Nadal Defeats Berdych at Sony Ericsson Open … Federer Up Next
April 1, 2011 | By Long Island Tennis Magazine Staff
At the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami, top-ranked Rafael Nadal defeated the number seven seed Tomas Berdych, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3, to advance to the friday night semifinals of the event where he’ll face Roger Federer. Federer was victoious over Gilles Simon, who was forced to retire due to a stiff neck after dropping the first three games in a quick 10 min. match.
Nadal, ranked number one on the ATP tour, will face Federer, ranked third on the ATP tour, for the 23rd time on Friday night, and this will mark the first time in six years that the two will face off on U.S. soil. In 2005, Federer defetaed Nadal for the 2005 Sony Ericsson Open title. In their most recent matchup this past November in the finals of the ATP World Tour at the O2 Arena in London, Federer was a 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 winner.
“It’s special always to play against him,” Nadal said. “We always had the big respect for each other. We are closer than before, like friends, because we spend a lot of time together with exhibitions, with the council of the ATP. We have a fantastic relationship.”
