Roger Federer: 3 Keys to Fed-Ex Shipping Rafael Nadal Home

Roger Federer will continue rolling his 2012 Australian Open competition if he can execute the following three keys against rival Rafael Nadal. 

Both of these greats are playing fantastic tennis, and there is no doubt that this epic semifinals showdown will delight fans. 

Ultimately, the winner will be the player who does a better job of forcing their style of play onto their opponent. Here is what Federer needs to do to be the dominant force in this match. 

First-Serve Dominance

Federer's first serve has been erratic. However, he has done a solid job with it in this tournament. That is going to be even more important in this match. 

Fed must dictate the action on his service games by drilling his first serve. This will keep Nadal off balance. 

This will also allow Fed to help him set up his forehand. Nadal loves to set up Federer to hit his one-handed backhand. He can help limit this with a strong first serve. 

While Federer's backhand has looked much improved, it is his forehand that is winning him matches. He will be able to quickly end points with his forehand if he has his first serve rolling. 

Work Nadal's Backhand

As it was just mentioned, Nadal loves to make Federer work his backhand. Fed must return the favor in this match. 

In years past, Federer has been far less concerned about exploiting his opponents' weaknesses than he is about just playing his game. 

Recently, Roger has shown that he is more open to attacking specific weaknesses of his opponents. He needs to keep that in mind in this match. He must serve to Rafa's backhand and set him up for backhand shots in rallies. 

He can do this by hitting wide to Nadal's forehand side and then reversing direction on the next shot. 

Winners, Winners and More Winners

Roger needs to be thinking winner on almost every shot. He needs to be aggressive and deadly. The longer the rallies, the greater the advantage is for Nadal. 

Federer can do this by stroking that amazing forehand and charging the net. His coverage at the net has looked better than ever recently. He needs to charge the net at every opportunity and dominate Nadal once he gets there.