Roger Federer: Rafael Nadal plays longer rallies on clay in his sleep
Roger Federer was asked if he was surprised in winning longer rallies against Rafael Nadal in the Wimbledon semifinals.
The Swiss said: "I mean, look, winning long rallies is always a nice feeling. At the same time there were so few of them when you're going deep in a rally like this. Plus they were also played on a very high level in terms of speed and power and spin and everything. It's not just hitting cross-court balls to one another. You have some other opponents that produce that more for you. More of a waiting game. This is different. Almost every shot we're trying to win the point. Yeah, I mean, I think it is important that I can win those, as well. But they're not the most important. I mean, I wonder if it took something out of him. I don't think so because on clay he does that in his sleep. Why shouldn't he be able to have a few long rallies and it deflate him? He's a champ, I'm a champ. We know how to handle a rally like that. Of course, you hope it goes your way at the very end when you're not controlling things 100% any more."
On the keys for his first set tie-break win over Nadal, Federer added: "I don't know what makes the difference. Sometimes you are on the ball, you hit a great return, but he picks it up perfectly and ends up winning the rally. Maybe it's 30-Love when that happens. Maybe it's a bit different when it's 2-1 in the breaker. Maybe also when I connected with the backhand down the line, maybe was I secretly guessing he was also going to my backhand? Maybe. I was just able to come around it enough to keep it deep and long."
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