Nadal, Federer feud grabs spotlight

Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer

MELBOURNE, Australia -- Rafael Nadal has a new injury -- a tendon problem in his right knee that nearly forced him to forfeit a first-round match at the Australian Open on Monday that he won handily.


Roger Federer, defending champion Kim Clijsters and top-seeded Caroline Wozniacki also were bothered by injuries entering the year's first Grand Slam event, but all advanced and appeared to be over their ailments.


That wasn't the case with Nadal. Hampered by a left shoulder injury late last year, the Spaniard's right knee was heavily taped during his 6-4, 6-1, 6-1 win over Alex Kuznetsov.


"I was sitting on a chair in the hotel, I felt like a crack on the knee ... really strange," Nadal said.


He wasn't completely sure he could play but decided to do so after an MRI exam showed no major damage.


Top seed Novak Djokovic, winner of 10 titles in 11 finals last season, spent just more than 90 minutes in blitzing Italian Paolo Lorenzi, 6-2, 6-0, 6-0, as the defending champion soared into the second round.


Federer's take - at least his public take - has been that he schedules himself well and has no major issue with the length of the season. All is well, Federer says.


Nadal's remarks implied that Federer's breaking of ranks allows him to come out smelling like a rose, while those who publicly bemoan it, like himself, end up looking like whiners.


Nadal didn't deny it Monday. But he added he'd no longer be discussing in public what he should be discussing with Federer in private. "Yesterday, you know, I started, and I say I don't want to talk anymore about this. Finally I talked too much - as usual. That's not gonna happen again," he said.


Meanwhile, Federer seemed almost amused the young rival who has always been so deferential - even reverential - towards him is now his own man. "Things are fine between us, you know. I have no hard feelings," Federer said. "Back in the day he used to say: 'Whatever Roger decides, I'm fine with.' Today he's much more grown up. That he has a strong opinion also creates sometimes good arguments about where you want to move the sport forward to. ... We're always constantly trying to get on the same page, or at least talking about it, so we can do the best for the sport. That's at the end of the day both our goals."


The two are on a path to meet in the semifinals, although meaningful matches between them have been quite rare of late.


Since that epic five-set Wimbledon final in 2008, won by Nadal, the two have met only twice in Grand Slams: at last year's French Open in the final after Federer defeated Novak Djokovic in the semis, and in the 2009 Australian Open final.