Classic Near Misses: Roger Federer at the 2005 Masters Cup Final 0
The 2005 Masters Cup Final was one of the rare times when Roger Federer was unable to pull out a clutch victory.
Roger Federer waged war with David Nalbandian throughout his junior and professional tennis career. The Argentine prided himself on being the first to have “Federer’s number.”
These were days before Rafael Nadal supplanted the underachieving Nalbandian as Federer’s chief antagonizer—preying on the mind of the Swiss Maestro.
The great Nalbandian not only possessed a keen tennis mind but was renowned as one of the cleanest ball-strikers in the game. He understood that hitting the ball flat with power deep in the corners in order to rob the Swiss of time could bring the great man down if you could sustain the pace and continue to hit the lines. It was not an easy task, but it could be done.
Nalbandian enjoyed defeating Federer—the No. 1 player in the world—more than any other player on tour. What is more, he had the game to do it.
They have met 18 times in their long and storied careers. Federer has captured 10 wins while Nalbandian’s seized eight victories. Read the rest of this entry →
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