Rafael Nadal played one of the best shots that I’ve ever seen in what I believe was the first game of his semi-final match against Andy Roddick which he easily won 6-4, 6-3. It wasn’t his lightning-quick forehand, brutally powerful two-handed backhand, or even a lunging run at a ball that would have beaten everyone else. Instead, it was a drop shot – one disguised so well that everyone watching was fooled.

It’s deceptive a shot by nature, but even more so from Nadal because of how much he loves to blast the ball from the baseline tennis and trade ground strokes with his opponent. At the time, I thought to myself that Rafa should consider using the drop shot a bit more. He ended up executing it only one more time – not in an effort to keep the ace hidden up his sleeveless shirt, but because all his other shots were clicking throughout the hour and 13 minutes of action.

The two sets of the match were nearly identical in composition and the tone was set early on by Nadal – starting with his service. His first serve percentage was incredibly high, and not surprisingly, so was the number of points he ended up winning with it. It should also be noted that the disparity of the points Nadal won compared to Roddick also extended to his second serve – the American simply couldn’t threaten Nadal at all with his serve. Most of the time though, Nadal didn't even need his second serve – he threw in a number of aces, often at timely moments, each one irking and bewildering Roddick more than the last one.

In sharp contrast, Roddick’s service was way off. His first serve percentage was extremely low, and Nadal had little trouble keeping the ball in play and maintaining his dominance in the longer rallies. Rafa dictated them with high spins, constantly keeping Roddick on the move, and by going to a forehand that would not let up. Whether it was a flick of the wrist to get to a short ball, or a projectile-like explosion that morphed the ball into a homing missile, Nadal completely overwhelmed Roddick during the entire match.

By neutralizing Roddick’s power game with his own patented style, Nadal forced Roddick into a multitude of errors and he simply looked lost on a number of occasions. Once he had been broken early in the second set, the outcome was clear for all to see - game, set, and match to Nadal.

I’ve drawn two conclusions from this match; one about each player. Let’s start with Roddick.

I’m getting the sense more and more now that Alex Rodriguez may not be the only “A-Rod” who succumbs to pressure in the biggest moments. Roddick does have a U.S. Open title to his credit, but it seems like an eternity since he achieved that win, certainly it does to Roddick himself. He hasn’t been able to put a dent in Roger Federer’s shiny armour, although admittedly neither have most other players. Regardless, a 1-13 record against the Swiss master is still a mind-blowing statistic, and it speaks to Andy’s inability to compete alongside the absolute best.

Roddick also only has one Masters Series title in the last 26 AMS events, when he beat a waning Juan Carlos Ferrero in Cincinnati last August. Then there was Saturday’s match, against the world number two player, in which Nadal proved to everyone that the gap between him and the rest of the field is just as large as the one between Federer and himself.

I expected a lot more from Roddick, and he didn’t deliver. And if this year’s “semifinal curse” (he’s lost to Federer in Australia, Murray in San Jose, and Nadal in Indian Wells – all in SFs) is any indication, I think my assessment has even more validity. Andy Roddick simply doesn’t handle the pressure well. I don’t know if it’s the pressure coming from the American fans and media, or if it’s the pressure faced when going against a player who is ranked above him, or some other internal pressure – but one thing is for sure – it’s affecting him.

As for Nadal, you have to give him all the credit and he completely deserves it after beating the home favourite (I would say that Andy was favoured by most before the match) on his preferred surface. And Rafa didn’t just beat Roddick – he demolished him.

It’s clear that Nadal is in that higher echelon of players that nobody else on tour besides Federer has even sniffed during the last two years. As I mentioned earlier, if Nadal was to win this match, I would have been extremely impressed, and even surprised to a degree. Once again, the Spaniard has proven himself to be in a class of his own, and he should be commended for his efforts. I’m hoping he takes it all the way, and sets the bar even higher for a third straight year of co-dominance.

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