CAMELOT FANTASIES

General, there is no doubt that these two have been and are the face of tennis.

Roger just said that Rafa is playing as well as ever.

Rafa says he feels very lucky to be in the final with Roger.

By now, they know what to say for the media's consumption.

Keys for Nadal:   Returns and positioning must be better.  He cannot afford to hit short and mid court balls against Roger.  He can't put himself out of position by running around the forehand. His backhand has been excellent and he should trust it.   Nadal also needs to get 75% or better of his first serves in.  His second serve has been punished at times this tournament.

Keys for Federer:   He must play relaxed and not think too much.  He has so many different shots he can hit, he at times has brain farts when he has too much time to think.
This is especially true on break points.   He gave away the 2015 US Open to Novak by just blowing one break point after another failing to convert on 19 tries.  The down the line backhand will be a key shot for Federer when he gets the open court.  Typically, Nadal's forehand to his backhand side has to much topspin and bounces too high for Federer to deliver the powerful down the line shot, and he is often forced to slice.  But the conditions are a bit quicker and balls have not been bouncing so high, and Nadal has been hitting flatter than usual. 

Match Play keys:   Nadal will try to slow down play as much as possible, while Federer will try to speed it up.  Let us see if the chair umpire becomes involved.  Federer will probably try to play very aggressively, approaching the net whenever he sees an opportunity (short ball) to pressure Nadal.  Therefore, Nadal's success on passing shots will become a key factor.  In the past, especially at the AO, and clay naturally, the conditions have been too slow for Federer to have much success at the net game and Nadal has been able to pass Federer.  Will the quicker conditions this year change that dynamic or not?

Fitness:  Federer says he has been carrying an injury to his hip abductor since the second round, but it hasn't prevented him from playing well.  Rafa says he was tired after the Dynamitrov match.  Will one day rest be enough for him to recover this time?   Will he get out of the blocks more slowly? 

Ramifications: If Nadal wins he will be the only player entirely in the Open Era to win at least 2 of each major in his career.  Another historical moment is at hand.  He will also finally pass Pete Sampras and sit alone with 15 majors and trail Federer by just two, with his favorite Roland Garros coming up next.   If Federer wins, he will stretch his own record to 18, and make it even more difficult to catch him.

Anyway General, I'm hoping for a good match, and good luck and health to the players.

Respectfully,
masterclass