5 classic confrontation stages between Nadal and Federer (Part 1)

Before today’s Roland Garros semi-final, both contemporary legends have gone through 15 years of great careers with mighty fierce battles.

From the first glimpse of a 17-year-old Rafael Nadal in Miami in 2004 to a milestone of 20 Grand Slam titles of his four-year-old Roger Federer father in Melbourne two years ago, the battle between two rivals has a lot of debt This deserves one of the most exciting matches in all sports.

On Court Philippe-Chatrier in Paris tonight, they will write the 39th chapter in the history of confrontation. This is the first time after 20 months and also the first time since Roland Garros 2011, Rafa and Roger have the opportunity to reunite.

Period 2004-2005: Which guy is that? At that time, Federer was a monumental monument, while new Nadal “feet and feet” entered the professional road not long. Fate pushed two people to the first meeting in the Miami Open 2004 round. The 17-year-old youth from Mallorca was shocked when beating Federer holding the number one in the world after only two sets with the same score 6 -3, and open the first chapter. “I played the best games of my life,” said Rafa. When asked about the future of his young rival that year, Federer smiled: “Oh no please! I haven’t even imagined that guy’s progress here.”

Period 2006-2008: Roger is the King, but afraid of Rafa. During the four and a half years from early 2004 to Fall 2008, Federer dominated the world of tennis with 11 Grand Slam titles and built the number one in the world. But in that period there was only one person who made Roger afraid. In 18 encounters with Nadal, the Swiss player only won 6 matches.

9 of them won from clay, where the topspin of the Spanish player buried all the opponents’ hopes. Nadal and Federer set up the dynasty of each person on two different pitches. While Rafa was almost invincible at Roland Garros, it was almost impossible to beat Roger on the field at Wimbledon.