How Roger overcame Rafa
For 90 minutes in Miami nothing went right for Roger Federer. Across the net
stared Rafael Nadal, an 18-year-old Spaniard who loves performing on a big
stage. So how did the world No 1 come back from two sets down and a break to
triumph in Key Biscayne? James Buddell explains.
During the first two sets, Nadal could do no wrong with a barrage of
well-placed serves and blistering forehands.
As a result, Federer had lost confidence in his normally reliable
serve-volley game. When he put a volley or groundstroke too short, Nadal
would fizz the ball for a winner.
Federer knew he was in trouble when the American crowd began to rally him.
Prolonged taunts of "Roger, Roger" swept around the vast Grandstand arena
when the Swiss trailed at 2-6 6-7 1-4.
Not what a player who had won 47 of his last 48 matches was used to.
HIT THROUGH THE BALL
Was the King of the men's game's astonishing record of 17 consecutive wins in
a final about to snap?
Think again.
Slowly but surely, the Swiss began to hit through the ball again and began to
feed on his winning strokes.
Get through a third set tie-break and seasoned observers believed Federer
would take control against Nadal, Miami&lsquos youngest-ever finalist.
Nadal was two points from the match at 5-3 in the breaker, but successive
forehand winners that cleaned the lines from Federer gave him the winning
formula.
The mis-timed forehands and serves that had heralded the shaking of heads
were replaced by fluency and conviction.
One hour later was match was over and Federer was holding aloft the 26th
singles trophy of his career.
NO NEED TO BULK UP
While Nadal's determination never waned, the Mallorcan simply ran out of
energy.
Before the end of the fourth set, he was a spent force.
So coaches Toni Nadal and Jofre Porta will be wise to steer Nadal clear of
the dumbbells over the next couple of months and should concentrate on
building the player's stamina levels.
Nadal will also need to take a closer look at his backhand.
To fulfil the predictions of a Top 10 ranking at the end of the season, Nadal
will need to learn the lessons of Key Biscayne and build upon his success for
Roland Garros.
For there will be plenty of players shying away from meeting "El Nino" when
he makes his debut in Paris on 23 May.
Eurosport - jbuddell@eurosport.com 04/04/2005
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