Roger Federer might go down as the greatest tennis player ever but he continues to fall short in his rivalry with Rafael Nadal. Nadal defeated Federer in four sets in their Australian Open semifinal match. The win was the fifth straight for Nadal over Federer at a Grand Slam event. The last time Federer beat Nadal was their epic encounter in the 2007 Wimbledon final. Here is a look at the last five Grand Slam meetings between the two players.
2008 French Open final
This was one of the worst losses ever for Federer. He was dominated by Nadal on the clay from start to finish. Federer lost the match 6-1, 6-3, 6-0. It was as bad as anyone has ever seen Federer look in a Grand Slam match. This was also the only Grand Slam final between the two that was decided in straight sets.
2008 Wimbledon final
This was the match in which Nadal finally broke through. It was an epic encounter that went five sets. Nadal took the first two sets before Federer battled back to win the next two in tiebreaks. The fifth set went long before Nadal finally won the deciding set 9-7 after the sun had already set.
2009 Australian Open final
This match gave Nadal his first ever Grand Slam title on the hard court. It also saw Federer break down in tears as he realized his rival had finally surpassed him. The match was another five set classic that saw Nadal defeat Federer 7-5, 3-6, 7-6, 3-6, 6-2.
2011 French Open final
A variety of factors kept the two rivals from meeting in a Grand Slam for over two years. But they were back in the final at the 2011 French Open. Federer took an early lead but ended up squandering the first set. Nadal wound up winning a highly competitive match 7-5, 7-6, 5-7, 6-1.
2012 Australian Open semifinal
This was the first Grand Slam meeting between the two that wasn’t a final since 2005. Federer won the first set and Nadal took the second set. The third set went to a tiebreak and Nadal got the advantage. The fourth set was back and forth but Federer missed several break opportunities. Nadal wound up winning 6-7, 6-2, 7-6, 6-4.