10th November, 2013
Rafael Nadal won the latest instalment of his epic rivalry with Roger Federer as the Spaniard swept into the final of the ATP World Tour Finals with a 7-5, 6-3 victory on Sunday.
Nadal was in commanding form in the last four showdown at London’s O2 Arena and his 22nd win in 32 meetings with Federer booked the world number one’s place in Monday’s final against Novak Djokovic or Stanislas Wawrinka.
But there was nothing routine about Nadal’s latest show of force against Federer as it marked the first time he had ever beaten the Swiss great indoors after four defeats, including a loss in the 2010 final of the Tour Finals.
That was the 27-year-old’s only previous appearance in the final of this prestigious season-ending event, but he looks in the mood to finally end his long wait to lift the trophy after halting Federer’s remarkable run of success in the tournament in just 79 minutes.
Federer, a six-time winner of the event, had reached the last three finals of the Tour Finals, winning twice before losing to Djokovic last year.
But this has been Nadal’s year and the 13-time Grand Slam winner is now just one more victory away from finishing a glorious campaign by adding the last major prize missing from his glittering CV.
Despite his struggles against Federer on the fast indoor courts that so suit the 17-time Grand Slam champion, Nadal was seen as favourite in many eyes after a remarkable return to the top of the world rankings after seven months out with knee tendinitis.
Nadal has now reached 14 finals this season, with 10 titles including the French and US Opens.
But, while Nadal has thrived over the last 11 months, Federer has endured arguably the worst season of his career, dropping to seventh in the world, winning just one title and failing to reach a Grand Slam final for the first time since 2002.
Nadal had swept through the group stage with three successive victories, while Federer was pushed to the brink of elimination by Juan Martin del Potro before recovering to beat the Argentine in three sets.
After a tight opening to the first set, Federer had Nadal under pressure in the sixth game, but his failure to push home his advantage proved the decisive moment of the match.
Federer had a break point on three occasions and twice Nadal was able to hit his way out of trouble before the Swiss star missed with a wild and wayward forehand.
It was the kind of mistake, caused by a desperate desire to create a winner from nothing, that Nadal so often provokes in Federer.
Nadal quickly doubled the frustration for Federer, breaking for a 5-4 lead when yet another top-spin bullet from the baseline flashed past the Swiss star’s defences.
Both players were mixing some breathtaking play with occasional sloppy play and the result was rollercoaster end to the set.
When Nadal tried to close out the set, Federer pushed the Spaniard out of his comfort zone and broke back.
But, not for the first time in his troubled season, Federer lost his composure at the crucial moment and Nadal broke again.
Given the chance to serve out the set for a second time, Nadal delivered in ruthless fashion, crushing a series of winners to take the game without dropping a point.
Federer couldn’t make any impact on Nadal’s serve in the second set and the match started to slip from his grasp when the Spaniard punished another sloppy game from the Swiss to break for a 3-2 lead.
That was all the incentive Nadal needed to race to the finish line and, with Federer’s unforced error total climbing to 32, it wasn’t long before the Spaniard was punched the air in celebration.