Roger Federer vs Rafael Nadal: Rivalry to be renewed at Cincinnati

A moment that is all set to be witnessed again this year between Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer

The most storied rivalry of tennis – Roger Federer vs Rafael Nadal – is all set to be renewed this weekend in the Cincinnati Masters. The duo is all set to clash for the 31st time in their career and the third time this year.

Both men were made to work hard and had to prevail in three sets to ascertain the clash. Defending champion Roger Federer had to overcome German powerhouse Tommy Haas, while Rafael Nadal had to overcome Grigor Dimitrov in three stiff sets.

The Swiss fifth seed, who is bearing a tough season with only one title in his kitty, avoided another early exit scare and went on to win 1-6 7-5 6-3 and set up another clash with Nadal.

The Spaniard, on the other hand, beat Dimitrov 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 in a much-anticipated match to set up his date with Federer.

In his post-match interview, on being asked about playing Federer again, he said: “We played so many times for very important things. That makes every match very special.

The combination of styles makes the matches very interesting. I hope to be ready for that.”

The duo is all set for another epic clash on Friday (Saturday 0430 hours IST).