The Meaning of Hamburg for Roger and Rafa

What was the real meaning of Roger’s win in Hamburg? So in the Hamburg Masters final, Roger finally got a win over Rafael Nadal on clay, snapping his 81 match winning streak, with the very surprising score of 6-0 in the third. But I have a question. Who did the match really help more, Federer or Nadal? I’m talking about the impact going into the French Open. If that question surprises you, read on. It was obvious that the win was huge for Roger. You could see it on his face in the later stages of the match and especially afterwards. He was very exuberant in his comments in the press after the match and in the days following (especially considering how understated he usually is). He said things like he was “dictating” during the Hamburg final, that his confidence was all the way back, and that he was playing better than ever. (Something to ponder, if true.) One thing for sure, Roger did seem to play the Hamburg match somewhat tactically differently. He would hit one or two backhands down the line to Rafa’s backhand, and also do the same with his forehand, hitting inside in. Surprisingly, Nadal responded…