Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer graced the tennis world with thrilling Grand Slam Final matches for the last several years. That, however, can't happen at the 2012 Australian Open.
For the first time since the 2005 French Open, Nadal and Federer on are the same side of a draw at a major, meaning that only one of them will be able to make it to the final. Nadal has won 10 Grand Slam titles, one of which was the 2009 Australian Open, where he defeated Federer.
To earn his second championship in Melbourne, No. 2 Nadal might have to go through No. 3 Federer in the semifinals and No. 1 Novak Djokovic in the final.
On the court, Nadal and Federer have been respectful rivals, but recently, Nadal was critical of Federer off the court, voicing his displeasure over Federer's silence over tour conditions while others "burn themselves."
That semifinal just got more interesting.
Yet, before that, Nadal opens Monday against American Alex Kuznetsov in what should be a mere warmup for Nadal.