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Originally Posted by Reckoner
He also needs to improve his H2H against Nadal. Can't be the GOAT if you are the 2nd best in your own generation. A 7-13 record doesn't cut it.
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Except Nadal was number 2 for about 3 years. Guess who was number 1 all that time? We'll see how long Nadal stays on top, but many are already tipping Federer to regain his number 1 ranking. Especially if Nadal can't play Wimbledon.
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Originally Posted by Reckoner
So that is why Nadal beat Federer in their first ever meeting in 2004 on the Miami hard courts? Is that why Nadal dismantled Federer in straight sets in 2006 in Dubai? Federer is not in his prime anymore, but Nadal beat Federer before his prime...
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Federer was ill and barely got through his first round match in Miami, which is why when asked Nadal said he beat Federer only once on hard court last year, and that was in Dubai. In Dubai Nadal won 2-6 6-4 6-4, that's hardly a dismantling and nor was it in straight sets. I saw the match and it was very close.
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Federer barely leads the h2h on non clay surfaces total by like 1 or 2 wins.... If he really was so much better than him, he would not have lost to him on these other surfaces.
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Many of Nadal wins could have gone the other way. 2006 Rome final on clay, Federer had two mach points. Wimbledon 08, Fed one point from a decisive break in the 5th and won more points overall. AO 09, again close but lost. Monte Carlo and Hamburg 08 he had the upper hand in both and lost. Not to take these wins from Nadal, they were deserved, it does show close their matches have always been.
I would say Federer has a healthy number of wins over Nadal considering:
1) The pressure - not only is Nadal shit scary to play against but he's also had to deal with the weight of history.
2) Most of their matches have been on clay.