Federer-Nadal XXIII: Miami Masters Semifinals

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal will meet for the 23rd time on Friday April 1st in the semifinals of the Miami Masters 1000 tournament in Key Biscayne, Florida. Nadal holds a 14-8 advantage in their head-to-head rivals, including 6-2 in majors. Fedal or Nadalerer is occuring for the first time in 6 years in the United States, on the same court where Federer came back from 2-sets down and beat a 17-year-old Nadal in the 2005 Key Biscayne final.

They split the two matches they played last year, with Nadal winning on clay, and Federer winning on an indoor hard court in London. It should be interesting that they are meeting in a semi-final, not a final. I suspect this will provide less mental pressure and the Swiss may eke out the win (in 3 sets).

Interestingly, Federer and Nadal are not playing the best tennis on tour right now, that distinction goes to new World #2 Novak Djokovic who is yet to lose in 2011, racking up a stunning 23 match winning streak, which he will  put on the line against surprise semifinalist Mardy Fish. Regardless of who wins the Federer-Nadal semifinal, I really don't see either one of them beating Djokovic the way he is playing right now. He proved that last week by winning the Indian Wells Masters 1000 by beating Federer in the semifinals and Nadal in the final.

MadProfessah's prediction: Djokovic defeats Federer in the final.