Hamburg Results Hype French Open
Roger Federer's Win over Rafael Nadal Sets Stage for Roland Garros
May 21, 2007
There was plenty of excitement to go around on the Men’s ATP Tennis Tour this past weekend. May 20, 2007 will go down as a historic day, as it was the day that Roger Federer (world no.1) won his first match in seven attempts against Rafael Nadal (no.2) on clay (2-6, 6-2, 6-0), and stopped Nadal’s 81-match win streak on that surface.
Different Perspectives from Federer and Nadal Fans
Roger “Fed Ex” Federer fanatics will surely view his victory over Nadal at the ATP Masters Series Hamburg as a, “The king is dead Long live the king,” phenomenon, and Rafa’s supporters will argue that Federer’s win means little for a variety of reasons, but particularly because of Nadal’s fatigue. Regardless of the circumstances, with the French Open looming (May 28- June 10), Federer-fans will find it hard to resist the temptation of perceiving Federer’s win in Hamburg as an omen of his improved chances to win his first French Open title at Roland Garros.
Nadal’s fans may have a valid point, however. Nadal has played 30 matches from March 5 through May 20, compared to Federer’s 16. Nadal’s semi-final match against Lleyton Hewitt (no.16) was a three-set battle (2-6, 6-3, 7-5) that lasted over 2 1/2 hours, and after his routine 6-2 run in the first set against Federer, he didn’t seem to have the necessary fortitude to win the second or the typical Nadal fight for the third.
ATP Points Race Closer
The win inched Federer (461 pts) closer to Nadal who stands atop the ATP Points Race (535 pts), but he still trails by 74 points. Another finals win over Nadal at the French would bring Federer closer, but he still wouldn’t overtake Nadal who has padded his ATP Points Race-lead with four wins, a final and quarter-final appearance in his last six tournaments played.
Hamburg Reveals French Open Challengers
Also of note on the ATP Tour were Carlos Moya (no.26) and Lleyton Hewitt giving good accounts of themselves against Federer and Nadal, respectively, in semi-final match-ups. Their performances suggest that both may be legitimate threats at the French Open. Other players such as Fernando Gonzalez (no.5), Novak Djokovic (no.7), Nikolay Davydenko (no.4), Guillermo Canas (no.22), and Nicolas Almagro (no.37) have shown over the past several weeks that their games are in great shape going into the French, and the favorites had better bring their A-games (both mental and physical) if they are to prevail in the Roland Garros grind.
Whether Federer solidifies his newfound confidence or Nadal re-imposes his will at the French, Tennis is hot, and the summer season should produce some sweltering entertainment for tennis fans across the globe!
