6 of the best Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal matches that went five sets
Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are two of the greatest tennis players of all time and have forged one of the fiercest sporting rivalries sport has ever been. The two have locked horns on 40 occasions, with the Spaniard leading the head-to-head 24-16.
Their first match took place at the 2004 Miami Open while Nadal was a budding youngster and Federer was already No. 1 in the ATP rankings.
Federer and Nadal have played in nine Grand Slam finals, with the latter winning six of those. The Swiss leads 11-9 on hardcourt and 3-1 on grasscourt while Nadal has an incredible 14-2 lead on claycourt.
Over the years, the two have been a part of some monumental battles, some of which are considered to be among the greatest matches of all time. Out of 40 matches, only six went the distance, all of which were finals.
So without any further ado, let's take a look at the six instances when Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal took their match to five sets.
#1. 2005 Miami Open Final
Top seed Roger Federer reached the final of the Miami Open with wins over Olivier Rochus, Mariano Zabaleta, Mario Ancic, Tim Henman and Andre Agassi. Facing him in the title clash was 29th seed Rafael Nadal, who had dropped only one set until that stage.
This was only the second meeting between the two and the Spaniard won the first two sets. However, Federer fought back in the third set and won it in a tie-break. He then took the last two sets to win the Miami Open and complete the Sunshine Double for the very first time in his career.
#2. 2006 Italian Open Final
Rafael Nadal entered the Italian Open in 2006 as the reigning champion and reached the final without dropping a single set. He was up against Federer, who had to fight off Nicolas Almagro and David Nalbandian in the previous rounds.
The Swiss drew first blood by taking the opening set in a tie-break but Nadal fought back to take the second, also in a tie-break. The Spaniard won the third set 6-4 before Federer took the fourth 6-2.
The Swiss was 4-1 up in the final set and it looked like he would win the match. However, Nadal saved two match points and took the set to a tie-break. Federer led 5-3 but the Spaniard won four points in a row to successfully defend his title in Rome. The match lasted five hours and five minutes.
#3. 2007 Wimbledon Final
The 2007 Wimbledon final is regarded as one of best matches in the tournament's history. For the second successive year, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal locked horns in the title match.
Federer won the first set in a tie-break to take the lead in the match. Nadal earned the decisive break of the second set in the 10th game to win it 6-4. The third set went to a tie-break after neither player was able to break the other. Federer won it to go two sets to one up. However, Nadal fought back strongly and took the fourth set 6-2.
The Spaniard had a few break points in the decider but could not convert any of them. Federer, on the other hand, cashed in on his opportunties and won the set 6-2 to win his fifth successive Wimbledon title.
#4. 2008 Wimbledon Final
Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal clashed in the Wimbledon final for the third successive year in 2008. The King of Clay took each of the first two sets 6-4.
Federer led 5-4 in the third set before rain halted play. He eventually won the set in a tie-break. Nadal had a few championship points in the fourth set tie-break but could not convert them and Federer eventually won the set to force a decider.
Nadal earned a crucial break to go 8-7 up in the decider and then held his serve to win his first Wimbledon crown. In the process, he also broke Federer's 65-match win streak on grasscourt that dated back to 2003.
#5. 2009 Australian Open Final
The 2009 Australian Open had some thrilling matches but none were as exciting as the final between the top two seeds, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.
Federer started well and led 4-2 in the first set but Nadal fought back and won five out of the next six games to take it 7-5. The Swiss bounced back and took the second set 6-3 despite being a break down. The King of Clay restored his lead by taking the third set in a tie-break but Federer once again fought back and took the fourth set 6-3.
Nadal was dominant in the final set and won it 6-2 to win his maiden Australian Open title.
#6. 2017 Australian Open Final
Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal's most recent meeting at a Grand Slam final came at the Australian Open in 2017.
Federer, who had just returned to action after a six-month hiatus, won the first set 6-4. However, Nadal fought back strongly to win the second set 6-3. Federer saved a few break points in the third set before breaking his rival twice to win it 6-1.
Nadal managed to claim the fourth set to take the final into a decider. The Spaniard was 3-1 up but Federer produced some sensational tennis to win the next five games and seal his sixth Australian Open title.
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