That Nadal-Federe match was an instant classic

[hifigator]

Thank you DVR!

I watched the entire match and it was excellent. It wasn't just a hard faught 5 set match between perhaps the best ever and the heir apparent. The caliber of tennis was just phenomenal. Sure, there were some unforced errors, but there was just one amazing winner after another. And many of them weren't just winners, but bullets painting the line at extreme angles. I don't remember ever seeing as many spectacular shots in one match. For any who missed it, I would suggest catching the replay whenever it's shown again.

[hoyarooter]

I'm sorry I have been missing these Nadal/Federer matches, as they sound as though they have been extraordinary. What was particularly amazing about this Australian Open match is that Nadal was coming off of a 5 hour semifinal match. Just thinking about it makes me gasp and wheeze.

[H2Oya 05]

It wasn't last year's Wimbledon. Federer has become a headcase when he plays Nadal. He couldn't serve and he couldn't win a break to save his life.

[GIGAFAN99]

The one thing screwing everything up in tennis right now is the new grass at Wimbledon. The Aussie match actually reminded me a bit of Agassi-Sampras at the Aussie (Pete never beat him there or at the French of course).

But now Wimbledon is just the slightly faster French. The only tournament with any variety of play anymore is the US Open. I think Fed should be a head case on slower courts versus the grinder Nadal who is in his prime and 4 years younger. Unfortunately for Fed that's 3 of 4 majors now.

Roddick is the last big server left in the top 10. There's only 2 (Tsonga is the other) in the top 20. Juan Martin Del Potro is 6'6 and a freakin' baseliner!

Love these classics but I want to watch different classics and not the same type of match over and over.

[SFHoya99]

It's somewhat happened in golf as well. The Masters (and PGA, to a lesser extent) have turned into the US Open because Augusta didn't want to be Tiger's playground. I'm not sure why that was a bad thing, and I like having different styles. Thankfully, the British hasn't completely changed...yet.

[RDF]

The 5th set meltdown from Federer makes ESPN a EXPLETIVE JOKE for promoting it as "instant classic". What was classic for 4 sets ended up a 5th set gag job by Federer. The match was there for him to take in 3rd set with the 0-40 lead and he just didn't get any pressure on Nadal at all--who is the best player and after kicking the living dogcrap out of Federer--more deserving of being mentioned with all time best. You can't be considered the greatest of all time when you can't beat a contemporary player.

[HoyaFanNY]

the post match crying made it a joke

maybe it's time for rog to borrow one of serena's skirts.

[hifigator]

I agree that last year's Wimbledon final was probably a "better" match. For that matter, I really enjoy the rivalry overall -- Roger's earlier wins at Wimbledon and Raf's at Rouland Garros. But there were more incredible winners in Sunday's final, than in any match that I remember. There were also more errors, but that sort of thing runs with the territory I guess. If you go for those sharp angle power shots cross court painting the line, you are going to miss more than if you just grind it out trying to keep in relatively deep in the middle of the court.

[Hank Scorpio]

Last year's Wimbledon final will never be topped.

I talk tennis with SI's tennis columnist from time to time, and he brought up this point in our last conversation, and, subsequently, his last mailbag from Melbourne after Nadal's win:

It seems that, in their rivalry, Nadal relishes having an opponent like Federer to measure himself against, thereby motivating him to get better and keep going all the time. Roger, on the other hand, has been so dominant for so long (on 3 of 4 surfaces anyway) playing the same style against every opponent, that this new challenge is something he hasn't warmed up to yet.

We both agree that the demise of Roger Federer is greatly exaggerated. He has made it into the semis of the last 19 Grand Slams (think about how insane that is for a minute), and the finals of the last 4, winning 1. Granted, he has lost 3 of those to the same guy, but 2 of those losses were in 5 sets, where he forced a 5th set after being down 2-0 Wimbledon and lost perhaps the greatest match of all time 9-7 in the 5th, and 2-1 (australian) where he forced a 5th set with ease in the 4th and then seemingly fell apart.

Clearly Nadal is in his head, but despite that, he has come achingly close to beating him the last 2 times they have met. I wouldn't bet against Roger ever figuring him out on the big stage again...