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Nadal on verge of toppling Federer

28/07/2008

Spain's Rafael Nadal has closed to within 300 points of Roger Federer at the top of the ATP Tour tennis world rankings.

It is the tightest ever margin between the two players during the three years they have shared the top two spots.

And it seems it is now only a matter of time before Nadal usurps the Swiss star from the summit after four and a half years of dominance.

Anything less than a semi-final berth at the Cincinnati Masters this week will give Nadal the chance to earn the ranking points he needs to overhaul Federer for the first time since he reached number two behind him in 2005.

To do so, the Spaniard would have to win the tournament - which would simultaneously continue his remarkable unbeaten streak that now goes back 29 matches to his second round defeat to Juan Carlos Ferrero at the Rome Masters in early May.

Taking that uncharacteristic loss out of the equation - when Nadal was less than fully fit - the world number two has not lost since his defeat to Nikolay Davydenko in the final of the Miami Masters in March.

This run has also featured four consecutive victories over Federer in finals - at the Hamburg Masters, the Monte Carlo Masters, the French Open and even on the top seed's 'home court' at the All England Club in their epic Wimbledon final.

It is this run of results that has prompted many pundits to proclaim Nadal as the unofficial 'best player in the world'.

And it seems it is now only a matter of time before the Spaniard takes his place atop the official listings as Federer has several hundred ranking points to defend up until the final grand slam of the year at the US Open, where the Swiss is the defending champion.