This year, Roger looked a shadow of his former self. His game unraveled before our eyes. That mysterious serve, that grace all vanished into thin air, while Roger fumbled with missed volleys, unforced errors and bad returns.

The key is not that Roger lost his form while Rafa found his best - the key perhaps is that one man is the slow climber (Rafa) while the other man (Roger) had lost his love for the game.

Don't get me wrong, but what I see in Roger Federer is the "responsibility" and "duty"—a burden to be the best—it seems like he is carrying a 1000-ton weight on his slim shoulders and hence, that game of tennis he plays is no more about tennis but about being in the record books.

I think Roger psyched himself too much into a corner thinking that he will not be considered the best if he does not win the French Crown and that no matter what people say, but that he will never be on par with Rod Laver unless he wins it. That must have weighed more on his mind than his game or playing the game.

Rafael Nadal seems to be living to his potential and seems to have come into his own. He seems to just love his game more and more, and be willing to explore it, to take it a few notches higher.

Marc Kaveh

Rafael Nadal has turned the tables on Roger Federer in a dramatic way. The Spaniard destroyed Federer even more than usual at Paris before stealing the Wimbledon crown.

There are many reasons for Rafa's dominance. He has successfully transferred his backhand from the clay to grass, with devastating effect.

Many shots he made against Murray were unbelievable and that backhand pass against Federer in that match.

His first serve is faster than before and his second serve is more reliable and puts him in better positions. More than that, he has the belief that he is better then Federer on grass. In 2006 and 2007, he was happy to be in the final. In 2008, he 100 percent believed he could do it, even when he lost his match points. Advantage: Rafael Nadal.

jb

In brief, I'd say his serve first.  Its no longer a liability, and he gets a lot more cheap points. Next, his willingness to move in and attack; again ending more points early.

Look at the times of his matches from three years ago and this year, he's spending significantly less time on court. This saves his energy and the wear and tear on his knees.

Josh Millar

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