Nadal Deep in Federer Headspace

Posted on April 25, 2006

By Richard Vach, Tennis-X.com Senior Writer

World No. 1 Roger Federer and No. 2 Rafael Nadal are renowned for their respectful friendship, visiting each other in time of injury and sending congratulatory text messages. But now the tone of their competitive rivalry may be changing after the Swiss took yet another beating, the fourth in five meetings, last week in the final of the Masters Series-Monte Carlo.

Federer, perhaps looking to sway his mental disadvantage, launched a rare verbal attack on "Rafa," calling the Spaniard one-dimensional and describing his serve as lacking. The normally cool and collected Swiss also appeared flustered and agitated throughout the final, at one point launching a ball out of the stadium in anger.

Nadal struck back after the win in his post-match conference with his own version of a jibe, commenting that the final was easier than beating Federer in their previous claycourt meeting in the French Open semifinals last year.

Is there trouble in paradise? Is Federer looking for trouble? 'Are you talkin' to me Rafa?' Don't look for a shoving match across the net anytime soon, but Federer is looking to change things up in his losing-end rivalry with Nadal.

Rafa is in Roger's head in a big way. The jumping lefty bounces, groundstrokes kicked up to his backhand, the balls that go for winners against lesser players somehow coming back. The frustration is evident, as it was when Federer essentially ended his press conference by telling the tennis media "you guys have to have more to write about than I have to talk about" and leaving it at that.

And he's right. Let's talk.

Federer is beginning to unravel, as much as a stoic, classy, even-handed greatest-player-ever-in-waiting can. He has dominated tennis over the last two years, yet now there is one player who has the upper hand against him -- a claycourter who even beats him on hardcourt. Nadal has the upper hand physically, and Federer would be loathe to admit he also has it mentally in his superior concentration and approach to the dirt game.

Now instead of watching other players try and find an answer to the Federer riddle, fans can watch the Swiss go for too much, press to much at the net, and collapse in a heap of unforced errors. Federer even goes out of his way to tell journalists that Nadal is a player you have to stand on the other side of the court against before offering any coaching advice.

"You know, the unforced error stat, I don't care really, seriously," said a mildly perturbed Federer after losing the Monte Carlo title. "That's what I was really actually angry about at the French Open, people telling me I was going for too much. They should play him and then see if they're not gonna go for it, you know."

With Federer turning in single-digit-loss seasons, many players consider it a victory just earning a set off the Swiss. Rafa has also turned that paradigm on its head, and now Federer is looking at additions to the "L" column against Nadal not as opportunities lost, but progress made.

"All in all, it was all right, you know. I thought it was a good match," Federer told reporters after the Monte Carlo final. "I enjoyed the battle against him, and sort of have the feeling it answers me a lot of questions, you know, I was asking myself prior to the claycourt season."

And the answers received from the questions?

"I won't tell you," said a smiling Federer.

One question that won't bring a smile to the Swiss is, "Why does Nadal's heavy, high-bouncing groundstrokes to your backhand produce so many short balls and unforced errors?"

Call it 'The Pete Sampras Saga,' and every claycourter knew the ending to that tome -- it's the book on almost every player with a one-handed backhand bothered by high balls. Bounce it up there and watch them squirm.

Rog needs to go to the videotape and check out Gustavo Kuerten in his heyday, or Ivan Lendl, Alex Corretja, Alberto Berasategui -- actually scratch that, no one should look at the Berasategui backhand to try and learn anything except tennis elbow. Learn when to step in, or to work on a more aggressive backhand slice, or hire Luke Jensen to teach you a left-handed forehand.

Until the Federer backhand improves, and it's not a weak shot but by far the weaker of his two wings and a liability on the dirt, the Swiss will be in for some backhand clinics.

And Nadal's hourly teaching rates will be getting more and more expensive. Not in terms of cash, but in mental currency, the type driving Federer a little crazier with every loss. The 19-year-old Spaniard seemingly has the lone ATM card on tour when it comes to making withdrawals from the Swiss kiosk.

"My forehand to his backhand is the best exchange," Nadal says matter-of-factly.

Cha-ching.

Richard Vach is a senior writer for Tennis-X.com who can currently be seen on The Tennis Channel's "Tennis Insiders: Super Insiders" episodes, and was recently awarded "Best Hard News" story for 2005 by the United States Tennis Writers Association.