Half Clay, Half Grass - tennis was never this 'exciting'

[faceless]

This is no ordinary tennis court - it is half grass and half clay. And these are no ordinary players. Roger Federer, 24, (L) and Rafael Nadal, 21, (R) are the two best players in the world. Federer is perhaps the best player ever. At least on grass...


Federer, the World No 1, hasn't lost a single match on grass for four years. He has won 48 grass court matches on the bounce and has been Wimbledon champion for the last four years. A master of the sublime, he is a tennis genius who dominates the modern game through finesse and breath-taking skill. His nemesis is Nadal - a fierce hitting Spaniard who is the undisputed king of the clay court. Nadal, the World No 2, has won 72 clay court matches on the trot and is the French Open champion, which is played on clay. He has a penchant for battering his opponents into submission.


Despite an intense professional rivalry, the two share a mutual respect and were happy to play in this unique exhibition match - The Battle of Surfaces - at Palma's Arena in Palma de Mallorca. As normal, both players swapped ends after every game so they played on both surfaces during the three-set match. However, the grass did not cope well with the indoor conditions and suffered a plague of worms before the match.


The two were also given longer breaks between games so they could change footwear. There were fears the they could sustain injuries in what is the most crucial part of the tennis season, with the French Open and Wimbledon looming. The professional tennis circuit has four Grand Slams, which are played on different services. The clay court French Open is the only slam Federer has not won. Victory at Roland Garos in Paris in June would make him, in all probability, the best player ever. In his way is Nadal, the man he just cannot beat on clay.


All did not go well for the world's best player.Nadal broke Federer on both grass and clay to take the opening set before the Swiss broke on clay to level the match. Nadal edged out Federer in a tie-break in the third and final set.


A gimmick or an indication that Nadal may soon challenge Federer's world dominance? Tennis fans will be hoping the pair meet in the finals of the French Open and Wimbledon in the next couple of months.

[pirtybirdy]

Interesting.