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Madrid Masters: Federer and Nadal in same quarter, 'Fedal' fans rejoice

1st May, 2016
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Roger Federer continued his comeback by winning Indian Wells. (Georgios Kefalas/Keystone via AP)
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1st May, 2016
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The draw for the Madrid Masters is out, and tennis fans have every reason to be excited.

Not only will all of the Big Four be competing, providing epic possibilities for the later rounds, bu the tournament also boasts some potential blockbuster first and second-round matches.

Should Nick Kyrgios make it past Argentina’s Guido Pella, he will face another awkward showdown with occasional nemesis Stan Wawrinka. Watch out for a possible second-round clash between the smooth strokes of Bernard Tomic and the ice-cold precision of world No.6 Kei Nishikori.

Add to that the fact Novak Djokovic and Rafa Nadal could meet in the final, a battle of the titans which would serve as one hell of a precursor for the glittering French Open crown, and we’ve got a pretty glitzy competition in store. However, there is one potential match which seasoned tennis aficionados are breathlessly anticipating.

It’s looming contest of contrast. Baryshnikov and Tyson, sleet and storm, chocolate and chilli, matador and bull. A clash so thrilling tennis fans don’t dare whisper about it, lest they somehow drive fate the other way.

Yep, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have been drawn in the same quarter. And, if they battle through their first two matches using their wonderfully varied patterns of play, we could have a ‘Fedal’ quarter-final on our hands.

If that happens, the streets of Madrid will ring loud with the celebrations of spectators, thanking the tennis gods for blessing the court with this phenomenon once more.

The Federer-Nadal rivalry is arguably the most popular in tennis history. Their playing styles are mind-bogglingly different. As such, their matches are a treasure trove; one surprise after another.

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It’s little wonder their 2008 Wimbledon final is considered the greatest match of all time. Every encounter is white-knuckled, seat-clenching, unintelligible-noise-inducing action from start to finish.

The rivalry is also so beloved because it’s always been so, well, amicable, regardless of the heated competition between the two. When Nadal burst onto the scene in 2005, the fact he posed such a serious challenge to Federer’s supremacy was both frightening and exciting.

The two times Nadal lost the Wimbledon title to Federer, 2006 and 2007, he was in unimaginable emotional pain. Similarly, when Nadal finally won at the Old England Club, denying Federer the chance to be the first man to win Wimbledon six times consecutively, he was inwardly collapsing with the disappointment.

Yet somehow, in spite of tearing each other to pieces like this on a regular basis, the two just seem to get each other. Federer’s endearing amusement at Nadal’s thick Spanish accent. Rafa stating multiple times he thinks Roger is the greatest player of all time. Roger carefully removing a piece of shiny confetti from Rafa’s hair as they stood side by side, enjoying the thrill of a trophy ceremony together.

All speak volumes to the respect and genuine affection these two giants of the game have for each other. And, given the snarky attitude of a number of next generation players, it’s a sight for sore eyes.

Probably the incident which best sums up the beauty of the Federer-Nadal rivalry is the trophy ceremony at the 2009 Australian Open. It was the first time Rafa had won the tournament. In beating Federer, the Spaniard had stalled the Swiss’ campaign to equal Pete Sampras’ then-record of fourteen grand slam titles.

Federer, always a wonderful sport, stood at the microphone, trying so hard to speak. But he broke down. Although he looked ashamed of himself, the crowd roared their support for the Swiss Maestro, who stepped aside for a minute to compose himself.

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In the meantime, Rafa was called to the podium to accept the trophy. After raising it above his head to tumultuous applause, he paused, looked behind him, and walked over to a stricken Federer. Much to everyone’s surprise and delight, he threw an arm around Roger’s shoulders and whispered something in his ear to comfort him.

The noise the crowd made shook the very foundations of Rod Laver Arena. Roger pulled himself together and strode back to the microphone.

“I’ll try again. I don’t want to have the last word,” he said firmly and jovially. He then indicated Rafa, and said, “This guy deserves it.”

History was born that night, as hearts of tennis fans all over the world swelled with adoration for these two men. Pitted against each other on the court in bitter battles, yet able to put all of that aside in the name of not only good sportsmanship, but friendship. So if, by some wonderful twist of fate, Fedal #35 happens in Madrid, look forward to laughter, tears, and above all, a cracking good match.

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