TENNIS in DEPTH.

Sport has received a black mark against it because of the actions of one of its stars. The cynical interpreters of Tiger’s actions have already lumped all professional athletes together into their category as degenerates. His actions have reinforced their belief that like so many before him, they can’t keep their pants zipped or their minds out of the gutter. Golf will have a difficult time in rebuilding its image as a ‘gentlemens’ game, and those players who are squeaky clean must feel appalled and angry at their leader. The President’s Cup and Ryder Cup team members must feel particularly soiled by their association with Tiger. He was allowed into their inner circle, to meet an socialize with their wives and families, while all the time concealing his double life. The rivalries with Phil, Sergio, Steve and Jim can never be the same in the future. Golf will never have a Federer/Nadal duo! It’s unique because of the moral quality of the two combatants. It is a rivalry built on respect, admiration and friendship. We as fans are privileged to be able to witness their contests on the tennis courts around the world, and whether Roger or Rafa wins, it’s Tennis that can raise it’s proverbial head high, and be proud.

Given Roger Federer’s domination of the decade, it’s almost frightening to contemplate what other records he would have set had it not been for the emergence of Rafael Nadal, with whom the Swiss shares one of tennis’ greatest-ever rivalries. Since winning their first meeting at the Sony Ericsson Open in 2004, Nadal has established a 13-7 head-to-head lead over Federer, with 16 of those 20 meetings coming in ATP World Tour and Grand Slam championship finals.

Different in so many ways, they nonetheless share an unparalleled will to win that has made for some riveting clashes – none more so than what many fans rate as the greatest match ever, the 2008 Wimbledon final.Nadal has held Federer’s number in three Roland Garros finals, and it looked as though the Swiss would always get his revenge on grass, having denied Nadal in the 2006-07 Wimbledon finals. That was until a rain-interrupted clash that finished in near-darkness at 9:15 p.m., when Nadal prevailed 9-7 in the fifth set of a four-hour, 48-minute match to dethrone the five-time defending champion.

They have played just twice since that epic encounter, with Nadal once more besting Federer over five sets in the 2009 Australian Open final and the Swiss defeating Nadal on clay for just the second time in the final of the Mutua Madrilena Madrid Open a few months later.

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