Roger Federer continues to belie age and deny his oldest rival his first title of 2017. In another final between two of the greats of the game, Federer clinched the Miami Open crown, topping Rafael Nadal in straight sets.
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Federer beat Nadal to clinch the first Grand Slam of the year – the Australian Open – in January, and while that match was one that swung one way and then the other, this was without as much drama, even if the win wasn't as easy as the score might suggest.
The Swiss maestro, who also topped the Spaniard in Indian Wells a few days back, broke the Nadal serve once in each set, which sent him on his way to a 6-3, 6-4 victory in an hour and 34 minutes.
"I think it was a close match," Federer, who completed the Sunshine Double, after winning the title at Indian Wells as well, said. "Maybe if you didn't see the match and you were sitting somewhere around the world and you see the score you're thinking it was straightforward with couple breaks and that was it.
"That's not the full story. I thought he had his chances in the first and in the second. It was close. I think on the big points, I was just a little bit better. Why, I have no explanation. I just think it fell that way.
"It was more of a fight mode I was in, just trying to stay afloat. Physically, emotionally it's been a draining week, so I did very well."
Nadal has also done quite well in 2017, but somehow he is still to pick up his first title. The Spaniard lost in the Mexican Open final, while he also went down to Federer in the Australian Open. Having come so close on so many occasions and shown he is shorn of injuries, the left-hander believes he is getting closer and closer to the level that made him, at times, unbeatable.
"I think I am close to where I need to be," Nadal said. "I am at a very high level of tennis and I believe I am ready to win these titles. I already played three finals this year and, (in the Miami Open final) I lost to a player that had lost only one match (all year)."
