Nadal vs. Federer SF Melbourne: Live Report

Fed jumps up 3-0. Serve and volley and a dropper on successive points.

Rafa regains a foothold with some batterings of Fed’s backhand to get on the board 1-3.

But Roger holds again 4-1, battering Rafa’s backhand corner and then hitting forehand winners into the open court. “Nadal is flustered,” comments Patrick McEnroe. Fed is serving and playing perfectly. “Nadal needs to get that first serve percentage up so he can dictate with the forehand,” says Patrick.

Patrick Rafter is amazed by how much pace both players can generate on the stretch, informs Darren Cahill at courtside.
A Nadal ace out side makes it 2-4.

Fed nets a forehand off the backhand return of Rafa, 0-15. 14 out of 15 first serves by Roger so far. Fed forehand strike, 15-all.

“These are the moments when it does get close it favors Nadal,” says P Mac. As if on cue, Nadal hits a winner off an indecisive Fed serve and volley attempt down the middle, and breaks Roger, the match is now on serve at 3-4.

“You can see Federer is starting to think about things and that’s when he gets in trouble, he has to be decisive,” Patrick Mac. Rafa goes up 40-love. “Wow that’s three awful shanks in the game, and it’s 4-all,” says Chris Fowler. “Didn’t see this change in momentum coming.” 4-all suddenly.

“Federer desperately needs this game,” Pat Mac. He gets it – Fed holds at love with a quick game. Fed aces then tosses the ball in his pocket away with a hint of frustration as he walks to his chair. He has let Rafa off the hook. Still it’s 5-4 Fed, on serve.

Nadal holds at love, 5-all. “If you’re in the Nadal camp right now you’d sign up for this in a heartbeat,” says Pat Mac.

We head to the inevitable tiebreak. Both players had the same TB records last year, 20-9. Fed jumps up 2-0 with a big return. Pat Mac says the TB is more important for Fed to win, Nadal is a better come from behind player. 3-1 Fed. Ace, 4-1 Fed. Nadal pulls Fed wide to his forehand then into the open court for a winner, 4-2.

Fed volley winner off a Nadal backhand slice off a long rally. Fed with another volley winner, this one a marvelous low backhand. 6-3 Fed. Nadal wins two points on his serve, 5-6. Fed will try to serve it out…he does when a Nadal backhand is long. Fed lets out a roar, he has won the first set.

Second set:

Roger breaks Rafa at love, then Rafa breaks Roger at love. 1-1. I think we’re gonna have a very long match here. At 30-all Nadal wins a long point with a forehand deep off a short ball which Fed’s forehand nets. Fed mutters to his camp box after this point, for some reason. But it was a perfect point by Rafa. Nadal holds, 2-1.

At 3-2 Nadal breaks Fed with two amazing shots, which elicit “Hello!” and “Oh come on!” from Patrick Mac, the gamewinner was a backhand winner up the line by Rafa after Fed was in control. Amazing game by Rafa. 4-2 Rafa. Nadal serving, 30-all, big point…but Fed nets a backhand return. “Nadal has own more free points on his serve this set,” notes Pat Mac. THen another Fed missed backhand return, it’s 5-2 Rafa. Fireworks break.

Rafa breaks Fed to win set 62.

Third set

Rafa holds serve at love. 1-0. Rafa wins 11 straight points since fireworks break, Fed looks annoyed. Fed gets back to duece. “Fed has to show him he’s in for a dogfight, he has to show him,” says Pat Mac. Fed ends up holding with two successful droppers to the Rafa backhand side. 1-all

Rafa ends up taking the set in a tiebreak, 7-5. Pat Mac comments during the set that Fed is unwilling to perpetually attack the Nadal backhand corner (like Djokovic did last year) becuase it’s “almost boring” for Fed to play like that. Yet on the few points he does attack the Rafa backhand he is successful. Excellent surmise by Pat Mac who also asks, “Can Federer come off the mat to beat his greatest rival?” He has never done that, to my knowledge, well maybe from two sets down in Miami final many years ago but in a slam? Don’t think so.

Fourth set

Roger holds at love 1-0. Rafa holds too. 1-1.

Rafa ends up winning fourth set 6-4, Pat Mac says it’s “the same old story”, Rafa “willed his way to victory.”

Rafa now 8-2 vs. Roger in majors and 18-9 career. But Rafa tells Jim Courier after that he still sees Roger in front of him, so humble. Rafa is into the Australian Open final, will attempt to win his 11th major title.

Nadal-Federer showdown

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