hornpharmd
5,000+ Posts
VII - Australian Open Final 2009
?
This is Federer's 19th straight Slam to reach at least the semi-final. Federer has won the Australian 3 out of the last 5 years. Nadal for the 1st time is ranked #1 at the start of the season and is the #1 seed at the Australian Open. Although this final does no have as much history on the line as the 2008 Wimbledon final did, it is the 1st time we get to see this rivalry move to a hard court surface.
VI - Wimbledon Final 2008
Nadal beats Federer
6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (5-7), 6-7 (8-10), 9-7
This is the 3rd straight year that Federer and Nadal have met in the final at Wimbledon. Federer goes down 2 sets to love. Then rallies back with 2 tiebreak wins in 3rd and 4th set. There is no tiebrea in 5th set and Nadal wins what is now considered the greatest match of all-time. This ends Federer's Wimbledon streak at 5. Federer had won 41 straight matches at Wimbledon (record) and 65 straight on grass (record). This is the 1st time since Bjorn Borg in 1980 that the same man has won both the French and Wimbledon in the same year. This match (greatest of all time) lasted 4 hours and 48 minutes. It endued several rain delays and ended 7 hours and 15 minutes after its scheduled start in near darkness.
V - French Open Final 2008
Nadal beats Federer
6-1, 6-3, 6-0
Nadal dominates from start to finish. This is 3rd straight year that both Federer and Nadal have met in the French final. Nadal wins his 4th straight French Open title and 28th straight match at the French.
IV - Wimbledon Final 2007
Federer beats Nadal
7-6 (9-7), 4-6, 7-6 (7-3), 2-6, 6-2
Nadal takes Federer to 5 sets. The only 2 sets Federer lost in the entire tournament were to Nadal. Classic match and at the time the greatest match between the 2 players. This was Federer's 5th straight victory at Wimbledon which tied Bjorn Borg for the record.
III - French Open Final 2007
Nadal beats Federer
6-3, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4
The most competitive French Open final between Nadal and Federer. Federer had just beaten Nadal on clay in a tune-up tournament which ended Nadal's clay court winning streak at 81 games (record). Federe entered the French Open with a little momentum on his side. In the 1st set Federer was on the verge of breaking Nadal several times but did not convert any of the 10 break point chances that he had. Nadal seemed to keep his mental edge on clay over Federer. Federer won the 2nd set by converting on some chances. However it ultimately was that 1st set that cost him the match and Nadal maintained his French Open streak.
II - Wimbledon Final 2006
Federer beats Nadal
6-0, 7-6 (7-5), 6-7 (2-7), 6-3
This is Federer's 4th straight Wimbledon victory.
I - French Open Final 2006
Nadal beats Federer
1-6, 6-1, 6-4, 7-6 (7-4)
This is Nadal's 2nd straight French Open title. He defeated Federer in the semi's of the 2005 French Open title in 4 sets.
Overall in the rivalry Federer and Nadal have met 6 times in Grand Slam finals, which is the most in the open era. They have met each of the last 3 years at the finals of the French Open and Wimbledon. Nadal has the winning record 4-2 in those 6 matches. However they have never met at the US Open or Australian open before, much less the final of either tournament. This year they meet in their 7th Grand Slam final and for the 1st time n the final of the Australian Open.
In all Nadal has 5 Grand Slam titles. Federer has 13 Grand Slam titles. Federer is going for his 14th Grand Slam title which will equal the record set by Pete Sampras.
This is arguably the greatest rivalry in tennis history. This rivalry IMO also rivals any rivalry of any sport of any era including the Celtics/Lakers rivalry of the 1980s.
Federer is considered the best ever on grass with the longest winning streak on grass (65). He has a tie with 5 straight Wimbledon titles. He owns the longest winning streak at Wimbledon with 41 straight matches. Rafael nadal ended all 3 of those streaks. Federer also owns the record for most consecutive hard court victories with 56. He has been to 19 straight Grand Slam semifinals which is a record. He had previously been to 10 straight Grand Slam finals which is a record. He has won 13 Grand Slams in his career and has made it to the finals in 13 of the last 14 Grand Slams. Federer was ranked #1 for a record 160 straight weeks before Nadal took over the #1 spot last year on October 18th of 2008.
Nadal is considered the best ever on clay with the longest winning streak on clay (81). Federer ended that streak. He has won 4 straight French Open titles which ties him with Borg as the only man to have won the French 4 straight times. Nadal is 22-1 in clay court tournaments in his career and is undefeated in his 43 best of 5 set matches on clay. Nadal is the only Spaniard to have won Wimbledon. Nadal had been ranked #2 for 3 consecutive years from July 2005 to July 2008 (1st time ever). Last year he finally broke through on a non clay surface and beat the world's best, the best ever on grass, in an epic 7 hour 5 set match. He proved that he the world's best and not just clay court specialist. He won a gold at the Olympics. A knee injury ended his season last year. Now he enters the Australian for the 1st time as the #1 seed and meets Federer for the 1st time in a Grand Slam final other than Wimbledon or Clay.
We are all very lucky to have seen this rivalry over the last 3 years and to continue to witness the history develop right before us.
