Roger Federer: 10 Reasons He'll Overtake Rafael Nadal As No. 1
Roger Federer will take on Novak Djokovic in the Men's Semifinals at the 2010 U.S. Open and if he has a performance like he did against Robin Soderling, this should be no contest.
Federer has a bigger fish to fry: Rafael Nadal.
When Federer advances, this will be the first time these two have met in a Grand Slam final since the 2009 Australian Open and Federer has been cool, calm, and collected as he awaits his chance to overtake Nadal.
Here are 10 reasons that Federer will be successful in reclaiming his No. 1 spot.
10. Did You See That Soderling Match?
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No matter how many times Robin Soderling tried to psych out Federer, he took his frustration and channeled it into a performance that made Soderling look like somebody's pet poodle.
Federer is in his element and he looks to be back on his game.
9. Federer Is Used to U.S. Open Conditions
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Even though the wind may have complicated the U.S. Open for other players, Federer remained unfazed.
In fact, Federer actually said that he prefers to play in these windy conditions because it does not affect his game at all.
It is Federer's consistency that will help him get back on top.
8. More Experience
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Roger Federer has experience on his side as he prepares to take on Rafael Nadal in the finals. Federer has 16 Grand Slam titles to answer Nadal's eight.
Some may say that Roger Federer is getting old, but as we have seen during this year's U.S. Open, Federer's career is far from over.
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7. He's Not Just Trick Shots
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Even though we had the treat of seeing some pretty impressive shots from Federer during this tournament, he is far from a one-trick pony.
The only reason that Federer takes chances like his between-the-legs shot is that he hasn't encountered much real competition until he played Soderling.
In that match, he was precise and perfect in his game and we will see this same Federer as he takes on Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal.
6. Federer Loves the Open
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Roger Federer has won the U.S. Open five times in a row, with last year being the first time he hasn't been the tournament's champion since 2003.
Federer is excellent on hard surface courts, which gives him an advantage in New York.
5. Nadal Is No Good On Hard Courts
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In fact, Nadal has only won one Grand Slam on a hard surface court and he is even thought to be injury prone when playing at the U.S. Open.
Nadal has claimed that hard courts are hard on tennis players and we might see the U.S. Open continue to take its toll on Nadal.
4. Nadal's First Time at the U.S. Open Finals
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This is the first time that Rafael Nadal has made it past the semifinals at the U.S. Open, so he will basically be playing Federer on home turf.
3. He Wants to Settle the Score
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Nadal is 14-7 against Roger Federer, and Federer wants to settle the score.
A win over Nadal at the U.S. Open will further close the gap between the two tennis greats.
2. Fernando Verdasco Picks Federer
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Now, this could just be Verdasco being a sore loser, but he has said publicly that he believes that Federer will overtake Nadal.
According to Reuters, Verdasco said, "If I am not wrong, I think that he will play the final against Roger. It's going to be a tough match, because I think Roger plays really good in these conditions...I think if I need to bet here, I will bet for Roger. I think that he won five times here and he likes these conditions."
And that's coming from one of Nadal's close friends.
1. He's Still a Champion
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Many seem to have forgotten that Roger Federer is still a force to be reckoned with in the tennis world.
Just look at his performance at the Australian Open.
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