Federer-Nadal in Hamburg Final?
Roger and Rafa One Step Closer after Quarter-Final Wins
Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are one step closer to another ATP Final showdown as both reach semis at the Masters Series Hamburg.
Former ATP Tour World no.1 players Carlos Moya and Lleyton Hewitt are experiencing resurgences at the Masters Series Hamburg this week. Moya, currently ranked no.36, but returning to the form he showed in 1999 when he assumed the no.1 ranking, derailed no. 6-ranked Novak Djokovic 7-6 (4), 4-6, 7-5. Hewitt, who is no.21 on the ATP Tour, but held the no.1 ranking consistently from 2001-2003, doused the fire that no.52 Nicolas Almagro had shown in his round-of-16-upset of Hamburg’s defending champion, no.7-ranked Tommy Robredo. Hewitt sent Almagro home with a 6-3, 6-4 trouncing.
Battle of Past Present and Future
Moya will battle Roger Federer, world no.1, who struggled through a three-setter with Juan Carlos Ferrero, and Hewitt will face no.2 Rafael Nadal, who ran his winning streak on clay to 80 matches by dispatching Fernando Gonzalez (ranked no.5) in straight sets, 6-4, 6-4. Federer and Nadal may be just one step away from writing another chapter in this already-storied rivalry, but both have to step over former world’s bests who are playing, arguably, as well as they played when they claimed their no.1 rankings. In these semi-final match-ups we have two former number one, a current number one's , and perhaps a future number one in Nadal.
Moya's Game Revived
Moya, the soon-to-be-31-year-old Spaniard, seems to be feeling at home on the surface that bore him one of his two Grand Slam titles: The French Open in 1998. Showing no symptoms of the sometimes-ill backhand that let him down in the past, he traded heavy blows with the 20-year-old Djokovic and was the last man standing. Moya’s solid serving, consistency from the baseline, occasional forays to the net, and the deadly forehand of old bested a gritty performance by Djokovic. Given Federer’s apparent vulnerability, Moya seems to stand a better chance than Hewitt to make the final.
Nadal, not Federer, Dominant in Hamburg
Unlike Nadal who has dropped only one set in his past 18 matches, none in this event, Federer has already had two three-set matches at Hamburg, and is in the midst of his longest title-drought since attaining the no.1 ranking. Federer meandered his way through a 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 victory over Juan Carlos Ferrero, and one can hardly have much confidence in his ability to vanquish Moya, a player who is playing like he did when he won it all at Roland Garros. However, after the tough battle that Moya fought against Djokovic, he just may not have enough left to contend with Federer.
Hewitt's Seasoned Game Serves up Tasty Win
Although only 26, having achieved the no.1 ranking at age 20 makes Hewitt seem like an elder statesman of the game. It appears that he is fully recovered from the knee injury he suffered in August of 2006, as he continually surprised Almagro with great gets. Almagro, who was flying high after his win against Robredo, may have been flying a bit too high, because he committed 36 unforced errors en route to his loss to Hewitt.
Hewitt’s game was as good as it has been in some time. He served better than he ever has, his always-sound return game was a weapon against Almagro, and his trademark speed and grit were on display throughout the match. It is hard to imagine him showing more speed and grit than Nadal, however, and he will have to play even better in his first semi-final since 2005 in Cincinnati than he did today to advance past Nadal.
Hewitt Needs to be Perfect for Final Berth
Against Gonzalez, Nadal did what he always does on clay. He insisted that Gonzalez hit one more winner than he had on his racquet, and he hit big shots at key moments to escape threatening situations. Nadal, once again, demanded the perfection it will take to beat him when he is on his game and on his surface, and Gonzalez couldn’t deliver. As good as Hewitt is playing, he was far from perfect against Almagro, and he isn’t likely to be perfect tomorrow against Nadal. Hewitt does have a winning record (4-1) against Nadal, but no wins on clay, and the lone win over the last year was a retirement by Nadal after the two had split sets on grass. Chances are, Nadal will notch win number 81 in the semis and attempt to stare down Roger Federer once again.
