With the Super Bowl in town this weekend, I suspect I was far from being the only person up at 3:30 in the morning to watch a sporting event, but I may have been one of the only ones who was interested in tennis, not football. After you went to bed last night, Rafael Nadal held off Roger Federer in another five-set Grand Slam final, keeping Pete Sampras’ record of 14 major titles intact for now.
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Nadal became the first Spanish man to win the Australian Open, beating Federer 7-5, 3-6, 7-6 (3), 3-6, 6-2 in a momentum-swinging, 4-hour, 22-minute final that finished just after midnight on Sunday.
Nadal became the first Spanish man to win the Australian Open, beating Federer 7-5, 3-6, 7-6 (3), 3-6, 6-2 in a momentum-swinging, 4-hour, 22-minute final that finished just after midnight on Sunday.
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The story here is as much about Federer being denied the 14th Grand Slam title as much as it was Nadal’s win.
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Federer, trying to equal Sampras’ record, sobbed at the trophy presentation. “Maybe I’ll try later. God, it’s killing me,” Federer said, crying. He returned to congratulate Nadal within minutes, saying: “You deserved it. You played a fantastic final.”
Federer, trying to equal Sampras’ record, sobbed at the trophy presentation. “Maybe I’ll try later. God, it’s killing me,” Federer said, crying. He returned to congratulate Nadal within minutes, saying: “You deserved it. You played a fantastic final.”
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I love Federer’s game, especially that whip-like backhand, but I find myself rooting against him now. Especially for Pete Sampras’ sake. Pete was my favorite and would love to see him hold on to the all-time title. This isn’t a Bonds vs. Aaron rivaly with a clear good guy and a definite bad guy. Both Federer and Sampras are class acts. But Sampras is an American and nationalism still plays a part in tennis, i.e., the Davis Cup. So here’s to Rafa winning as many titles as he can, just so long as keeps Federer from accepting another trophy.
