For only the third time since the “Nadal and Federer reign” started in 2005, the party has been crashed and an “outsider” has won a Grand Slam.
Congratulations to Juan Martin del Potro, a worthy champion who overcame the very best players to deservedly take out this title.
Meantime, Rafa has gone home to rest, and is preparing to enjoy the Davis Cup from the stands as he recovers from the abdominal injury that has bothered him in recent weeks. He confirmed he plans to play Bangkok, Beijing, and Shanghai thereafter – see Nadal’s updated tour schedule here.
To Roger, commiserations for not making the sixth just yet, but we know you’ll be back, so we hope you enjoy some precious time with your beautiful wife and daughters!
So if babies and knees allow, what can we expect in the way of Nadal vs Federer match ups this year?
Can Rafa make up for the disappointments of Roland Garros and injuries to win the US Open and match Roger’s career Grand Slam (all four majors in a career)?
Can Roger overcome midnight baby calls to round out a sensational list of achievements for 2009?
Well we are in for some real treats – see the chart below for full schedule!
August 10th - Rafa back from injury to defend his 2008 title at Montreal
ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Montreal, Canada, Rogers Cup, Outdoor, Hardcourt
August 17th – can Roger or Rafa beat defending champ Andy Murray in Cincy?
ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Cincinatti, USA, Western & Southern Financial Group Masters, Outdoor, Hardcourt
August 31st - the big one. Can Rafa win the US Open this year to match Fed’s career Grand Slam?
US Open, New York, USA, Outdoor, Hardcourt
02.11.09
Davidoff Swiss Indoors
500Basel (SUI)hard [i]
09.11.09
BNP Paribas Masters
1000Paris (FRA)hard [i]
23.11.09
Barclays ATP World Tour Finals
WTFLondon (GBR)hard [i]
October 12th - Shanghai becomes a ATP 1000 event for first time. Whose name will be first on the winner’s trophy?
ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Shanghai, China, Outdoor, Hardcourt
November 9th - Roger and Rafa will have their work cut out to “knock out” defending local champ, “Ali” Tsongas ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Paris, France, BNP Paribas Masters, Outdoor, Hardcourt
November 23rd - Grand finale for a magnificent year. Who will claim the ATP tour champion title?
ATP World Tour World Tour Finals, London, UK, Outdoor, Hardcourt
Well, well, well… what a difference a day makes (not to mention a week, month or a hefty collection of ATP points). Roger Federer has decided to reverse his earlier decision, and to play at the clay court Monte Carlo tournament – the only non “compulsory” Masters 1000 event.
Federer has never won at Monte Carlo – and to make matters worse, he lost the final of the last three tournaments to his great rival, Rafael Nadal.
I have to say, I’m loving this.
Roger is facing his demons head on, and for once he will be doing it without the weight of expectations on his narrow shoulders.
He is not expected to win.
Most commentators cannot see him getting past a likely semi against Novak Djokovic, and even that may be being optimistic given the depth of young clay court players out there (101 Spaniards, Argentinians etc, etc).
So Roger’s got nothing to lose, as I see it. He can go out, relax, and just play his heart out. Any win can only raise his flagging confidence, and any loss, is, well, just to be expected.
And in the best case scenario… well, he picks up his game, makes a run in Roland Garros, and (dream on?) could we be back for yet another cracker Nadal vs Federer French Open final?
The following are the events both are expected to play in. As top seeds, they’ll only meet if they manage to dismiss the pretenders and reach the finals, but who would bet against them?!
March 12th ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Indian Wells, CA, U.S.A.
BNP Paribas Open, ATP World Tour Masters 1000, Outdoor, Hard
March 25th ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Miami, FL, U.S.A.
Sony Ericsson Open, ATP World Tour Masters 1000, Outdoor, Hard
April 27th ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Rome, Italy
Internazionali BNL d’Italia, ATP World Tour Masters 1000, Outdoor, Clay
10th May ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Madrid, Spain
Mutua Madrileña Madrid Open, ATP World Tour Masters 1000, Outdoor, Clay
25th May Roland Garros, France
Roland Garros, Grand Slam, Outdoor, Clay
Rafael Nadal was chosen by the new Spanish captain, Alberto Costa, to lead Spain in the first round of this year’s Davis Cup in Benidorm. He will be joined by David Ferrer, Feliciano Lopez and Tommy Robredo in a bid to retain the title won last year by Spain, in which Nadal missed the final through injury.
Nadal will be resting from this week’s Dubai Tennis Championships in order to recover from a strain to his right leg – and we at NadalversusFederer.com are looking forward to the mouthwatering prospect of seeing him play against the world number three Serb, Novak Djokovic.
Nadal is then planning to play Indian Wells, where it can be hoped that he will meet a rejuvenated Roger Federer!
Melbourne Time
crashed and an “outsider” has won a Grand Slam.
Rafael Nadal was chosen by the new Spanish captain, Alberto Costa, to lead Spain in the first round of this year’s Davis Cup in Benidorm. He will be joined by David Ferrer, Feliciano Lopez and Tommy Robredo in a bid to retain the title won last year by Spain, in which Nadal missed the final through injury.
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