Reasons why Federer tanked

A job, done and dusted

Yet another meeting between the Swiss and the Spaniard just got over and fans of the Spaniard are overjoyed while the Swiss army is silent and wondering what went wrong. Now, it’s 18-9 in Rafa’s favor with an 8-2 edge in the Slams. Some reasons why the Swiss express was tanked in spectacular fashion today.

• The freak that Rafa is: This superhuman force of nature that can chase down all balls in any corner, that can keep running all day long, that has supreme athletic capabilities and muscular power, that can stay in any rally as long as he wants to, that can pull off remarkable winners in outrageous angles etc etc. Plus, he has an obvious mental edge over the ageing Swiss. Too many reasons conspiring to result in this loss today, like many more occasions in the past.
• Federer’s self-destruct mode: 63 unforced errors, 5 double faults on crucial points. Such stats, that too against Rafa, won’t take you anywhere other than the loser’s chair.
• Not able to consolidate a single break: Whenever Federer broke Rafa, Rafa bounced back immediately. The break was salvaged immediately.
• So many missed break point opportunities on the Rafa serve (7/10 missed)
• Nadal’s consistent serving (77% first serves rate). He was broken a few times but, he served very well on crucial break points including in the final game of the match when he had to save 2 break points.
• Some outrageous winners that only Rafa can pull off For e.g.: the point to save the break point in the final game of the match. Such moments are worth savoring again and again. Such emotional highs they give.

Another semifinal loss for the Swiss legend. He was being halted by Djokovic in 2011 at the semifinal stage but, in 2012 his familiar nemesis has come to haunt him one stage earlier than before. Rafa’s current form is very similar to his peak in the 2009 Australian Open. Great signs for the hordes of Nadal fans.

All that’s left to be decided is his opponent and that in all probability is going to be Novak Djokovic, the man who got the better of Rafa, 6 consecutive times in 2011. This would be the perfect stage for Rafa to reverse the trend and the evidence of today’s display suggests that Rafa is looking good for that 11th Slam.