Federer, Nadal dream team not a sign of future
They have claimed 35 grand slam singles titles between them. And now Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer have chalked up a match win as a doubles pairing.
But don’t get used to the greats playing on the same side of the net.
The champions combined to give Team Europe a 9-3 lead after two days of play against Team World in the first-ever Laver Cup in Prague.
They defeated American pair Sam Querrey and Jack Sock with a 10-5 super tiebreak win after both teams had claimed one set apiece.
During a season which has yielded both two more major titles each – Federer the Australian Open and Wimbledon and Nadal the French and US Opens – this one match will be long remembered.
But Federer was quick to make it clear after this tournament they will be back to being rivals.
“It was unforgettable for both of us after the history we have behind us as rivals. Something we really enjoyed a lot,” Nadal said.
“To have Roger next to me is a huge privilege... something I wanted to make happen at some point and today I made it happen.”
Federer chimed in with “for me personally it was a great moment too ... something very special ... (but) after this we’ll be rivals again.”
Federer and Nadal had won the first set 6-4 before the Americans fought back to claim the second 6-1.
“My last doubles (match) was so long ago that I hardly remembered how to react at the net,” Federer said.
Querrey wasn’t going to let the defeat overshadow the significance of being on the other set of the net, saying it was “fun to be a part of it.” Earlier, Federer had beaten Querrey 6-4, 6-2 and Nadal, Sock, 6-3, 3-6, 11/9 in singles.
Australian Nick Kyrgios beat Tomas Berdych, of the Czech Republic, 4-6 7-6 (7-4) 10-6 in a match that had its share of drama. Kyrgios had told the chair umpire “f..k the machine” in reference to the net machine that ruled a serve a let.
The tournament wraps up this morning with three singles and one doubles match.