Word: grass-court
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...tennis court. Since his first French Open victory in 2005, Nadal's more muscular game has consistently overcome the Swiss star on Nadal's favorite surface - clay. But in 2008, Nadal came out on top in four meetings, including an epic five-set Wimbledon final that dethroned the grass-court champion in one of the greatest matches ever played. More than any other, that match - in which Nadal seized control early on and slowly squeezed the air out of Federer, even as the Swiss player thrashed out a brave but doomed comeback - summed up Nadal's unique brand of tennis...
...while its appeal hasn't changed, so much else about grass-court tennis has. By tradition, almost everything on Centre Court is painted green during Wimbledon - including the grass, which groundsmen sprinkle with iron to enhance its look. The exceptions are the players' uniforms, which must be white. The scenery, which evokes pristine figures at play in a paradise, is misleading. For as the new type of grass shows, tennis players are more beholden to the earth than that timeless image suggests...
...Later, he strolls through half a century of great players. Hoad and Rod Laver, of course ... John McEnroe possessed an unrivaled finesse, but Cooper couldn't forgive him his antics. Pete Sampras was probably "the best grass-court player of all time." The clear favorite to win in Melbourne is Federer, whom Cooper can see eventually passing Sampras' record majors tally of 14: "If he maintains his motivation he could end up as the greatest player of all time . . . he hasn't got a weakness." With only two majors, Pat Rafter doesn't qualify as a great, but Cooper marvels...
...which rewards baseliners--but who can't serve and volley on the slick grass of Wimbledon or on the high-speed hard courts of the U.S. and Australian opens. Federer has dominated Wimbledon the past two years; Nadal lost to Alexander Waske, ranked 147th in the world, at the grass-court tune-up in Halle. Still, a Wimbledon win is one of Nadal's goals. "If he can get past the first week and some hot weather helps harden the surface, he has a chance," says tennis coach Brad Gilbert. "Nothing this kid does surprises me." --With reporting by Bruce...
...beat former Wimbledon finalist MaliVai Washington in his debut at the Hall of Fame Tennis Championships, a grass-court tournament in Newport...