What? Ben Koo watches tennis?
No not really. However last night through sheer dumb luck stumbled upon the final of the Australian Open around 1:30 am and decided that I was going to push all in and watch what many sports fans are calling the best rivalry in sports.
It did not disappoint and in a weekend where everyone is focused on the Super Bowl (hours away), its my best guess it will not compare in any way to the 5 set, 4 hour+, action and drama filled final that I was lucky enough to watch.
Below are the highlights not watching them would be blasphemy:
For disclosure, I have not watched a full tennis match in this century. I can’t even recall when I watched a full match last, but I have a sneaky suspicion it involved Michael Chang and I may have been wearing MC Hammer pants.
So what compelled me to stay up close to the crack of dawn to watch a sport that is largely ignored by Americans?
Simply put it was a safe bet for unbelievable entertainment and there has not been a rivalry like this in years, decades, and at this rate maybe ever.
Below are Wikipedia’s bullet points on the rivalry.
- They are the only men in the open era who have played each other in 7 Grand Slam finals.
- Their 2008 Wimbledon final has been lauded as the greatest match of all time by many long-time tennis critics.
- Many critics consider their rivalry to be the greatest in tennis history.
Wimbledon Highlights from 08
Other interesting notes are that they have been ranked one and two since July of 2005 at recently flip flopped when Nadal became ranked number one this past summer. Out of the last 16 Grand Slam tournaments (Wimbledon, US Open, French Open, Austrailia Open) the two of them have all the championships except for one.
Up until now Nadal has dominated Federer on clay, with Federer being superior on grass. However last year’s Wimbledon raised the stakes as Nadal beat Federer in a 5 hour match that many consider the best ever. With it being clear that the two are now on equal footing when not playing on clay (I still find it weird people even want to play on clay. Let’s try surfaces like ice, mattresses, wood, and dirt while we are at it), I made a drink and hit record on my DVR when I realized that miraculously I came across what would be an Instant Sports Classic. Luckily I dragged my roommate along, who was just as taken aback by awesome the match was.
A match of this significance shouldn’t be hard to sell to Americans, but it is. Nadal is from Spain and Federer is from Switzerland so right away there is a buzzkill in terms of domestic interest. Also in tournament play, the confirmation that these two will play in a championship match only occurs when they both advance to the championship meaning there is barely a day’s notice to sports fans that “it’s on”.
Bundle in the fact that a) its tennis b) its on espn2 c) 3 out of the 4 grand slam tournaments take place overseas during odd viewing times in the US, its a no brainer why this awesome rivalry has very cross over appeal in the US.
Many sports fans think its a travesty and now I know why. The separation between who is better between them is literally non existent. The separation between them and all the rest of the players is extraordinary.
Yes there was Agassi vs. Sampras when I was younger, but before my time there was an era of tremendous rivarlies that has never been repeated in the sports world. Ali vs Frazier, Bjork vs. McEnroe, Palmer vs. Nicklaus, Russell vs. Chamberlain to name a few.
Watching documentaries and interviews on those rivalries made me long for a modern day rivalry that matched the drama, excitement, entertainment, and competitiveness of those. Now its here.
The amount of amazing shots last night that made me emit weird sounds in sheer awe were in triple digits. At times I just laughed at how incredible certain rallies were. It seemed as if every single moment of the match, could be the turning point and were played on both sides with feverish intensity, effort, and skill.
I couldn’t decide who I was rooting for as they were both so damn impressive. I probably flip flopped on who I thought was going to win 50x. Nadal squeezed out a very hard fought first set, with Federer answering to win the second.
Nadal looked tired after the second set, (as he should be from playing a marathon match just a day before), and it seemed like Federer was in great position to assert his will. However coming back from a brief trip to the locker room, Nadal could be seen talking to himself pumping himself up.
Nadal won an amazing third set tiebreaker. That hour of tennis ebbed and flowed between the two with every hit seeming as if it could break the equilibrium in this awesome rivalry. It made me wonder if anyone at any sport or even anything are as good as they both are at tennis.
Federer had a great 4th set, setting up a definitive 5th. It didn’t culminate in a Wimbledon like finish as Nadal took an early lead which rattled Federer. Even though the ending was not as dramatic as other sets in the match, every point was played brilliantly on both sides with both men giving herculean effort as they did through out the match.
It ended and I passed out in a state of euphoria from what I just watched. While a football or basketball game can be as entertaining as this (no doubt), the fact is that when they play it is ALWAYS going to be this good. You can’t get that in any other matchup.
What’s even more cool, is that they are both in their prime although Nadal is just entering his prime at 22 while Federer is in thick of his at 27. You can also tell that by playing each other, they are both pushing their level of play to new levels. If their counter part did not exist, neither would be good.
I also liked the replay component of their match, where they could challenge calls on balls being in and out via a state of the art computer tracking system. There must have been around 20 challenges. Of them I would say 10 were not a matter of inches, centimeters, or even millimeters. They were in fact in or out by the width of a strand of hair. It blew my mind every time.
What also struck me is how classy, respectful, and appreciative both are of each other. While their matches are literally wars, you can tell that beating each other is more significant and joyous then winning money, fans, or a trophy. They are each others equal and 2-3 a year they have to play for a major championship like clock work.
I know I sound like a loony, going on and on about this match. However it ws one of the coolest things I have seen in sports and I recommend that you check it out next time to stars allign. You’ll know what I am talking about.
