On this day: Rafael Nadal edges Roger Federer for first Mubadala crown

Due to the coronavirus and modified ATP calendar, the Mubadala World Tennis Championship will not occur this December, staying away from the calendar for the first time in over ten years. The first edition of the Mubadala World Tennis Championship took place at the Abu Dhabi International Tennis Complex at the Zayed Sports City in Abu Dhabi between January 1-3, 2009, with six top-10 players battling for massive prize money of $250,000! Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal were there, but Andy Murray stole the thunder to become the inaugural champion of the third-most important tennis event in the region after Dubai and Doha, beating both Federer and Nadal to lift the trophy! The second edition had to wait until the end of 2010, and it drew another powerful field, led by Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Robin Soderling and Tomas Berdych. In the quarter-final, the Czech prevailed against Marcos Baghdatis while Robin Soderling took down Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, setting the semi-final encounters with Nadal and Federer.

Rafa toppled Berdych 6-4, 6-4 to advance into the second straight final at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship, breaking the Czech with an incredible forehand down the line winner at 4-4 in the first set and controlling the pace in the second to reach the title clash.

Rafael Nadal defeated Roger Federer in the second edition of Mubadala WTC.

There, Roger Federer stood on the other side of the net following a 6-7, 6-3, 6-3 triumph over Robin Soderling. The Swiss raised the level in sets two and three to leave the Swede behind, moving over the top with an ace down the T line in the deciding set's ninth game to set the title clash against Rafa on January 1, 2011.

Roger defeated Rafa in the title match at the ATP Finals in London in November, and the Spaniard was ready to avenge that loss, prevailing over the Swiss 7-6, 7-6 in the contest with no breaks to lift his first Abu Dhabi title. Roger held at love with the first game's forehand winner, with Nadal leveling the score at 1-1 thanks to a service winner in game two. They both served well until game ten when Federer created a break chance with a volley winner, denied by Rafa, who held thanks to a backhand winner and locked the result at 5-5. The Swiss opened a 3-0 advantage in the tie break before Rafa grabbed five straight points, moving in front and closing the set when Federer's backhand landed long in the 11th point. Like in the opener, nothing could separate them in the second set, reaching another tie break that Nadal won 7-3 when Federer's forehand landed long to celebrate the title.

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/2L9jpQv