Wimbledon 2019 semifinal: Roger Federer vs Rafael Nadal, Preview and Prediction
Roger Federer will be feeling quite confident ahead of his Wimbledon semifinal against Rafael Nadal. The Swiss is in fine form, having just secured his 100th match win at the All England Club.
On the other side of the net on Friday will be Nadal, who is playing some great tennis himself, having dropped just one set - against Australia's Nick Kyrgios in the second round - en route to the semifinals.
There is little that separates the two on paper, but as we all know, that counts for little when they step onto the court. Coming into the match, Federer looks the better prepared of the two.
The 20-time Grand Slam champion has had the better build-up, having won the warm-up grass court tournament in Halle in resounding fashion. He has also been tested more than Nadal in the earlier rounds here at Wimbledon, having come back from a set down twice already.
Nadal, on the other hand, is yet to face a seeded opponent. Barring his second-round four-setter against Kyrgios, he has hardly been tested. If things get tight in the match, the extra time spent on the grass may give Federer the edge.
Moreover, while both have looked equally dangerous returning serve, Federer still remains much more formidable on serve. A lot will depend on the Swiss' ability to win quick points at the net, as he would want to avoid long exchanges from the baseline against Nadal.
Despite all this, it is extremely difficult to predict a clear winner. There is just so much at stake whenever the two take the court together. The last time these two legends met at the All England Club was in the 2008 final, which is widely regarded as one of the greatest matches in tennis history.
A lot has changed since then as the two have worked immensely towards cementing their status as the greatest in the sport. Regardless of the outcome of Friday's semifinal, that is unlikely to change.
As for the match itself, it has all the makings of another all-time classic.
Prediction: Roger Federer in four sets.
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