{"id":1842,"date":"2017-04-01T15:56:47","date_gmt":"2017-04-01T19:56:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordontennis.com\/?p=1842"},"modified":"2017-04-02T08:35:27","modified_gmt":"2017-04-02T12:35:27","slug":"fedal-centre-stage-miami","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/2017\/04\/01\/fedal-centre-stage-miami\/","title":{"rendered":"&#8220;Fedal&#8221; To Take Centre Stage Once Again In Miami"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>When <strong>Roger Federer<\/strong> and <strong>Rafael Nadal<\/strong> stood\u00a0at\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordontennis.com\/2017\/01\/29\/roger-federer-defeats-rafael-nadal-wins-record-18th-grand-slam\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">opposing baselines on the <strong>Rod Laver Arena <\/strong><\/a>back in January there was a sense that this was the final encore of\u00a0one of\u00a0tennis&#8217; greatest rivalries. How wrong we all were. Instead of a brief\u00a0encore, 2017 seems to have\u00a0unveiled a whole new act for the &#8220;<strong>Fedal<\/strong>&#8221; narrative.<\/p>\n<p>Once again the veterans find themselves\u00a0the final\u00a0two left in the draw. This time <strong>Miami<\/strong> is the destination for their tussle &#8211; only their second contest in a <strong>Masters<\/strong> final during the last seven years.<\/p>\n<p>It could not be a more fitting destination either. The two contested <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=HcgHtJBa9Rk\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">their first final<\/a> together in Miami a mere twelve years ago. Victory for either man will also give them the hard court bragging rights. Currently their head to head on the surface\u00a0is finely poised at nine victories of piece. Doubles figures awaits the champion of the Miami Masters final.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/tb?src=hash\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#tb<\/a> to 12 years ago. Still there. Still at the top <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/ATPmiami?src=hash\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#ATPmiami<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/fedal?src=hash\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#fedal<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/G08iDZYaPp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/G08iDZYaPp<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Davide Lombardo (@bomba_isntmynm) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/bomba_isntmynm\/status\/848476879568982016\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">April 2, 2017<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><br \/>\nWhat is perhaps most strange is that when the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.atpworldtour.com\/en\/scores\/current\/miami\/403\/draws\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Miami\u00a0draw<\/a> was released nearly two weeks ago and the two were placed in opposite halves there was a strange sense of inevitability. Such has been the quality of both of their play this year.<\/p>\n<p>Roger Federer has been the standout\u00a0performer of the two. The Swiss maestro has always been the more\u00a0technically graceful\u00a0but looks even more relaxed than usual. The backhand is perhaps more blistering now than it has ever been.\u00a0This no doubt comes courtesy of a complete lack of expectation. Federer has achieved more than any other tennis player could dream of and anything else at this stage of his career\u00a0is merely a welcome bonus.<\/p>\n<p>Federer&#8217;s remarkable comeback has rather masked the superb form Rafael Nadal is showing. The Spaniard already has three top-ten scalps to his name and is now into his <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordontennis.com\/2017\/03\/05\/sam-querrey-downs-rafael-nadal-to-win-acapulco-most-surprising-and-impressive-title-of-his-career\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">third final of the year<\/a>. The only thing missing from Nadal&#8217;s 2017 so far is a title. That\u00a0may well\u00a0change today, especially as Nadal will be eager to stop the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordontennis.com\/2017\/03\/16\/federer-dominates-fourth-round-defeats-nadal-in-straight-sets\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">three match losing streak <\/a>against his great rival.<\/p>\n<div class=\"getty embed image\" style=\"background-color: #fff; display: inline-block; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; color: #a7a7a7; font-size: 11px; width: 100%; max-width: 594px;\">\n<div style=\"padding: 0; margin: 0; text-align: left;\"><a style=\"color: #a7a7a7; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal !important; border: none; display: inline-block;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.co.uk\/detail\/633005470\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/div>\n<div style=\"overflow: hidden; position: relative; height: 0; padding: 73.063973% 0 0 0; width: 100%;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"display: inline-block; position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; margin: 0;\" src=\"\/\/embed.gettyimages.com\/embed\/633005470?et=zmxNeHEXQqldgyoAOAPVGQ&amp;tld=co.uk&amp;viewMoreLink=on&amp;sig=_lT3cvOJfgOeps2Zo8YjyVm90dGKrZ12AMFMQRXwGhM=&amp;caption=true\" width=\"594\" height=\"434\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<h2 style=\"margin: 0;\"><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal break all the rules to dominate 2017<\/h2>\n<p>To put into context quite how dominant &#8220;Fedal&#8221; have been so far this year, in their lengthy, glittering careers they have never before played each other three times this early in a season. The pair sit comfortably first and second on the <strong>ATP\u00a0Race to London<\/strong> and have faced little competition from any of their fellow players.