Roger Federer v Rafael Nadal - A rivalry for the ages

There are some men who take sport watching to peaks unfathomable by the lesser mortals of the sport. For, these are men who are bestowed with exceptionally rare talent, and when they unleash their skills on the field, they make us gape at them in unabashed awe.

In the world of tennis, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have enthralled and bewitched fans across the world with resplendent deeds with a racquet in their hand. In a rivalry that has lasted over a decade and a half, the two icons have taken the sport itself to an exalted level.

But, it is the contrasting styles of these two legends that takes their rivalry to a whole new dimension. Federer is a genius, a man who is almost touched by an invisible hand from above. Watching Federer at his best is like watching a stream in full flow. It is pure, pristine and aesthetic.

Nadal, on the other hand, possesses the rugged defiance that can leave his opponents absolutely dumbfounded. He is a man who embodies every word of the phrase ‘Never Give Up’. On the 12th of July, in the semi-finals of the Wimbledon Championships, the two legends dished out yet another classic. The 40th chapter in their rivalry was riveting and kept fans at the edge of their seats.

The first set was intense, with neither man giving an inch. It ultimately went into a tie breaker, and after 52 minutes, Federer clinched the first set 7-6. Nadal came back like a leopard in the second, and dismantled the Swiss maestro 6-1.

It was in the third set, that both men dished out some of the best tennis of the tournament, the highlight being a 25-shot rally which Federer sealed with a magical backhand down the line. After almost 40 minutes of riveting tennis, Federer sealed the third set 6-3.

The fourth set too, swung like a pendulum. Nadal’s tenacity came to the fore, as the Spaniard saved four match points to stay alive. But then, Federer delved into his bag of tricks, and Nadal ultimately succumbed to Federer’s genius.

After almost three hours of sublime tennis, Federer won the match 7-6, 1-6, 6-3,6-4, and moved into his 31st Grand Slam final. Although the score line may suggest that the match ended in four sets, Federer won just nine points more than Nadal in the match (126 to 117).

Now, the question is, how long can these two men thrive at the international level?

Federer is almost 38 now, an age at which the the likes of his kind have retired to the luxurious comfort of the commentary box. He continues to delude all of us into believing that the passage of time is just an illusion.

On the other hand, injuries have plagued Nadal, but every time we write him off, he rises from the ashes like a phoenix. This has been a rivalry that has defied time, a rivalry that has defined the Sport, and most importantly, a rivalry that is not over yet.

‘FEDAL’, as it is, is indeed a rivalry for the ages!