Tennis’ most illustrious rivalry will have another chapter added in the final of the Miami Open, incidentally the tournament when Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal played each other the first time.

That was back in 2004, and in the 13 years since, Federer and Nadal have taken their tennis to new heights with 32 Grand Slam titled between them. So when the two stalwarts play each other, it is always a match to savour.

But more so in 2017, where they will be playing each other for the third time in as many months. Federer beat Nadal in a thrilling Australian Open final in January to claim an 18th Grand Slam title and then cruised past Nadal in straight sets in the fourth round at Indian Wells, where he won the title as well.

This is the first time Miami will have a final between two players over 30, but for these two players, age is but a number.

Federer and Nadal have played each other 36 times, with the Spaniard leading the head-to-head meetings 23-13. But despite the longevity of the rivalry and the lopsided numbers, each ‘Fedal’ match is one to look forward to, especially this season, where Federer starts as an unlikely favourite. Add to that the fact that Nadal has never won the title here before, and it does give the Swiss star the edge.

Federer has come out on top is their most recent meetings, beating Nadal for three consecutive times meetings for the first time. The two are tied 9-9 on hard courts, and with Federer coming off a title in California, the balance is in his favour.

On Friday, after setting another mouth-watering clash with his arch rival, Federer joked about how it feels like going back in time. “It feels like old times. We’re playing each other every week now. We can’t get enough of each other,” Federer was quoted as saying, “Hopefully it’s not our last match.”

Nadal also took the match as ‘another one’, saying, “If it’s Roger, going to be another one for both of us, and that’s it. Just another one.”

The epic ‘Fedal’ rivalry started in Miami

It was 13 years ago, when Federer and Nadal first played each in an ATP Tour event. Nadal then was a 17-year-old who overcame the then World No 1 Federer in a straight set, 6-3, 6-3 win in the third round.

They met again in Miami, one year later, this time in the final and it was Federer who triumphed, fighting his way back from two sets down to win the five-set contest.

“The final was unbelievable. It was a turning point in my career, to be quite honest. For me to be able to focus for, I don’t know how long we played, maybe four hours, smashing forehand after forehand down the line, I felt like I had to learn how to fight in matches, and there I showed it to myself and my team that I could do it,” Federer said, recalling the first chapter of the famed rivalry.

“It was against somebody who ended up being my biggest rival. It’s definitely going to be very special playing Rafa here again,” he added.

Road to the Miami final

Nadal has had an easier route to his fifth final in Miami, with a dominant 6-1, 7-5 win over Italian Fabio Fognini and another uncomplicated 6-2, 6-3 quarter-final win over the 13th-seeded American Jack Sock.

On the other hand Federer, who is looking at the US hard court-sweep, had to overcome Australia’s Nick Kyrgios a 7-6 (11/9), 6-7 (9/11), 7-6 (7/5) in a thriller of a three set match with three tie-breakers. Before that, he had fight his way into the semi-finals with a dramatic 6-2, 3-6, 7-6 (8/6) victory over Czech 10th seed Tomas Berdych , saving two match points and winning on Berdych’s double-fault.

However, Nadal had his fair share of battles when he was bageled in his first set of his third round match against Germany’s Philipp Kohlschreiber. The Spaniard, playing his 1,000th ATP match, showed immense resilience to prevail 0-6, 6-2, 6-3. Nadal had beaten 83rd ranked Dudi Sela 6-3, 6-4 earlier.

Meanwhile, Federer had breezed his way through to fourth round with a 6-3 6-4 win over Argentina’s Juan Martin del Potro. Before that, Federer played rising star Frances Tiafoe, who took him first-set tie break before losing the second set 6-3.