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Andy Murray<\/strong> and <strong>Novak Djokovic<\/strong> have both suffered jittery starts to the year and are currently out with injured elbows. The likes of <strong>Kei Nishikori<\/strong> and <strong>Milos Raonic<\/strong> &#8211; tipped to fill the void left by &#8220;Fedal&#8221; &#8211; have once again failed to take the final step up. The Next Gen are on their way but still\u00a0need time to develop\u00a0develop. Aside from <strong>Evgeny Donskoy&#8217;s<\/strong> shock win over Federer in <strong>Dubai<\/strong>, <strong>Nick Kyrgios<\/strong> and <strong>Tomas Berdych<\/strong>\u00a0are the only players to have even come close to upsetting the <strong>Australian Open<\/strong> champion.<\/p>\n<p>The two have not just taken advantage of the flounderings of others but have fully dominated the Tour. The fact that they have met in two of the three biggest finals of the year as well as also meeting in the round of sixteen at <strong>Indian Wells<\/strong> illustrates the command they have over the rest of the ATP. You might just suspect they would have met in the final of Indian Wells as well if the draw had allowed it.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">People: &#8220;Their career is basically over.&#8221;<br \/>\nFedal: <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/1i6ymfkUNX\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/1i6ymfkUNX<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Stefanos Tsitsipas (@tsitsipasstef) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/tsitsipasstef\/status\/844209159906213888\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">March 21, 2017<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<h2>&#8220;Fedal&#8221; success puts tennis back on the global map<\/h2>\n<p>What this has also done is given tennis a global appeal again. As much as us hardcore tennis fans love the tour, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are the names that captivate a global audience and make tennis &#8216;relevant&#8217; for the armchair viewers. Having these two contesting finals again not only brings in the casual fan but also makes the casual fan more aware of the players coming through the ranks &#8211; the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordontennis.com\/2017\/03\/31\/kyrgios-tops-zverev-2nd-many-many-meetings\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Nick Kyrgios&#8217;s and <strong>Alexander Zverevs<\/strong><\/a> of the world.<\/p>\n<p>The revival of the &#8220;Fedal&#8221; rivalry has meant 2017 has felt nothing\u00a0short of remarkably\u00a0nostalgic. How much longer we can ride the wave of this wonderful rivalry is yet to be seen but for now at least these two titans of the sport continue to battle. We don&#8217;t know how much longer it will continue so for now, let us savour every last moment.<\/p>\n<p>Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal will contest the Miami Masters final at 1pm local time (6pm GMT).<\/p>\n<p>Main Photo:<\/p>\n<div class=\"getty embed image\" style=\"background-color: #fff; display: inline-block; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; color: #a7a7a7; font-size: 11px; width: 100%; max-width: 594px;\">\n<div style=\"padding: 0; margin: 0; text-align: left;\"><a style=\"color: #a7a7a7; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal !important; border: none; display: inline-block;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.co.uk\/detail\/653627648\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/div>\n<div style=\"overflow: hidden; position: relative; height: 0; padding: 66.666667% 0 0 0; width: 100%;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"display: inline-block; position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; margin: 0;\" src=\"\/\/embed.gettyimages.com\/embed\/653627648?et=cRIifLiOROpaTfv0WU6OGQ&amp;tld=co.uk&amp;viewMoreLink=on&amp;sig=LtTiCm2_2JnSqzoWm10Bvs6gOFVOXnh_HtROPkjOe7w=&amp;caption=true\" width=\"594\" height=\"396\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p style=\"margin: 0;\">\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal stood\u00a0at\u00a0opposing baselines on the Rod Laver Arena back in January there was a sense that this was the final encore of\u00a0one of\u00a0tennis&#8217; greatest rivalries. How wrong we all were. Instead of a brief\u00a0encore, 2017 seems to have\u00a0unveiled a whole new act for the &#8220;Fedal&#8221; narrative. Once again the veterans [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1355,"featured_media":1986,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2,3,9],"tags":[18,860,832,859,209,22,135,114,48],"class_list":["post-1842","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-atp","category-news","tag-atp","tag-masters-1000","tag-miami","tag-miami-masters","tag-nick-kyrgios","tag-novak-djokovic","tag-rafael-nadal","tag-roger-federer","tag-tennis"],"modified_by":"Yesh Ginsburg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1842","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1355"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1842"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1842\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1986"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1842"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1842"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1842"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}