?
This is Federer's 19th straight Slam to reach at least the semi-final. Federer has won the Australian 3 out of the last 5 years. Nadal for the 1st time is ranked #1 at the start of the season and is the #1 seed at the Australian Open. Although this final does no have as much history on the line as the 2008 Wimbledon final did, it is the 1st time we get to see this rivalry move to a hard court surface.
VI - Wimbledon Final 2008
Nadal beats Federer
6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (5-7), 6-7 (8-10), 9-7
This is the 3rd straight year that Federer and Nadal have met in the final at Wimbledon. Federer goes down 2 sets to love. Then rallies back with 2 tiebreak wins in 3rd and 4th set. There is no tiebrea in 5th set and Nadal wins what is now considered the greatest match of all-time. This ends Federer's Wimbledon streak at 5. Federer had won 41 straight matches at Wimbledon (record) and 65 straight on grass (record). This is the 1st time since Bjorn Borg in 1980 that the same man has won both the French and Wimbledon in the same year. This match (greatest of all time) lasted 4 hours and 48 minutes. It endued several rain delays and ended 7 hours and 15 minutes after its scheduled start in near darkness.
V - French Open Final 2008
Nadal beats Federer
6-1, 6-3, 6-0
Nadal dominates from start to finish. This is 3rd straight year that both Federer and Nadal have met in the French final. Nadal wins his 4th straight French Open title and 28th straight match at the French.
IV - Wimbledon Final 2007
Federer beats Nadal
7-6 (9-7), 4-6, 7-6 (7-3), 2-6, 6-2
Nadal takes Federer to 5 sets. The only 2 sets Federer lost in the entire tournament were to Nadal. Classic match and at the time the greatest match between the 2 players. This was Federer's 5th straight victory at Wimbledon which tied Bjorn Borg for the record.
III - French Open Final 2007
Nadal beats Federer
6-3, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4
The most competitive French Open final between Nadal and Federer. Federer had just beaten Nadal on clay in a tune-up tournament which ended Nadal's clay court winning streak at 81 games (record). Federe entered the French Open with a little momentum on his side. In the 1st set Federer was on the verge of breaking Nadal several times but did not convert any of the 10 break point chances that he had. Nadal seemed to keep his mental edge on clay over Federer. Federer won the 2nd set by converting on some chances. However it ultimately was that 1st set that cost him the match and Nadal maintained his French Open streak.
II - Wimbledon Final 2006
Federer beats Nadal
6-0, 7-6 (7-5), 6-7 (2-7), 6-3
This is Federer's 4th straight Wimbledon victory.
I - French Open Final 2006
Nadal beats Federer
1-6, 6-1, 6-4, 7-6 (7-4)
This is Nadal's 2nd straight French Open title. He defeated Federer in the semi's of the 2005 French Open title in 4 sets.
Overall in the rivalry Federer and Nadal have met 6 times in Grand Slam finals, which is the most in the open era. They have met each of the last 3 years at the finals of the French Open and Wimbledon. Nadal has the winning record 4-2 in those 6 matches. However they have never met at the US Open or Australian open before, much less the final of either tournament. This year they meet in their 7th Grand Slam final and for the 1st time n the final of the Australian Open.
In all Nadal has 5 Grand Slam titles. Federer has 13 Grand Slam titles. Federer is going for his 14th Grand Slam title which will equal the record set by Pete Sampras.
This is arguably the greatest rivalry in tennis history. This rivalry IMO also rivals any rivalry of any sport of any era including the Celtics/Lakers rivalry of the 1980s.
Federer is considered the best ever on grass with the longest winning streak on grass (65). He has a tie with 5 straight Wimbledon titles. He owns the longest winning streak at Wimbledon with 41 straight matches. Rafael nadal ended all 3 of those streaks. Federer also owns the record for most consecutive hard court victories with 56. He has been to 19 straight Grand Slam semifinals which is a record. He had previously been to 10 straight Grand Slam finals which is a record. He has won 13 Grand Slams in his career and has made it to the finals in 13 of the last 14 Grand Slams. Federer was ranked #1 for a record 160 straight weeks before Nadal took over the #1 spot last year on October 18th of 2008.
Nadal is considered the best ever on clay with the longest winning streak on clay (81). Federer ended that streak. He has won 4 straight French Open titles which ties him with Borg as the only man to have won the French 4 straight times. Nadal is 22-1 in clay court tournaments in his career and is undefeated in his 43 best of 5 set matches on clay. Nadal is the only Spaniard to have won Wimbledon. Nadal had been ranked #2 for 3 consecutive years from July 2005 to July 2008 (1st time ever). Last year he finally broke through on a non clay surface and beat the world's best, the best ever on grass, in an epic 7 hour 5 set match. He proved that he the world's best and not just clay court specialist. He won a gold at the Olympics. A knee injury ended his season last year. Now he enters the Australian for the 1st time as the #1 seed and meets Federer for the 1st time in a Grand Slam final other than Wimbledon or Clay.
We are all very lucky to have seen this rivalry over the last 3 years and to continue to witness the history develop right before us.
