The contemporary greats of the game Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer start their grass court season with impressive victories at the Queen’s Club in London and the Garry Webber Open in Germany. While Nadal reached the third round at the Aegon Championships by defeating Marcos Daniel in 52 minutes, Federer made two double faults on his way to defeating Jarko Nieminen in the first round at Halle.
“I felt I was returning well. That’s the most difficult thing for me. I was serving well in Roland Garros and I did the same here. I had good movement,” said Nadal after his match on Wednesday. He is in perfect shape and health, and is playing some of the best tennis as in 2008, his most fruitful year. Having a hundred percent record in clay this season with no set lost, Nadal with his confidence is not finding it very difficult to adapt so quickly to grass.
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In 2007, he had reached the finals of Wimbledon to lose to Federer in five sets, two of them having lost 7-6, and the next year he clinched this most prestigious trophy available in tennis. He had his revenge on the king of grass by defeating him in a marathon five setter after four hours and forty eight minutes 6-4, 6-4, 6-7, 6-7, 9-7. Everything changed the next year as a certain Robin Soderling ended Nadal’s four year unbeaten record at the Roland Garros and Nadal was then said to be struggling with his knees. He continued to struggle for most part of last year, till the clay court season this year. With almost no flaws in his game and a better temperament borne out of so much experience, he will in the eyes of many be the favourite for a change for the Wimbledon this year, ahead of the Swiss.
Federer, meanwhile, is happy that the clay season has finally come to an end. And he is quietly confident of being back on top. “My aim is to be at the top come the end of the year,” Federer told the Halle official website.
The entire world tennis boils down to just these two when it comes to Wimbledon because of their rivalry and dominance here, as against Andy Murray, Andy Roddick or a Novak Djokovic. Every little progress that these two champions make will be noted, making sure there are complex mind games. Yet one cannot write off possibilities of a new winner, as Roddick was so close of being last year in another marathon five setter to lose 14-16 in the final set.
Serb Djokovic has joined Nadal in the third round of the London event with a probable Nadal-Murray match in the quarter finals .
