Nasdaq100open.com
April 3, 2024
Only once in the 20 previous finals played at the NASDAQ-100 Open had there been a five set final. It was the very first one in 1985. Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal played the second and like that first one the eventual champion came back from two sets to love down.
On Sunday, Roger Federer became the 2005 champion of the NASDAQ-100 Open. The Swiss great won his 18th consecutive final and has claimed his fifth title of the year which includes the "American Double", Indian Wells and Miami, just as Kim Clijsters did the day before with the women.
The scene could not have been any more appropriate for the main event. Not a cloud in the sky, bright sunshine with mild temperatures. A full house was on hand to watch the world's best tennis player, Federer, do battle with one of the most exciting teenagers in the sport today, Nadal who is exactly two months short of his 19 birthday. He is a player destined for Grand Slam glory and the world number one ranking himself and that was certainly made more than evident in the final.
"It was extremely close and I consider myself lucky to get through," said Federer. "All my praises go to him. He is a great guy and a great player." Federer came back from two sets to love down and 1-4 in the third set to score a stunning victory, 2-6, 6-7, 7-6, 6-3, 6-1 in three hours, 42 minutes. Federer truly epitomized that saying - "when the going gets tough, the tough get going".
"I was very worried today," said the world number one. "Especially the first set, I don't lose sets very often 6-2 so this really shows you that I was struggling. But I think it's got a lot to do with his game. He's left handed, I had to get used to, and couldn't quite do that. Maybe played a little bit too aggressive in the beginning.
"So until I maybe got to actually understand how to play him, I was down a set and a break. Then the reaction was good, you know, but in that set I missed so many opportunities to actually level it,, at one set all. But, you know, to come through in the end is unbelievable, so I'm very, very happy."
The Spaniard went on the attack from the outset. He was being aggressive with everything he played and was putting the pressure on Federer who was coming in on pretty much every point. Nadal broke Federer in the first game when the Swiss sent a backhand long. The Spaniard had Federer facing another two break points in the fifth game before those were saved.
In the seventh game the pressure was on the top seed again and he served two double faults, the second one on break point to give Nadal a stranglehold on the set which he served out.
The situation started to look concerning when Nadal broke Federer in the first game of the second set, but Federer rallied back to level the set when he sent a glorious forehand down the line for a winner, clipping the back of the baseline as it skidded away from Nadal. Federer created a 5-3 lead and was playing shots that were expected from him.
But that changed quickly as he slipped back into uncharacteristically missing returns that he would normally strike with his eyes closed. He could however be excused on one smash that he "aired" as the ball lined up exactly with the sun and Federer was momentarily blinded.
Federer then lost his serve in the ninth game as the Spaniard kept pressing and with a break point on his racquet, he pushed Federer into sending a forehand long down the line. In the next game the Swiss did manage to reach two set points on Nadal's serve but again some rudimentary shots from Federer were messed up by the net.
They eventually went to a tiebreak and Nadal was awesome as drilled the ball from side to side. The spring in his step had become a bounce as he lead two sets to love by winning the breaker 7-4.
It was sensational stuff from Nadal. Everything was running with him. Even when Nadal just stuck his racquet out to reach the ball it was rebounding as a winner. He was outplaying Federer which hasn't really been done since Gustavo Kuerten beat him in the fourth round of last year's French Open.
Federer couldn't take a trick and at times he was shaking his head. He was getting a taste of what he normally hands out to his opponents.
In the third Federer lost his serve in the fourth game when Nadal cracked a forehand cross court winner to break and then lead 4-1 but the Swiss brought it back on serve in the seventh game when Nadal netted a forehand as Federer pumped his fist and then served an ace to hold and make it 4-4.
In the ninth game Nadal faced a break point but he produced a second service ace to save it and when Federer shanked what should have been a straightforward overhead his fury and frustration took over as he slammed his racquet into the court.
Once again the set went to a tiebreak. Nadal was now two points away from the biggest win of his career. He had 5-3 but Federer got the mini-break back when Nadal sent a backhand into the net and eventually Federer clawed back making no mistake on his first set point as he forced the Spaniard into sending a backhand long. Federer punched the air. He was still alive in the final.
"My record, I think, in best of five matches is, in the fifth set, is not the best," said Federer, "(but) I wasn't worried or concerned, I was just really hoping that I would maybe get it this time, you know. This is why I fought so hard today.
"But if it's experience, it's tough to say, you know. This will give him an unbelievable experience, so he'll draw definitely something positive out of this match today."
The momentum Federer gained by winning the set saw him through the fourth. He broke in the fourth game when Nadal netted a backhand and eventually levelled the final with forehand volley at shoulder height. In the fifth set it was obvious that Nadal was running out of gas. He had played a fantastic match but the genius of Federer had scratched is way back and his confidence was on the ascendancy. Federer broke in the third, fifth and seventh games to claim his crown, the final point being a netted forehand by Nadal.
"I lost little bit power in the fourth and five" said Nadal. "But in the third I felt good. I was playing good tennis and I was confident I could win the match. But he played good at the important moments, but I feel good. I think I played a good match. But in the fifth set when he broke my serve, I lost."
So Federer continues to rewite the record books and tucks away into the memory bank his first title at the NASDAQ-100 Open.
"I'm very happy and extremely proud, you know, to beat all these guys back to back, because they're one of the most dangerous players out there right now," said the new Champion. "That I could actually beat Henman and Agassi the way I did, playing really great, and coming back from two sets to love, this is one of the tournaments I'll remember probably most throughout my career."
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