Roger Federer: 10 Reasons He Has a Leg Up on Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon

Both Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer are through the first four rounds of these 2011 Wimbledon Championships in London and find themselves in the quarterfinals when it's all said and done.

The two have proven to own the tournament, winning every title at Wimbledon since 2003. From 2003 to 2007, Federer won five consecutive times, while also managing to take the title in 2009. Nadal has won two of the last three tournaments in Great Britain, winning the 2008 and 2010 titles.

With both Nadal and Federer playing solid tennis as of late, it would seem as if the two will meet yet again in the 2011 Wimbledon Final.

It won't be easy with Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic playing as well as they ever have, yet keeping Nadal and Federer out of the final has been a near impossible task over the last nine years.

Here are the ten reasons Roger Federer has the advantage over Rafael Nadal in these 2011 Wimbledon Championships.

Federer Owns Wimbledon

The numbers speak for themselves on this one.

At Wimbledon 2011, Federer has one clear advantage over Rafael Nadal: the fact he has been able to take home the title at the Wimbledon championships as well as any player in the history of professional tennis.

The world's third ranked men's singles player in the world has won six of his 16 grand slam titles at the All England Club. Nadal on the other hand, has been able to win just two trophies here.

Grass Is Nadal's Weakness, Federer's Strength

Although Rafael Nadal is a much improved player on grass, it is still one of the surfaces that gives him more trouble.

Nadal is a player known for dominating the slower surfaces, as he at times, looks unbeatable on surfaces such as clay. Nadal has played some of his best tennis at the French Open slam.

Despite Nadal's improved game on grass in the last several seasons, winning two of the last three Wimbledon championships, Federer is a grass player that likes to use the speed of the ball to his advantage. Look for the surface to work into Federer's favor.

Nadal Has Had to Grind out His Sets

Through the first four rounds at the Wimbledon 2011 championships, Nadal has clearly had to make more of an effort to win his 12 sets than Federer has in his.

After cruising through the first two rounds, Nadal has won four of his last six sets in tiebreaks, 7-6. These four 13-game sets could take a toll on Nadal going into the quarterfinals against a streaking Mardy Fish.

It seems that Nadal is not completely there physically and with his game, as he is barely hanging on in the last handful of sets he has managed to win.

The Wimbledon Match-Ups: Nadal vs. Federer

The last three times that Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have met at the Wimbledon championships, it has been in the final.

Despite Nadal edging out Federer in their last meeting in the 2008 Wimbledon final, Federer has beat Nadal two of the last three times they have met in this particular Grand Slam tournament.

Federer beat Nadal in the 2007 and 2006 Wimbledon finals, which were the last two of his whopping five consecutive titles in the Great Britain tourney.

Federer Has an Easier Draw

Federer has had the easier road than has Rafael Nadal through the first four rounds of these Wimbledon championships.

Although Federer has faced two solid, highly regarded opponents in David Nalbandian and Mikhail Youzhny, he has impressive records against each of them. He is 11-5 all-time against Nalbandian and 9-0 against Youzhny.

Now going up against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, whom he has beaten in four of their last five matches, Federer should have a somewhat clear path to the semifinals.

Nadal Faces Mardy Fish

The highest ranked men's American tennis player in the world, Mardy Fish is playing some of his best tennis as of late.

Fish has his backhand going, forehand working well, and seems to be getting the bounces he needs in each of the first four matches. More than anything, Fish has dominated matches with his serve, serving arguably the best of any player in the men's draw.

Nadal has the evident edge over Fish based on recent head to head matches and overall ranking, but make no mistake - Fish has to take down Nadal with the way he is playing. Fish will need to have his serve working against Nadal in this quarterfinal match.

Nadal Faces Hometown Hero

Andy Murray is playing arguably the best tennis of his career, as he and Rafael Nadal are likely face each other in the semifinals.

Nadal owns the matchup, winning 11 of the 15 matches between the two. Yet Nadal will now be faced with a player determined as any, still without a Grand Slam title to add to his resume. He has played in the Wimbledon final the last two years and will have the home crowd rooting him on.

The numbers favor Nadal and he would still be the favorite if the two were to meet, yet he will be facing the best that Murray has to offer as well as the crowd in London behind him. 

Nadal Had the More Difficult Fourth Round: The Momentum Factor

In the fourth round of the 2011 Wimbledon Championships, Nadal was able to just beat-out Juan Martin Del Potro, winning two of the three sets 7-6 in a tiebreak.

Meanwhile, Federer has seemed to catch fire after his recent fourth round match. After dropping his first set 6-7 (5) against Mikhail Youzhny, he would go on to win in three straight sets, taking each 6-3.

The Experience Factor

As Federer is arguably somewhat past his prime, he will be looking to grab titles quickly, as aging certainly doesn't help his chances.

He is an experienced player who knows a thing or two about getting it done at Wimbledon. He has entered the last stretch of his career and knows as well as anyone that if he expects to add to his 16 Grand Slam titles, it will be easier sooner than later.

That sense of urgency and passion will be evident in these next couple of matches, as Federer should find himself in the Wimbledon final as a result. He is too talented on grass and too experienced as a player to fall short in this tournament. Not to mention, as of late he has been playing arguably as well as he has in the last two to three years.

Nadal's Injuries

Although Rafael Nadal is the top-ranked player in the world and arguably one of the better players to play the game in recent history, he is also a player that suffers from injury.

Over the last several years, he has had leg issues that have ultimately been the reason he has lost four Grand Slams.

In his last match against Del Potro, Nadal showed signs of fatigue and complained about a left foot injury. It seemed to bother him throughout the match and could prove costly in his next match against Fish.

Federer, unlike Nadal, has stayed relatively healthy. Federer also has the type of power-game that could make Nadal work hard to stay with him if the two were to meet up. Nadal will likely feel the injury more if the two were to meet, as he will have to face Mardy Fish, a player who lives for the power-game.