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I love to play golf on the weekends, but not today, why? Roger Federer is playing Rafael Nadal in the 2010 World Championship in London, England. It doesn’t get any better than this for a tennis addict like me!
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As I watched this match it was very clear that Federer was not going to be pushed off the baseline. He was determined to play very aggressively, including taking balls on the rise and forcing Nadal to move side to side. This style of play put a great deal of pressure on Nadal, and any short return Federer pounced on. Nadal never came to the net!
The indoor conditions were perfect for Federer because there was:
- No wind
- No sun
- Medium pace surface
- No inconsistent bounces which allowed Federer to hit just about any ball including the serve on the rise.
Nadal’s bread and butter shots are:
- Lefty wide serve to the ad court
- Heavy cross court forehand to Federer’s one handed backhand
In recent matches Nadal forced Federer back behind the baseline and quite often his returns were short or sliced back cross-court, which eventually would be put away by Nadal. Not this time. Also, Federer’s serves was on and was like a missile locked onto a target! He placed the ball perfectly and was able to get a high (80-90) percentage of first serves in.
Federer needed this win not only to regain his confidence, but also to give his competitors a message that he is still the man to beat. I firmly believe that he is going to have a huge bounce-back year in 2011 and that some of his best days are still in front of him.
As for Nadal, he will not let this match get him down. He is probably already thinking of ways to combat what Federer did and because of his great determination I am sure he will look forward to playing Federer in 2011.
I want to say congratulations to my former student and close friend, Paul Annacone, who now coaches Federer. Paul does not say much, so when he speaks you know Federer will listen.
There is plenty of intrigue heading into 2011. Will Federer bounce back? Can Nadal repeat his success of 2010? Will Murray finally breakthrough and win a Grand Slam? How will Djokovic fair? Will Roddick get back in the mix? I can’t wait to see how things pan out!
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