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**Quality4Qty** · 04-03-2009, 02:36 AM

Is the Nadal - Federer a real rivalry? I think the question needs to be asked.

In a real rivalry the persons/teams involved are evenly matched when playing each other. Cowboys-Niners during the early 90's and Lakers-Celtics during the 80's come to mind. People talk about the Red Sox - Yankees, but that wasn't a rivalry until a few years ago, because the Yanks always won! How could that ever be considered a rivalry? Ali - Frazier and Barrera - Morales in boxing are also good examples of great rivalries.

But Federer - Nadal? Come on. This matchup took tints of a good rivalry in 2007, when Federer made a game out of the FO Final and Nadal did so in Wimby, then Fed beat Nadal in Shanghai and appeared poised to end Rafa's dominance over him. That time is long gone.

People have never considered Federer - Roddick to be a rivalry, not even Andy or Roger. Nadal - Federer is getting to that point where the winner is a foregone conclusion.

Yes, they almost always give great games and it'll most often go the distance. But we know who's gonna prevail in the end. The surface doesn't even matter anymore.

That's not a rivalry.

04-03-2009, 02:36 AM	#1
Quality4Qty Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 576 Senior Member	Rivalry? Is the Nadal - Federer a real rivalry? I think the question needs to be asked. In a real rivalry the persons/teams involved are evenly matched when playing each other. Cowboys-Niners during the early 90's and Lakers-Celtics during the 80's come to mind. People talk about the Red Sox - Yankees, but that wasn't a rivalry until a few years ago, because the Yanks always won! How could that ever be considered a rivalry? Ali - Frazier and Barrera - Morales in boxing are also good examples of great rivalries. But Federer - Nadal? Come on. This matchup took tints of a good rivalry in 2007, when Federer made a game out of the FO Final and Nadal did so in Wimby, then Fed beat Nadal in Shanghai and appeared poised to end Rafa's dominance over him. That time is long gone. People have never considered Federer - Roddick to be a rivalry, not even Andy or Roger. Nadal - Federer is getting to that point where the winner is a foregone conclusion. Yes, they almost always give great games and it'll most often go the distance. But we know who's gonna prevail in the end. The surface doesn't even matter anymore. That's not a rivalry.
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