Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal will meet for the 37th time in the final of the Miami Open on Sunday.
But first we must give thanks to the tennis gods. 2007 called and it wants its favorite tennis players back.
Ok, here you go: in a third matchup of 2017 and a second major final, you have Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal (#fedal) in their 37th meeting, in the last hard court tournament of the season. Done.
But first let’s talk about that crazy semifinal between Federer and Nick Kyrgios that had the Australian “bad boy” getting into a fight with the crowd, swearing like a sailor and having a free-for-all with the tennis racquet smashing antics. Then let’s get to those three nerve-wracking tie breaks that kept spectators on the edge of their seats, not knowing which way they would go. All of this in a match that went the distance, closing out with the win for the fourth seed in over three intense hours, 7-6 (11-9), 6-7 (9-11), 7-6 (7-5). Hello, tennis!
It was a sellout crowd at Crandon Park Tennis Center and they came expecting to witness a clash of the generations in the semi, and boy did they get their money’s worth. Right from the start, it was clear it was a pro-Federer crowd. Unlike most other players on the tour who kind of expect this and take it in stride, the 12th seed took it personally and it went further downhill for the young player from there.
Kyrgios let the frustration of the close match show by breaking his first racquet after losing the first set. The boos started there. He questioned calls, more boos. He showed continued irritation with the spectators, making things worse. Then came even more racquet smashes.
The Key Biscayne crowd was pulling for a Federer-Nadal final and they kept showing their bias, and then started jeering Kyrgios, calling out if they thought a ball went wide, and cheering the Australian’s double faults. It was a bit too much for the 21-year-old, who told the crowd to “shut the f— up!”
Even Federer’s wife, Mirka, was caught on video jeering the world No. 16:
The Swiss player also showed nerves and frustration with the dense level of play. At times, he talked to himself between points and failed to close out the second set tie break win when he had match point. Still, the semifinal was a marvel in different styles, aggressive display, net bravery, sportsmanship, explosive temperament and stunning shot making.
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Even with a Federer-Nadal final in Miami, the Federer-Kyrgios semi was probably the best match of the tournament. And it went on until the very end, with the younger player smashing his last racquet on his way to congratulate the 35-year-old father of four for the win. Both players looked wary, sharing a few words at the net.
But Kyrgios sounded almost statesman-like afterwards when he had time to reflect post-match.
“He’s obviously the crowd favorite anywhere he plays obviously with what he’s done for the game,” he said afterwards, according The Miami Herald. “Yeah, the crowd was obviously on his side, but I think I have to win a little bit more to start getting them on my side.”
But he knew he put on a great show. “I showed a lot of fight. I thought I competed for every point,” he said. “I thought the crowd would’ve enjoyed watching it, people at home would’ve enjoyed watching it. But, I wouldn’t be surprised if they found something bad to say about me.”
Federer talked about the circus-like atmosphere of the match as well.
“But the crowds jump pretty quickly. But it makes for a good atmosphere, I guess at the end of the day, so it’s not all that bad. I think he’s good for the game.”
Next up of course is the final with his great rival, Nadal. Federer hasn’t played a final in Miami since 2006 (where he beat his current coach, Ivan Ljubicic) and although Rafa’s been in four of them, he’s never taken home the Key Biscayne crown. The Miami Open is also the last hard court tournament before the clay season starts this month. We began the glorious hard court period with these two legends coming back from sustained 2016 injuries and improbably meeting up in Clash XXXV, the Australian Open final, where the Swiss Maestro prevailed for his awe-inspiring 18th record slam.
No one thought they would see that again. That was January. We’re in April and the winter hard court season draws to a close on Sunday with the same two legends, and the sports world is now saying the opposite, we want and now expect these two, #Fedal, to continue to defy the odds.
On Friday the Spaniard had a much easier time than his famous rival, winning his semifinal with a comfortable margin over Italian Fabio Fognini, 6-1, 7-5. He even fell out of his shoe in his eagerness to get the win done.
The unseeded Italian played remarkably well throughout the tourney, displaying a variety of flashy shots that got the better of his opponents until he came up against the 14-time grand slam champ. The 29-year-old will move up in the rankings as a result of his performance in Miami, moving to no. 28 when the new rankings are released on Monday.
For Sunday’s match, Nadal will be battling Federer in their second Masters 1000 clash of the year. The last time was in the Indian Wells fourth round, where the 18-time slam champ prevailed. The Spaniard owns their head-to-head record (23-13), but they are evenly matched on hard courts (9-9). Federer is currently ranked sixth, with the 30 year-old right behind him at No. 7 (both are expected to go up two spots on Monday). In their 37 meetings, they’ve played 22 exhilarating finals, where Rafa retains the lead again (14-8). However, Federer has won the last three times they’ve met, all on hard courts. Both players have fascinated the sports world for over a decade now and they continue—even into their 30s—to bring out the best in each other.
“My biggest rival,” Federer said about the matchup. “It feels like old times.”
Nadal added, “I’m just excited to play against Roger always. He’s a big challenge for me, and I think for everybody.”
“He’s an unbelievable player. Excited to play against him. Great news for me is a great finish for me before the clay,” said Rafa.
Hard court season has really belonged to the resurgent Basel native. Perhaps stage two of the #Fedal year is a return to clay court dominance on the part of the Majorcan native. As Federer has collected hard court trophies this year, maybe we will see a similar pattern with Rafa as we head into the clay court tournaments in a few weeks. French Open No. 10 is looking probable, with the way Rafa’s playing.
Next: Andy Murray out at Indian Wells
Sunday’s Miami Open final will be the stuff of tennis dreams when these two returning greats meet again. With Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal playing, does it really matter who wins? The two have given and done so much for the sport, is it possible to hope for a tie? Unfortunately, someone has to walk away victorious, but until that happens, let’s just sit back and enjoy the ride.
The men’s final featuring Federer and Nadal will be at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday.