to be running its course. But questions still persisted over Nadal’s ability to inflict Federer on a constant basis. Just a year later, at the final of Miami masters, those questions evaporated.

Nadal displayed his defensive and monstrous best to take 2 set to love lead over Federer. The Spaniard was close to register another straight set victory over Roger as the match went into the tiebreak in the third set with Federer trailing 5-3. Two points from back-to-back loss, Federer changed gears at the crucial moment of the third set to take away the match by winning the next 3 sets with ease.