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Miami Masters 2004 Rewind: Birthplace of the Roger Federer-Rafael Nadal Rivalry
Published: March 26, 2010
As the 2010 Sony Ericsson Open begins in earnest this week, it might be interesting and informative to examine the tournament that set the bar for their future encounters.
Early on, playing practically perfect tennis against Federer evolved into an art form for Nadal. Nothing seemed to inspire him more or engage his senses more completely than striving to match his considerable strengths against the man many proclaimed, then and now, as the best player ever to wield a tennis racket.
The quixotic mission to overtake Federer drove Nadal for four-and-a-half years, finally propelling him into that vaunted No. 1 spot in August of 2008.
But let us hearken back to March of 2004, when newly dominant 22-year-old Roger Federer, feeling ill and stripped of strength, struggled past Russian Nikolay Davydenko during the round of 64 at the NASDAQ-100 Miami Masters.
His next opponent was 17-year-old newcomer Rafael Nadal, ranked No. 36 in the world. Nadal was a hard-hitting left-hander from Spain, a country renowned for its prowess on clay. This, however, was a hardcourt event.
Anointed No. 1 a month earlier, Federer arrived in Miami having won 28 matches during the previous nine months—including his first Wimbledon crown in 2003, and his first Australian Open title in 2004. Even weakened, Federer expected to win this match.
Nadal had other plans. Playing nearly flawless tennis against Federer, Nadal defeated him, 6-3, 6-3. While admittedly shocked, the tennis world should have stood still or spun backward, because there was never a more prophetic tennis match than this one.
During that match Nadal never faced a break point, and he made 81 percent of his first serves. He even won 13 of 14 net points, punctuating his win with an o...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Tennis
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