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As Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal get ready to play their quadrillionth (actually 16th) match against each other, this time in Hamburg, something kind of came to mind: Is Rafa a true rival or just a roadblock? You're probably thinking, "Van, what are you talking about? Look, Rafa's won more than he's lost against Federer. What else do you want?" Well, let me tell you! And since I'm all about democracy, have your vote here on the issue.

What I want out of a rivalry is the anticipation, and I think the R-Fed/R-Nad one lacks it because so much of it depends on the surface they're playing on. If it's on clay, nine times out of 10, Rafa's gonna take it; the exact opposite is the case if it's on grass or carpet. Hard courts offer a little bit of a toss-up, but technically, Federer should be able to nab those seven or eight times out of 10.

Also, even though he's probably the most musclebound player in history, Rafa's basically disappeared post-Wimbledon the past couple of years due to his body breaking down on him. Also, I think Nadal is way more prone to early-round upsets once you get off the dirt than Federer is, his recent slump aside.

Nadal's made big strides in his game as his back-to-back finals at Wimbledon shows. However, I just don't see him being a year-round threat to Federer. They're just no Chrissie and Martina, or Seles and Graf, or McEnroe and Lendl. Novak Djokovic could become a more legit year-round rival, but he's not there just yet.

So while there may be roadblocks in Federer's path, rivals are lacking.

(Photos: Federer, Getty; Nadal: AP)

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Comment by Van Sias on May 19, 2008 at 10:07am
Thanks Mark!
I see what you're saying about those two. Do you get the feeling that Rafa doesn't care about getting to number 1? I do. He already seems to have a tone of concession about the number 2 spot, pretty much saying Djokovic deserves it.
It was a tough loss for Federer, but I was glad to see over the course of the week that he pretty much destroyed everyone else who got in his way. I would say he's back on track.
Comment by Mark / The Mayor on May 19, 2008 at 8:04am
Great blog Van!
This is a rivalry, but I will grant you that it is different in this case. As you point out, the surface makes all the difference, but it IS arguable that Federer is the second best player on clay. So, Rafa is a roadblock for Federer's Grand Slam hopes and that is where the rivalry lies - this match yesterday meant a lot to Fed; he was seeing how he stacks up against Rafa in anticipation for the French. I'm sure he didn't like the answer he got.

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