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The End of an Era
By Ru-an Zietsmann
I apologize to anyone who has been looking for a article from me after Rafael Nadal beat Roger Federer 7-5, 3-6, 7-6(3), 3-6, 6-2 in yesterday’s Australian Open final. As you can imagine this was a bitter disappointment for me as it was for Roger so I didn’t feel much like making a post. Anyone that call them self human would have had compassion for Roger as he was in obvious pain during the finishing ceremony and I’m sure many would have shed a tear. It was clear that Roger did not believe he could win this match. In the first set he was up 4-2 with a break and couldn’t take advantage of it after which Nadal won the set. This was very important in the context of the match since Nadal would still have been tired from his marathon semi-final match against Verdasco. If he had lost the first set it would have been a severe mental blow to him. Yet Roger managed to give the break back to Nadal and lose his serve once more to give Nadal the set 7-5. Roger would however stay in the match by breaking Nadal to lead 5-3 in the second set and then he served it out to take it 6-3. After losing the first set the third set was always going to be crucial for Roger to stamp his authority on the match again. It was clear that Nadal was starting to feel the physical strain as the third set wore on. The match was there for the taking. At 4-4 and 0-40 on Nadal’s serve Roger had three opportunities to break Nadal and virtually end his chances. However Roger did not play like he believed he could win the match. He never took any chances and was content to wait for Nadal to miss, which of course never happens. Again at 5-5 and 15-40 on Nadal’s serve he would get another two chances to put Nadal away for good, but lacked the killer instinct to convert. If you take into account how Nadal was struggling physically it was certain in my mind that if he lost the third set he would’ve all but given up the match. But because Roger didn’t take his opportunities Nadal got new hope. He took the third set on a tie break and of course leading two sets to one you are not going to give up the match, not when the end is in sight. Once again Roger would play catch up however taking the third set 6-3. But it’s not that hard to play well when you are behind. The real test comes when you actually have the chance to put your opponent away. When the fifth set commenced Nadal was playing purely on adrenaline knowing that there was one set between him and his first grand slam hard court title. At this point Roger looked like he was worn down by Nadal’s incredible persistence and desire and with the score at 5-2 he couldn’t even hold serve to make Nadal serve out the match. This just summed for me how little Roger actually believed in himself in this match. He really had everything going for him. Nadal had been softened up by Verdasco in his previous match and Roger even had the extra day of rest. So I really have to question Roger’s killer instinct. I hate to keep referring to previous posts but what I said there really sums all of this up. I said that Roger did not have a killer instinct of “I will crush you like a bug”. But I actually thought he wouldn’t even need that attitude here with everything that was counting in his favor. Destiny was beckoning for him to take his 14th grand slam title and equal Sampras’ record, yet when the moment of truth arrived he faltered. For a long time Roger has dominated the game of tennis because he is such a talent. I mean there simply wasn’t anyone that could come close to him until Nadal arrived that is. Nadal has a certain killer instinct about him that puts Roger off. It’s not so much about the way Nadal plays that is a problem for Roger, but more about the way he carries himself on court. Roger is a sensitive soul, a good man. But these qualities don’t help you much when an opponent is there for the taking and destiny calls. This is something I have always been aware of about Roger. I knew this was a weakness, but I never thought it would cost him in this way. It was written all over his face and the tears revealed all, this loss would have hurt Roger to his very core. As someone with deep respect for Roger as a human being I have to admit it got to me as well. It’s not fun to see that happening to someone you admire so much. The thing is that now Nadal really owns him, he has beaten Roger in grand slam finals on all surfaces now. This match was Roger’s one chance to redeem himself and had he won he would have been in a fantastic situation. But he didn’t. You have to say now that this is the end of an era, much as that hurts to admit. The Federer/Nadal rivalry is all but dead with Nadal dominating Roger last year and now this. I just don’t see Roger beating Nadal again after this, the mental blows that Roger has taken from Nadal of late will be very hard to come back from. Nadal could go on to dominate now like Roger did once and start winning all the grand slams. Now you wouldn’t even put it beyond him to win the grand slam itself. This article wouldn’t be complete if I didn’t mention what a humble champion Nadal is. The gesture he showed by giving Roger a hug and the things he said is truly admirable. Nadal might be the bad boy of tennis on court but off court he is a terrific human being. I could never really identify with him because he was Roger’s nemesis but after what he did yesterday he has won himself another fan. What he has achieved is truly incredible if you look at how people keep saying he plays with too much intensity to last long as well as the fact that his game is not suited for hard courts. There is just no such thing as ‘not possible’ for Nadal. And his tennis has been of a very high quality throughout these championships. He is truly a worthy champion.
This intel first appeared on: http://ruansfedererblog.com/
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This intel was contributed by Ru-an
Ru-an
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May, 2012
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