Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal had to face each other in round four of the Indian Wells Masters. This time around in Miami they find themselves on opposite sides of the draw are heavy fourth-round favorites over Roberto Bautista Agut and Nicolas Mahut, respectively, on Tuesday.
(5) Rafael Nadal vs. Nicolas Mahut
Nadal and Mahut will be squaring off for the second time in their careers when they battle for a spot in the Miami Open quarterfinals on Tuesday afternoon. The head-to-head series is tied at one win apiece, with Mahut scoring a 7-5, 7-6(0) upset on the grass courts of Queen’s Club in 2007 before Nadal got a retirement from the Frenchman while cruising 6-2, 6-2 at the 2011 U.S. Open. Those results are not too surprising given that Mahut has always been at his best on the green stuff, earning all four of his ATP titles on that surface (three in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, one in Newport). On hard courts this season the 35-year-old had done next to nothing, owning a 4-6 record with no trips past a second round prior to this fortnight. Out of nowhere, though, Mahut is through to the last 16 with victories over Michael Mmoh, Steve Johnson, and Guido Pella.
Like his 55th-ranked opponent, Nadal has survived one three-setter so far on Key Biscayne. The world No. 6 got bageled in the first set of his third-round showdown against Philipp Kohlschreiber but stormed back to get the job done 0-6, 6-2, 6-2. Nadal, who is now 16-4 this year, preceded that win with a more routine 6-3, 6-4 defeat of Dudi Sela. Although Nadal has not been at his absolute best since losing a heartbreaker of an Australian Open final to Roger Federer, he should have more than enough to get past Mahut in these conditions.
Pick: Nadal in 2 losing 8 games or fewer
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(4) Roger Federer vs. (14) Roberto Bautista Agut
Aside from a shocking loss to Evgeny Donskoy in Dubai, Federer has withstood anything and everything that opponents have thrown at him in 2017. The reigning Australian Open and Indian Wells champion boasts wins this season over Nadal (twice), Stan Wawrinka (twice), Kei Nishikori, Tomas Berdych, Nick Kyrgios, and Jack Sock. The latest challenger was Juan Martin Del Potro, who went down 6-3, 6-4 during third-round action in Miami on Monday. Federer, who opened with a hard-fought 7-6(2), 6-3 victory over qualifier Frances Tiafoe, is making his first appearance at this tournament since 2014 and looking for his first title–and even final–since 2006.
Up next for the 35-year-old Swiss on Tuesday afternoon is Bautista Agut, who is a hopeless 0-5 in the head-to-head series. In fact, even though the sample size is relatively small, this one of the most lopsided matchups in all of tennis. The Spaniard is 0-12 in total sets against Federer and no set has been more competitive than 6-4. If there is any good news for Bautista Agut, it is that he is an awesome 15-3 this season following wins this fortnight over Mikhail Kukushkin and Sam Querrey. No matter how well the world No. 18 is playing, however, he is likely in line for another beatdown at the hands of a red-hot Federer.
Pick: Federer in 2 losing 8 games or fewer
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RBA is playing really well. Fed will have to sustain a high level here.
Let’s see if RBA can get to 5 games in a set against Fed for the first time in 13 sets! You can do it RBA! 🙂
WOW! RBA breaks Fed to have a chance to serve out the first set!
RBA to serve for the set. I told ya, he is playing pretty well ,constructing points patiently and returning well. his backhand DTL has been the deciding shot in this set so far as it comes off as a surprise shot.
Of course Fed is not having a good day at the office so far. RBA would need that if he is to sustain this momentum.
Holy hell he’s serving for the set! I knew Fed’s level would have to dip at some point…
Reality sets in. 0-40 Fed.
RBA df’s away the break. Things sure turned quickly. But at least he’s shown that Fed can be taken on and even look vulnerable. If RBA can do it, then do can others.
hahaha what was quick, 5-5
Aaaaaaand whadya know?! Fed breaks back to love!
That had to be one of the quickest break backs I’ve seen in a while… RBA was so psyched to finally get that elusive set that he got right and Fed will be Fed. Let’s hope RBA can keep fighting here…
NID.
RBA too….. “polite”.
I’ve been meaning to ask, Hawks- what is NID haha?
“Never in Denial” ?
