Rafael Nadal beat Roger Federer for the first time indoors in five attempts on the Swiss's favourite surface yesterday – his 22nd victory in 32 encounters between them. The Spaniard won the first semi-final of the ATP World Tour finals in an hour and 19 minutes and will now meet Novak Djokovic in today's final after the Serb beat Stanislas Wawrinka 6-3 6-3.
Nadal is five years younger at 27 and four titles shy of Federer’s 17 majors.
Federer, aggressive and dominant in the early exchanges but unable to sustain the quality of his shot-making on weary legs in the second set, said he had “no regrets” after losing the last match of his most disappointing season since 2002, although he would not declare if he could add to his grand slam tally next year, when he will turn 33.
After he beat Juan Martin del Potro to reach the semis, it was still touch-and-go whether or not he could go on to win his seventh end-of-year title here.
Dazzling precision
Briefly in the first set that looked within his scope but the match turned, perhaps, on a couple of missed chances to break in the fifth game, then again in the 10th. The momentum was with him then as he pinned Nadal deep and hit his ground strokes with dazzling force and precision.
Nadal survived the examination. Once he sealed the set at the second time of asking he began to play more freely – and was mightily relieved when Federer’s concluding backhand volley went long.
It was a significant victory. All their indoor matches have been in this tournament and, in nine previous sets, Nadal had won one. Yesterday he narrowed the difference emphatically. He refused to say beating Federer was more satisfying than reaching his second final.
Nadal now has the chance to cap the most impressive comeback in the modern game: No 1 in the world again, after a seven-month break to mend his knees, and reaching for his 11th title in 14 finals this year.
He has won 75 of 81 matches and improved dramatically on hard courts, the surface that delivered him such pain for several years.
For Federer 2013 ended better than it might have done. After playing well in the Australian Open – he cites his semi-final defeat by Andy Murray as his best performance – he suffered inexplicable defeats before recovering in Asia and Europe in recent weeks. In this tournament he has played some delightful tennis, and came close to recapturing his old aura.
Federer has slipped to No7 in the rankings, however, though he said: "If it's not world No 1, then I'm not that interested in [rankings] – even though it would be nice to stay in the top four, top eight for seeding purposes more than anything else.
Federer's point
"It doesn't matter if I play [the major seeds] in the last 16 or the quarters, to be honest. The points difference is minor. Losing in the quarters is like losing in the first round for us at the top.
“That’s why either you’re good enough to make it to the semis and finals, and then especially win, or not. It’s really a tour of winners.”
Having won 923 matches and 77 titles in his career, Federer knows what he is talking about.
James McGee has the major consolation of improving to a career-high position in the singles world rankings after agonisingly failing to clinch a place in the final of an ATP Challenger Tour event for the first time.
After two hours and 20 minutes of dramatic roller-coaster action, the Irish No 1 was cruelly deprived of victory on an 18-point third set tie-break in the outdoor hardcourt tournament in Yeongwol, South Korea, on Saturday.
But in the wake of his 3-6 6-3 7-6 (10/8) loss to rising young Japan star Taro Daniel, the 26-year-old Dubliner is set to move up about 27 places in the world ladder, and will move up to about 215 when the ATP list is updated later today.
Guardian Service
