Federer and Nadal: Entering a New Phase in Their Rivalry

The last time Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal faced off at the Australian Open in 2009, Nadal was already ahead of his long-time rival in the rankings—they were second and first seeds respectively in that particular final clash.

Three years on, things have changed. Nadal is still the higher seed (second with Federer third), but they are now both overshadowed by another (world No. 1 Novak Djokovic), and it's a semifinal, not final, meeting.

It's in fact the first time since 2005 that these two will be meeting at this stage in a Grand Slam.

This is paradigmatically problematic, because we have grown accustomed over the years to Roger and Rafa—in a final.

In 2011 we had to witness three moments towards change, with clashes before the final, at Miami, Madrid and at the ATP World Tour Finals at London. There was always a sense of decisiveness, finality about these matches—19 times so far—accentuated even more in this regard by the unique contrast in styles between these two.

The artist and the bullfighter, the lasso touting lefty and the retro-classical right-hander. It was the war between the new and the old, the young and experienced, order and disorder, change and non-change. It was Tao, in every sense.

That was a great aspect of the appeal of Roger and Rafa. In 2012, however, we enter a new era in this tantalising rivalry. It will be one where we no longer speak of a man going up against a boy or of David against Goliath. This is a bygone.

Instead, we have two equally accomplished athletes and legend carvers, both mature and experienced to almost the same degree, whose Grand Slam careers in the last four to five years have been remarkably similar. Artistry has been found beneath the warrior veneer of Nadal and a simmering belligerence deep in Federer's soul.

The tennis hierarchy has changed and not only have these two been toppled from their thrones at the top, they will have to confront each other, just for a spot in the final. It must be insulting to have to play for privileges once almost a prerogative.

We need to wind back our minds to Roland Garros 2005 to the last time these two played in a Grand Slam semifinal. Back then, Nadal was only emerging in his role of challenger, and Federer still had a certain cocky self-belief about his ability to beat anyone out there.

Has much changed? It has only been seven years, and while Federer has been able to maintain his game and character, confirming in the tennis world the strange reality that tennis years are, in fact, the same as human years.

Nadal, opposite as he is, has had to endure a see-saw of change. He overthrew Federer in 2008 and very quickly had to fall from grace the year after, before renewing his role as tennis king in 2010. In 2011, Novak Djokovic punched way above his weight to dethrone the Spaniard, who aged many more years than one in that amount of time.

There's certainly a drama to Nadal we are only just beginning to understand. It has been evinced throughout this tournament, with the protestations on player conditions before and the ragged match play of uncertainty thus far. It was quite clear against Berdych that he felt insecure and fearful for much of the first two sets, playing with the sort of tentativeness that he never used to have.

Indeed, Nadal had conquered these emotions in his rise to greatness, but they returned last night. He snubbed the umpire for poor judgement and manifested, very directly self-exhortations in the last game as he broke Berdych to love, were all revelations of the inner beast that Nadal has kept locked up for some time.

Much of this inner beast unleashing, no doubt, must have been subconsciously due to the pressure Djokovic brought upon him, with great success, last year. No one acts like the whole world is against them, after a great 2011 with six losses to one player.

Moreover, this comes to a head in a match against his arch-rival Roger Federer. It's a tennis relationship that was overshadowed last year, perhaps lessened in proportion and expectation. Partly, this might account for the very unusual blowout in their last meeting, when Federer posted his most dominant victory over Nadal ever at the London World Tour Finals, 6-3, 6-0.

Even still, there's much contrast to savour between this upcoming semi and their last meeting at Melbourne Park. Confidence then for Nadal was barely an issue—he had after all defeated Federer at Wimbledon in their most recent previous encounter.

Few could have recalled more perfect tournaments, more consistently unbeatable tennis, up to the final in 2009. It was a match of the mind much more than mere tennis, and in that regard, he proved too tough a task for the Swiss. There was a certain watertightness about Nadal then. It must have been that aura of which so many have spoken, and so many greats have held.

In 2012, there's somewhat a reversal of roles.

It's Federer who comes in with greater recent confidence, with a twenty-something match-winning streak and a stunning victory in London over Nadal to boot. Lacking slightly in self-belief and self-berating, Nadal still does have the psychological edge of having won seven of their eight Grand Slam encounters. Nonetheless there's the sense that Federer seems more comfortable in this new role, having had to adapt to second-best status for far longer than Nadal.

Looking to their semifinal on Thursday, there's a strange equality between the two—strange being highly relative here. We're not faced with the Nadal with a 17-9 record (much as it's true) against a Federer with a 2-6 record against him; rather, we have two closely matched competitors fighting for a place in the tournament match. The stakes are still high, but less intense than before.

Along with serving well and playing aggressively, it may just be the edge Federer needs to gain revenge on his long-time nemesis.