So long,
Roger Federer. Hello, Nadal.
After Federer’s third-round loss on Thursday, Nadal defeated Nicolas Lapentti, 7-6 (3), 6-1, in the quarterfinals Friday, guaranteeing him the No. 1 ranking.
Afterward, Nadal sounded pleased, but he remained focused on other objectives.
“I’m very happy to be No. 1; being No. 1 is a present for a lot of work,” Nadal said. “Very happy, but at the same time, my goals continue to be there — the Olympics, the U.S. Open. There’s no time to enjoy. It’s a big satisfaction to be the No. 1. But we can celebrate when the season is done.”
If Nadal wins this tournament, Federer’s 235-week stay at the top will end immediately. If Nadal beats No. 3 Novak Djokovic in Saturday’s semifinals but loses in the final, he will be No. 1 on Aug. 11.
If Djokovic wins in the semifinals, Nadal will have to wait until after the Olympics before he claims the top ranking. Nadal is advancing to the top spot because Federer’s points from winning this tournament last year will no longer be counted.
Andy Murray, who will face Ivo Karlovic in the first semifinal match Saturday, said he knew this day was inevitable.
“Federer has been at the top for so long now that it was always going to happen where he has, by his standards, a little drop-off,” said Murray, who beat Carlos Moyà, 2-6, 6-3, 6-1. “You know someone like Nadal, who I think is going to go down as one of the best players ever, is going to play well for a whole season.”
Nadal’s success this year is due to his improved play on surfaces other than clay, his favorite.
Although he has won the past four French Opens, Nadal typically has not fared as well on grass or hardcourts. He was runner-up in 2006 and 2007 on the Wimbledon grass, losing to Federer each time, and he has never advanced past the quarterfinals at the United States Open.
He had won a Canada Masters tournament, but at Cincinnati he had a career record of 3-4.
Obviously, that has changed this season.
Djokovic said after dispatching Ernests Gulbis, 6-3, 6-4: “I think it was a matter of a tournament and a year or a season when he’s going to start to play better and better on hardcourts, because he has all the things that he needs to play well on any surface. He’s proven that he’s even, this year, the best player on grass. If you look at his style of the game, you don’t think that he might do really well on that surface, which is the fastest in the sport, but he obviously does really well.”
Nadal, though, hasn’t forgotten about Federer.
“I never saw anybody play better than him,” Nadal said. “For sure, he’s going to continue to have a lot of chances to continue to be No. 1 and win Grand Slams. Roger is having a good season, but in the last four years, he did some unbelievable things. I think he’s going to be the favorite for the Olympics and the U.S. Open.”
