Rafa vs Roger part 165435432

Don't you just love this soap opera? Last time these two played my necked was hurting for a week because I was sitting there for SEVEN HOURS completely freaking out. Yes, I occasionally have no life.

This should be interesting. For all their great rivalry and for all the times that they've played each other, these two have never met in the two hard court Grand Slams. That's mainly because up until the US open last year, Nadal has been no good on hardcourts. You can't doubt that he had a good run in New York last year and he's had an even better run in Melbourne.

Save for a little blip against Berdych, Federer has been rolling in Melbourne. He practically steamrollered over Del Potro following his five setter against Berdych and the new and improved Andy Roddick couldn't take a set off of the Fed. Now the Fed is about to chase history. Should he win at some undgodly hour here in Canada, he will have tied Pete Sampras' record for the most Grand Slams won. This was a record that everyone thought the Mighty Fed was supposed to have had last year. But as it was, the Fed got sick and Rafa made a bid for the top spot. It's save to say that last year, Rafa made Roger's life miserable. He routinely trounced him on clay, he then trounced him on grass, and then while the Fed was getting beaten by nobodies, Rafa was taking the no. 1 spot. Roger's only saving grace last year was his 13th Slam in New York. If Federer is to tie for this record, he's going to have to beat Nadal. Can he do it?

It's hard to say who's got more pressure on them here. Nadal as the new no. 1 needs to prove tha the can do better on other surfaces other than clay. He's shown that he can beat the best on grass and he's shown some good stuff on hardcourts last year but he still doesn't have a slam. Beating an in-form Federer would go a long way to consolidating his no. 1 spot. Then again.... The Fed is shooting for history here. If other people aren't putting the pressure on then he's heaping it on himself. If Nadal beats Federer here on a hardcourt then who knows what the affects will be for Mr. no 2? Don't tell me that he wasn't messed up after losing Wimbledon.... It's more of Federer's to lose than it is for Nadal. Federer may have a slight advantage if the match runs long because Nadal just finished a 5 hour marathon 44 hours before. Plenty of time to recover, but Rafa may get slightly tired if it runs to four or five tough sets.

I say Fed in 5 which means I'll get no sleep tonight... whoopie....maybe I'll sleep while the Bruins pound my poor Habs to death...