Rafael Nadal: 3 Reasons Why Rafa Will Be Roughed Up By Roger Federer

Rafael Nadal enters the semifinals of the 2012 Australian Open against Roger Federer knowing he beat the best player of the last decade in the '09 Melbourne Final and hasn’t lost to him in a Grand Slam event since 2007.

So he should be heavily favored, right?

Wrong.

Here are three reasons why the 30-year-old Federer will move on to the finals of the 2012 Aussie Open.

1. Federer Has the Mental Edge

When Rafa put his foot entirely into his mouth before the Australian Open began, many people wondered how the Swiss man would react.

In typical Federer fashion, he addressed the comments with nothing but class and dignity. Nadal looked like a fool for calling him out, and the matter got swept under the rug.

It’s further proof that Nadal has always acted in a childish manner when handling himself on and off the court compared to Federer. He doesn’t look comfortable in front of a microphone, and that can sometimes translate onto the tennis court with millions of people watching. How will he fare if Federer jumps out to an early set lead?

Those weren’t the only odd comments either. Admitting his physical shortcomings against Novak Djokovic makes you wonder if his drive and passion for the game are still there. When he admitted to losing some passion for the game last year, it all made sense.

2. Federer on Fire

The 30-year-old knows his days as the most dominate player in tennis are fading, and this may well be the final year he can win a major.

So far he is playing like a man who’s trying to out-run Father Time. He has yet to drop a single set and looked absolutely dominate in his quarterfinal victory over Juan Martin del Potro.

With a clean bill of health, right now it looks like Federer is the 25-year-old and Nadal is the older player with all of the various injuries he is currently dealing with.

3. Time to Even the Score

It’s no secret that Nadal has dominated Federer in recent years. Nadal holds a 17-9 lifetime advantage and a 7-2 record in majors, including a four-match winning streak. Federer hasn’t beaten Nadal in a major since 2007.

This has been eating at him for quite some time now, and he even admitted to wanting to face the Spaniard once again:

"

It's been a long time since we played in the semis of a Slam—maybe back in 2005 at the French. And I'd obviously like to play him because of our great, epic match here in the finals a few years ago [the 2009 Australian final, Nadal winning in five sets]. I'd like to get a chance to play him again.

"

Federer even remembers the exact date they last played in the semis of a major.

This rivalry is personal for Federer, although he will never admit so publicly.

I expect Federer to play his very best tennis and take advantage of a banged-up Nadal, who is beginning to question his own passion regarding tennis.