Roger Federer asks Rafael Nadal to visit him ahead of quarterfinal in Rotterdam

What's the story?

At a time when the top berth in the ATP Rankings are looking to be taken over by someone who is familiar with the territory, having spent some 302 weeks there, funny things seem to happen.

Call it a case of chance and coincidence, but the current World No. 1, Rafael Nadal happens to have landed in the Netherlands a night before the Swiss Maestro and World Number 2 will play his quarterfinal match against Robin Hasse in the ongoing ABN AMRO Tournament being held in Rotterdam.

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Roger Federer is a man for whom the history books are so heavy borne with innumerable records as they are. If Federer, 36, manages to win this one crucial match against Hasse then he would become oldest man to dominate the highest pedestal of the ATP Rankings.

The heart of the matter

Any tennis enthusiast is no stranger to the camaraderie and the familiar on-court rivalry between Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.

Meanwhile, the aspiring World No. 1, Federer found out quite interestingly that Nadal is also in the same country as he is and on discovering that, he told the press that Nadal should come around and meet him for a while.

"He should come around. I'm lonely," he said, "My family is not here."

However, it doesn't seem like Nadal is there to watch his rival play for the top rank. Word is that the Spaniard is going to be in Amsterdam to speak on behalf of his charity Rafa Nadal Foundation at the Postcode Lottery Goodmoney Gala.

What's next?

All we can do now is impatiently wait for history to be created once again as Federer looks to defeat Haase and take the No. 1 spot from Nadal. The Spaniard is unlikely to come give his old friend some company as he has to attend the Gala event organized by Academy Award-winning actor Leonardo di Caprio on the same night.

Author's take

The genuine friendship between Federer and Nadal is always a delight to witness. The Swiss Maestro's candid remark that Nadal should come around to Rotterdam and visit him amidst seemingly tense times when he himself is dangerously close to toppling the Spaniard from the No. 1 ranking is a very heart-warming gesture.

It seems like Nadal and Federer have taken it upon themselves to recreate the history of tennis and keep exchanging the baton between themselves over the years.