Nadal-Federer: Agassi-Sampras II?
Nadal has equalled the record of Vilas.
CNNSI Reports:
Rafael Nadal equalled Guillermo Vilas’ record of 53 consecutive claycourt wins when he beat Roger Federer 6-7 7-6 6-4 2-6 7-6 in the final of the Rome Masters.
Nadal’s victory, his fourth in a row over the Swiss world number one, made him the first player to win back-to-back titles in the Italian capital since Thomas Muster of Austria in 1995-96.
Was it one of the best matches ever on clay? Probably. The stakes were high as I mentioned yesterday. I said then:
This one promises to be another cracker.
It sure was! Federer came the closest he has ever come to beating Nadal on clay. That Nadal won was only apt though. It would have been a shame if he would have failed to equal Vilas after such a tremendous run. The setup - facing Federer for the Rome Masters finals at the backdrop of Federer in the midde of loosing streak to Nadal could not have been better scripted.
This is brilliant for tennis too. Now, tennis has a rivarly to match the Agassi-Sampras rivarly of the 90s. Agassi was a little more than 15 months older than Sampras. With a gap of more than 4 years between Nadal and Federer, the age gap is bigger - some thing which makes the rivalry all the more intriguing. The Agassi-Sampras rivalry hardly saw the two players battle it out versus each other at their best. We very much are seeing Nadal and Federer face each other in top form - it would be wrong to judge when was actually their best till both the careers are over.
The games are perfect contrasts - always a key ingredient for memorable rivalries. While Federer is brilliant on grass, Nadal has so far been unbeatable on Clay. This does not mean either of the two players will not be able to battle each other on other surfaces. Federer (as shown in the recent matches versus Nadal for those who didn’t know) is one of the better clay court players - some thing we could never say of Sampras. Nadal, meanwhile, is proficient on hard courts. Though we don’t know yet completely how well Nadal will fare on grass, the talent and the attitude he possesses, it is unlikely that he will be a miserable failure.
Most importantly, these two players are champions in their own rights and hate to lose a point, let alone a match. So when different games and fight-till-death attitudes meet, it is bound to produce matches of the highest quality. At the stage of his career where Federer was beating every one quite easily, the rivalry is a sheer joy for tennis and a trigger which can boost the Federer game even higher. Federer is down 1-2 versus Nadal even on hardcourts. Can Federer match Nadal, particularly on clay? How will Nadal fare on grass?
Rivetting questions which are bound to form the foundations of a memorable rivalry.
Tags: Clay, Guillermo Vilas, Nadal vs Federer, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer.
May 16th, 2006 at 3:44 am
[…] Pratyush at Sportolysis wonders if the Nadal-Federer contests are Agassi-Sampras part deux. Nadal is impressive on clay and Federer is near-invincible on other surfaces. […]
May 16th, 2006 at 10:51 am
Sampras was a little more than 15 months older than Agassi.
Actually, it was the other way around - Agassi was older. Also, the Sampras-Agassi rivalry, promising as it was on paper, wasn’t so hot when it came to actual play - because Sampras had the upper hand in almost all their major (Grand Slam) clashes.
But yes, it’s great to watch Nadal-Federer, and looking forward to the French Open now.
May 16th, 2006 at 11:50 am
Though its a little unfair to compare, Federer and Nadal are a classic matchup. It’s almost as if one doesn’t want to see either of them loose. Poetry in motion vs. sheer athletic prowess.
I don’t see Nadal doing anything at Wimbledon but I also dont see him as a one track pony. He’s got the game to play on hardcourts and having an edge on the W-L against Federer would give him a huge boost going into the summer hardcourt season. But will Nadal win as many Slams as Federer? Probably not.
After having seeing Federer murder everyone in sight, this is perhaps the filip men’s tennis needed.
May 16th, 2006 at 4:36 pm
Thank you Jai for pointing this out. I have edited it. Hate it when I make such a mistake! Also, you are right that the Sampras-Agassi rivalry blew cold much more than it blew hot (Agassi went through poor phases and was defeated during long periods versus Sampras). With so much age at the hand of Nadal and Federer, this rivalry might not have a similar disadvantage hopefully.
Gaurav: After having seeing Federer murder everyone in sight, this is perhaps the filip men’s tennis needed.
On the mark.. :)
May 16th, 2006 at 7:01 pm
what makes the sampras - agassi rivalry ageless for me is the fact that their games were so different… i mean, you are talking about the best serve_n_volley ‘artist’ versus the best baseline player of their time… those who care enough would probably remember sampras’ 4-set win over agassi in ‘01 US open QFs…! 4 old legs producing one of the all time gems…
i am not saying that federer - nadal contests are not engrossing… but just to see two masters putting on a display of their arts (serve n volley & baseline play), i would choose sampras - agassi over this one anyday!
May 17th, 2006 at 5:00 am
Also, Rohit, Agassi has been one of the greatest returner of serves the game has seen. Sampras could get the serve on the spot where it was almost unplayable on the crucial points as well.
I really miss some stuff from the past. :)
May 17th, 2006 at 11:23 am
pratyush, you remind me of the all those 2nd serve aces sampras hammered past hapless opponents!
btw, it would be interesting to have something on this year’s NBA playoffs! suns-clips tied at 113 apiece in 2nd OT as i write this!
May 17th, 2006 at 4:50 pm
So much sport Rohit. :) I will give the playoffs proper attention now - about time!
June 11th, 2006 at 3:02 am
[…] • Nadal-Federer: Agassi Sampras II? • Nadal vs Federer VI Preview • Nadal-Federer […]
July 2nd, 2007 at 3:33 pm
Hello! Good Site! Thanks you! xfwomgqzfnhsxa
July 3rd, 2007 at 7:17 am
Sampras-Agassi was the best, but Federer-Nadal is much better. It is very simple, Federer-Nadal individually and combined are much more dominant. It is a two man show until someone snatch a slam from them. Sampras-Agassi were not so dominant, lot’s of people won slams during that rivalry.
July 12th, 2007 at 6:51 pm
Roger Federer…
View the latest news, photos and videos of Roger Federer…
November 26th, 2007 at 6:20 am
24 Connecticut upset fifth ranked Stanford 2 0, eliminating the host Cardinal from the NCAA women’s soccer tournament. The Cardinal (15 3 5) were looking to advance to the final eight of the tournament, but instead the Huskies (14 5 2) will be playing for a spot in the final four. They will face Florida State next weekend. The Cardinal made a second Sweet 16 in a row. The six Cardinal seniors depart after compiling 53 wins in their four seasons on the Farm. “It was just a weird game,” said Stanford coach Paul Ratcliffe, whose team outshot UConn 12 7. “I felt like we dominated the first half and Connecticut just was able to convert (its) two scoring chances. “I am so proud of the players (who) are moving on from this program, they are such great people.” Men’s soccer: Andrew Wiedeman scored off a…http://news-blog-for-you.com/
May 8th, 2008 at 7:49 pm
Wow, cool man, big thanks! http://awvalysyryn.com