Federer Holds Off Nadal To Capture Key Biscayne Crown

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Federer Holds Off Nadal To Capture Key Biscayne Crown Photo By Susan Mullane By Richard Pagliaro 04/03/2005 Biceps bursting from his bright orange sleeveless shirt, Rafael Nadal imposed his brand of muscular tennis on Roger Federer in strong-arming the world No. 1 for nearly three sets today. Unleashing upper-cut topspin forehands with the strength of a power lifter performing one-armed curls, a pumped up Nadal was two points from racking up the Nasdaq-100 Open championship in straight sets and hoisting his fist Masters Series title trophy. Summoning the strength of spirit and burning will to win he渇 shown in claiming 47 of his prior 48 matches, Federer faced the weight of worry that can come from confronting impending defeat on blistered feet and lifted his level of play. Rallying from a 3-5 deficit in the third-set tiebreak, Federer fought back to capture his second consecutive Masters Series title with a 2-6, 6-7(4), 7-6(5), 6-3, 6-1 triumph in the Nasdaq-100 Open final the featured some spectacular shot making and shifts of emotion at Key Biscayne旧 Crandon Park. It was the 22nd straight victory for the Swiss stylist who has won 18 consecutive tournament finals. Federer旧 competitive character carried him to the championship on a day when his best tennis eluded him for much of the match. Immediately after wrapping up one of the greatest comebacks of his career, Federer unwrapped the white Nike headband that clings tourniquet-tight to his forehead during matches to reveal a relieved smile that was equal parts elation and exhaustion. The two-time Tennis Masters Cup champion conceded he had doubts about his ability to craft a comeback after the Spaniard旧 stunning start. "That was a tough battle. I really didn急 expect to turn it around, really," said Federer, who rallied from a two-set deficit for the third time in his career and evened his five-set record at 8-8. "I haven急 dug out many matches in my career and to dig it out down against Nadal who was playing well, was great. I観 extremely happy and exhausted." The 18-year-old Nadal dismissed Federer, 6-3, 6-3, in their lone prior meeting in Miami last year. Picking up right where he left off, Nadal came out with the confidence of a player on a 15-match winning streak. Drilling topspin drives from the baseline, Nadal imparted such heavy, shoulder-high spin, Federer sometimes looked like he was trying to shrug a shot put off his shoulders in response. His boyish face, sleeveless shirt and calf-length white pants that looks as if they were lifted from the lost and found on Gilligan旧 Island make Nadal look like a college kid out on spring break. But the 2002 winner of the ATP Newcomer of the Year Award plays a style wise beyond his years. Nadal旧 topspin strokes soar over the net by several feet, providing plenty of net clearance. The left-hander hammers high-percentage strokes with a creative sense for short angles that left Federer looking as unsettled as a man trying to shave in fun-house mirror. On speedy, soft feet, Federer is one of the smoothest movers on the ATP Tour, but today he got a guided tour of obscure areas of the court he seldom visits courtesy of Nadal. Feeling the pressure from Nadal旧 return, pressure Federer double faulted to drop serve for second time and fall behind 2-5. Nadal held at love to seize first set, 6-2. Cracking eight winners, Nadal won eight of his 10 second-serve points and broke Federer twice to take the opening set in 32 minutes. Combining shrewd court sense with a commanding court presence, Nadal attacked with bold baseline shots and defended with dogged determination. Federer旧 fluid movement enables him to transition from offense to defense sometimes in the span of a single explosive shot, but Nadal negated that edge with his high-bouncing topspin shots that backed Federer off the baseline and the fast feet of a former soccer striker who matched Federer stride for stride in sprinting after shots. A hyper, high-energy teenager with a habit of gnawing at his nails when he旧 not busy engaged in some activity, Nadal spent his day off on Saturday playing golf ?an excursion that exacerbated the blister on his left index finger ?and he teed off on any short ball Federer fed him. Federer has shown the skill to hit all the shots, but he struggled against an opponent calling the shots throughout the first set. Though Nadal旧 surge through the opening set stunned the crowd it wasn急 exactly a shock to Federer who felt he might face a deficit before the match started. "I haven急 played against lefties recently so that takes some adjustments," Federer said in a pre-match interview. "He旧 an extremely good player and he旧 lefty so the spin the ball comes in it can sometimes take a set (to adjust) and then suddenly you虐e down a set and a break before you learn how to play." Federer旧 prediction proved to be prophetic as he dropped serve in the opening game of the second set. Reduced to the role of retriever at times, Federer got fed up of playing fetch. Running around backhand Federer was almost off the doubles alley when he smacked a mis-hit forehand return winner that caught the back of the baseline to break for 1-1. The fourt-time Grand Slam champion extended the lead to 4-1 and 5-3. At deuce in the ninth game, Federer lost an easy overhead in the sun and shanked the shot off the top of his frame, the mis-hit barely reached the net and instead of break point Nadal had game point, which he converted. Maintaining the momentum in the next game, Nadal ripped a forehand winner crosscourt then punched the air in excitement at earning break point. Stepping to his left Nadal punished a forehand return winner down the line to break for 4-5. Federer earned two set points in the next game, but dumped a drop volley into the top of the tape on the first and netted a retrieving forehand on the second. Nadal hit a backhand winner crosscout to hold for 5-5 and lead and celebrated by leaping in the air, pumping his fist and taking a trot around the court. In the second-set tiebreak, Nadal ended a long rally by bending low to blast a backhand winner down the line that froze Federer and followed with a forehand winner down the line for a 5-2 lead. Moments later Federer旧 inside-out forehand winner found the net and Nadal had a two-set lead. In fashioning a 47-1 record since last summer, Federer had surrendered just 14 sets yet now he found himself facing a two-set deficit against a left-hander with a style he had not solved. Scrambling after everything, Federer hung tough and scratched his way back to contention in the third set. Nadal saved a break point in the ninth game and the pair began the tiebreak. When Federer floated a forehand deep, Nadal held a 5-3 lead and was two points from the title. Taking a quick glance at the scoreboard, Nadal looked back at Federer and saw a focused force who took it to him. Nadal netted a backhand pass and Federer fired an inside-out forehand to reach 5-5. A strong serve set up an easy overhead which Federer slammed with such force it bounced into the seats and gave him a set point. On the 18th stroke of the ensuing rally, Nadal旧 shot sailed long and Federer pumped his fist in the air after taking a set off Nadal for the first time. A drained Nadal never really recovered from the disappointment of the third set. In contrast, Federer was recharged and refocused and began to target Nadal旧 backhand, which he hits flatter than his forehand, prompting more predictable replies. Charging the net, Federer fired a full swing forehand volley to collect the fourth set and even the match. Cleaning up his game considerably, Federer made only 18 of his 71 errors in the final two sets. Experience and endurance gave Federer the edge in the decisive set. When Nadal received a time violation warning before the third game it was clear he was fighting fatigue as well as Federer and he wouldn急 win either battle. The match began with Federer finding a worthy future rival in Nadal ?of one only two men to beat the top-ranked Federer and second-ranked Andy Roddick last year ?and concluded with Federer finding his form and competing with the confidence and conviction that make him one of the great closers of the Open Era. Federer became the first top seed to capture the Key Biscayne crown since Pete Sampras in 1994 and left many in attendance ?including Federer ?looking forward to more future finals with Nadal. "What a pity for him. He played great," Federer said. "We歓l see much more of him in the future." -- ※ 發信站: 批踢踢實業坊(ptt.cc) ◆ From: 218.162.58.75