After a fortnight's absenteeism...
A Fed-Rafa final? Something of a dream, for fans and advertisers alike.
I was rather sceptical of either of them making the final at the beginning of the Australian Open, Federer for his uneven form of late, Nadal because he's never made it that far in a hard court slam. Over the past two weeks, Federer has shown that he has the guts to weather dips in form (d. Berdych in 5, R16), and Nadal was in relatively imperious form throughout, with a slight blip against Verdasco in the semi-final.
Who will win? Nadal is in his first hardcourt final, so theoretically Federer would have the edge there in experience, but other factors, such as Federer's age, come into play as well. Nadal has had only one day to rest, but Federer may be rusty after such a long layoff. It's a 50-50 shot, as it usually is when the two play off-clay, but I'm going to shade it 51-49 Fed.
I was rather sceptical of either of them making the final at the beginning of the Australian Open, Federer for his uneven form of late, Nadal because he's never made it that far in a hard court slam. Over the past two weeks, Federer has shown that he has the guts to weather dips in form (d. Berdych in 5, R16), and Nadal was in relatively imperious form throughout, with a slight blip against Verdasco in the semi-final.
Who will win? Nadal is in his first hardcourt final, so theoretically Federer would have the edge there in experience, but other factors, such as Federer's age, come into play as well. Nadal has had only one day to rest, but Federer may be rusty after such a long layoff. It's a 50-50 shot, as it usually is when the two play off-clay, but I'm going to shade it 51-49 Fed.