Your question was never in doubt Kevin!
Touché, Hawks. Touché. 🙂
Big hold by RBA to take it to tiebreak. If he can just out that service game out of his mind he could play a decent breaker…
Such an “impolite” #GOAT2.0.
#AllJokingsAside
Fed gets it in the end. Very close set! Funny that RBA came to the net on the third set point when he was actually striking the ball better. Fed was very tentative with his ground strokes and played pretty safe.
There you go, they just showed fed’s avg ground stroke speed: 68 mph. Well below even Rafa’s who hits with plenty more net clearance.
Yeah, the actual speed of Fed’s groundies these days is not what makes them effective. It’s the fact that since he takes the ball so early it takes time away from the opponent. Thus a Fed ground probably feels to the opponent like it’s coming a lot faster than it seems… Tricky ol’ Fed! 🙂
Yup. He does that better than anyone.
that’s right but his actual ground stroke speed at 68 MPH is significantly lower. He has actually been getting more power from this new racket. I was waiting for the stat to show up coz I could really see Fed hitting his shots so tentatively and safely.
Wow, that set was definitely tighter than I expected! Fed getting aggressive and winning that first point at the net, followed by that forehand down the line to make it 0-30 when RBA serves for the set, shook RBA big time and caused him to choke the next two points. I was impressed, and frankly surprised, that he didn’t just throw away the set in his next service game, and that he stayed relatively competitive in the breaker.
Damn… RBA came to play today.
RBA going with the old faithful : peppering the Fed backhand to get neutral balls and the attacking the forehand. Fed is tentative today and his backhand is not what it’s been lately.
You’re right, VR. There’s no doubt that Fed is not playing as well as he did in IW. I figured he would be less fresh at this one and that the humidity would be tougher for him, which is why I did not pick him to win Miami!
Fed’s lucky he hasn’t run into an opponent with a great serve today. RBA doing well from the baseline and actually winning and dictating more rallies now.
I think Fed realizes he is really having an off day and just needs to find a way to win this set just like set 1.
Oh wow wonderful backhand return winner
I think RBA takes this set with a break’s advantage
NID. LOL.
His politeness done him in again VR.
Fool you once…
#HowManyTimes!!!
RBA frustrating Fed, awesome counter-punching.
Yes. Also, 43% first serve won’t get it done. Roger has to up his game.
Wow, Zverev absolutely smoked Stan in the third set!
Spank you very much!
Buh-bye Birthday ?
#WLB
poorly played TB from RBA and Fed stepped it up. Fed’s TB record this year has been incredible.
I just heard that Zverev beat Stan! Way to go for this kid!
They are now showing the last few games of that match! I had a feeling Zverev might have a shot at this win. He played do well against Isner! He was bageling Stan in the third set. This kid keeps impressing me.
As for Fed/RBA, it was a good match. RBA came to play and pushed a Fed who was not at his best. It shows that Fed is not invulnerable. He is not unbeatable.
No one is ever unbeatable. More so even than in team sports, at an individual sport like tennis any player can lose on any given day. 35 year old Roger is generally not as good in the heat, nor at playing two days in a row. Good on RBA for playing the match he did and not being afraid to take it to Fed. In the end, Roger was just a little better. I expect him to have an easier time with Berdych, but we’ll see.
Federer will have an easy match with Berdych…Kind of 6-3 and 6-4 for Federer…Bautista probabily played the match of his life and Federer had the worst First services IN…not every one can play the match of his life in consecutive rounds to beat Federer.
And it be normal in later rounds. The only thing Federer needs to get his First Service percentage IN at least 60 percent and the title will be his…His ground game now is too hot to get beaten if his first service gets 60 IN in next rounds which I think it will…
Fed’s ground game was well below his IW level.
Asif, how long do you think Fed can stay undefeated on hard courts this year?
I am curious as to who here has ever said anyone was unbeatable.
I was wondering the same thing, Hawks…
For those who are wondering, NNY’s comment above suggests that the idea that “Fed is not invulnerable…he is not unbeatable” was something that was possibly in doubt before today’s match with RBA; and shown by that match not to be true. As everyone now seems to agree, that idea was never in doubt. I was merely emphasizing this fact.
Allez Roger!! Way to fight