Jinxed?
Well he lost again. This time in Rome, and, surprise surprise, it was on clay and to Rafael
Nadal. For the man who beats the world at this game, having lost five out of six encounters with
the same person would no doubt displease Roger Federer.
With the French Open around the corner, Federer is probably going to spend a lot of sleepless nights wondering how, if he does happen to play Nadal (which he most likely will), he is going to tackle this fiery young spaniard who seems to hold an invisible grip over him.
To me, Nadal is the only force that stands between the champion and the only grand slam that he's never won, and this could emerge as one of the greatest clay court rivalries in the recent history of tennis.
Watching the two of them battle for 5 hours in the finals of the Rome Masters was in itself a treat,but die-hard Federer fans would have felt a hint of despair watching him literally throw away TWO match points with uncharacteristically ugly forehand errors.
......And for the first time ever...it looked to me like Federer didnt really believe that he was going to win. One could argue that it wasn't his preferred surface,etc etc but to conquer his demons at Rolland Garros,he's going to need all the belief and strength he can muster.
As far as Nadal goes, well, he's pretty much in his element on clay. His never-say-die spirit, heavy top spin forehand, and spectacular on-court athleticism will undoubtedly propel him towards a successful defense of his crown.
...But his greatest strength shall lie in the certain ruthlessness that accompanies his tennis, which,sadly, the world champion doesnt seem to possess at the moment. Which raises the following questions:
Has he won too much? Is he really jinxed when it comes to playing the Spaniard? Or does the clay still unsettle him??..... I guess we'll just have to wait and see. What we WILL have is an epic battle, and for all you Federer fans...keep your fingers crossed!
Nadal. For the man who beats the world at this game, having lost five out of six encounters with
the same person would no doubt displease Roger Federer.
With the French Open around the corner, Federer is probably going to spend a lot of sleepless nights wondering how, if he does happen to play Nadal (which he most likely will), he is going to tackle this fiery young spaniard who seems to hold an invisible grip over him.
To me, Nadal is the only force that stands between the champion and the only grand slam that he's never won, and this could emerge as one of the greatest clay court rivalries in the recent history of tennis.
Watching the two of them battle for 5 hours in the finals of the Rome Masters was in itself a treat,but die-hard Federer fans would have felt a hint of despair watching him literally throw away TWO match points with uncharacteristically ugly forehand errors.
......And for the first time ever...it looked to me like Federer didnt really believe that he was going to win. One could argue that it wasn't his preferred surface,etc etc but to conquer his demons at Rolland Garros,he's going to need all the belief and strength he can muster.
As far as Nadal goes, well, he's pretty much in his element on clay. His never-say-die spirit, heavy top spin forehand, and spectacular on-court athleticism will undoubtedly propel him towards a successful defense of his crown.
...But his greatest strength shall lie in the certain ruthlessness that accompanies his tennis, which,sadly, the world champion doesnt seem to possess at the moment. Which raises the following questions:
Has he won too much? Is he really jinxed when it comes to playing the Spaniard? Or does the clay still unsettle him??..... I guess we'll just have to wait and see. What we WILL have is an epic battle, and for all you Federer fans...keep your fingers crossed!
Comments