Rafa Nadal

[flyboy77]

He hits it to his back hand because his forehand is unbelievable.

Sampras used an 85 sqi pro staff.

As did everyone in that era. That is to miss the point. Entirely.

Playing with a 90sqi bat against 100sqi bats is chalk and cheese....

Like today's cricketer's wielding a piece of willow from the 1970s.

Federer thought, wrongly, that he could always win on his terms. Playing his way. That was true with all except Rafa and later the Djoker.

Look at the stats, Nadal does not pepper the Federer backhand at all these days. It's essentially 50/50.

As for the post 2014 era - 5 years now. With the new bat....and with Federer in his late 30s.

9 meetings - 8-1 to federer, the only loss this year at RG on Rafa's beloved clay.