Roger Federer vs. Rafael Nadal: Battling for No. 1

Admit it. The 2008 tennis hard-court season was filled with enough drama to put the soaps to shame, as the press wondered aloud whether Roger Federer could retain his transitory hold on the No. 1 ranking. Soon the question became not “if” but “when” would Rafael Nadal overtake him. It seemed more like a roadrunner vs. roadrunner contest with two winners and no losers in the race—except, in this case, the persistent press. The unrestrained tribe of sports reporters remained relentless in their pursuit of the event, hounding the hapless and unwilling participants—in this case Federer and Nadal. Through it all, Roger’s fans thought the prospect of Nadal capturing the No. 1 mantle preposterous. Hard courts ranked right up there with grass as Roger’s surface of choice. Oops. Remember Wimbledon... Hard courts were injurious to Nadal’s knees, they proposed. The Spaniard could not win on hard courts. Federer fans remained self-assured...