Federer v Nadal: Miami final prediction, odds & TV time

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal will collide once again in a mouthwatering Miami Open final tonight (Sunday April 2) as two legends of the game renew their famous old rivalry for the 37th time. 

The pair previously met in eight Grand Slam finals during the height of their powers but their ninth at the recent Australian Open was their first since the 2011 French Open.

Federer came out on top in Melbourne as he memorably clinched his 18th Grand Slam title in five sets but the 35-year-old's renaissance has shown no signs of slowing down having also claimed glory at last month's BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, where he beat Nadal again en route to the final.

Their rivalry began here in the third round in 2004 - a match which a 17-year-old Nadal won in straight sets - but since then they've been involved in numerous epic encounters, not least the legendary 2008 Wimbledon final.

Ahead of Sunday's showdown, which will be screened live by Sky Sports 3 at 1800 BST, we have all you need to know including both players' routes to the final & tournament statistics, their head-to-head record, Sky Bet odds, a look back at their classic matches as well as our suggested bet. 

Federer v Nadal: Start time & TV details

Start time: 1800 BST
TV Coverage: Sky Sports 3
Sky Bet odds: Roger Federer (8/11) v Rafael Nadal (11/10)
Venue: Crandon Park Tennis Center, Miami
Surface: Outdoor, Hard

Federer v Nadal: Latest Sky Bet odds & prediction

Roger Federer is 8/11 favourite with Sky Bet to continue his fairytale season by winning the latest installment of his rivalry with Rafael Nadal.

The 18-time Grand Slam champion, who of course triumphed over the Spaniard in the Australian Open final earlier this year before beating him en route to Indian Wells glory last month, has won 18 of his matches in 2017, losing just once.

But he may have less in the tank than his opponent ahead of Sunday's final following his epic 7-6 (11/9) 6-7 (11/9) 7-6 (7/5) victory over Nick Kyrgios on Friday as Nadal enjoyed a relatively easy 6-1 7-5 win against unseeded Fabio Fognini.

Federer, 35, was two points away from defeat in the deciding tie-break against Kyrgios while he'd also had to save two match points in his quarter-final against Tomas Berdych.

Nevertheless he still remains favourite to land his third Miami Open title but first since 2006, which came ahead after defeating Nadal in the final. 

Nadal is the marginal outsider at 11/10 but he has looked impressive so far, dropping just one set against Philipp Kohlschreiber. He's also played 36 fewer games than Federer in Miami over the past fortnight and only been involved in one tie-break compared to his rival's seven.

Despite his two recent losses against the Swiss maestro, he still holds the overall head-to-head advantage of 23-13 and will be hungry to gain revenge and prove he's still a force to be reckoned with.

Nadal has yet to win a Miami Open title despite reaching the final four times previously so this is another reason to expect another determined effort.

Sky Bet's Price Boost is Federer to win, serve the most aces and fewer double faults at 7/2 from 5/2, while there are plenty of other specials.

These include 13/8 that Federer doesn't lose his serve in the match, 9/1 that Nadal wins in a match that has over 32.5 games, and 22/1 for three tie-breaks in the clash.

Suggested bet: Nadal to win in three sets at 100/30 - little between the players and the Spaniard just might have a bit more in the tank to take another close battle 

Federer v Nadal: Head-to-head record

Scroll further down for full details of their classic encounters & all results

Overall: Nadal 23-13
On hardcourts: Level 9-9
In Grand Slams: Nadal 8-3
In all finals: Nadal 14-8
In ATP Masters 1000 events: Nadal 12-5
In ATP Masters 1000 finals: Nadal 7-3
In Miami Opens: Nadal 2-1 

Federer v Nadal: Tale of the tape

ROGER FEDERER

Age: 35
Nationality: Swiss
Height: 6ft 1ins
Plays: Right-handed
Ranking: 6
Career titles: 90
Grand Slam titles: 18 (Aus x 5, French x 1, Wimbledon x 7, US x 5)
Miami Open best: Won 2005, 2006
Career prize money: US dollars 102,814,690

RAFAEL NADAL

Age: 30
Nationality: Spanish
Height: 6ft 1ins
Plays: Left-handed
Ranking: 7
Career titles: 69
Grand Slam titles: 14 (Aus x 1, French x 9, Wimbledon x 2, US x 2)
Miami Open best: Runner-up 2005, 2008, 2011, 2014
Career prize money: US dollars 80,124,432

Federer v Nadal: Routes to the final

SEMI-FINALS

Roger Federer
bt Nick Kyrgios 7-6 (11/9) 6-7 (9/11) 7-6 (7/5)
Aces: 10
Double faults: 3
1st serve % in: 61% (74/122)
Win % on 1st serve: 85% (63/74)
Win % on 2nd serve: 58% (28/48)
Break points won: 1/7 (14%)
Break points saved: 1/2 (50%)

Rafael Nadal
bt Fabio Fognini 6-1 7-5
Aces: 6
Double faults: 0
1st serve % in: 70% (35/50)
Win % on 1st serve: 83% (29/35)
Win % on 2nd serve: 80% (12/15)
Break points won: 3/8 (37%)
Break points saved: 0/0

QUARTER-FINALS

Roger Federer
bt Tomas Berdych 6-2 3-6 7-6 (8/6)
Aces: 11
Double faults: 5
1st serve % in: 60% (51/85)
Win % on 1st serve: 71% (36/51)
Win % on 2nd serve: 56% (19/34)
Break points won: 3/8 (37%)
Break points saved: 2/4 (50%) 

Rafael Nadal
bt Jack Sock 6-2 6-3
Aces: 2
Double faults: 1
1st serve % in: 69% (42/61)
Win % on 1st serve: 71% (30/42)
Win % on 2nd serve: 53% (10/19)
Break points won: 4/5 (80%)
Break points saved: 6/7 (86%) 

LAST 16

Roger Federer
bt Roberto Bautista Agut 7-6 (7/5) 7-6 (7/4)
Aces: 8
Double faults: 1
1st serve % in: 49% (35/72)
Win % on 1st serve: 89% (31/35)
Win % on 2nd serve: 65% (24/37)
Break points won: 2/10 (20%)
Break points saved: 1/3 (33%) 

Rafael Nadal
bt Nicolas Mahut 6-4 7-5 (7/4)
Aces: 2
Double faults: 2
1st serve % in: 63% (38/60)
Win % on 1st serve: 92% (35/38)
Win % on 2nd serve: 59% (13/22)
Break points won: 1/1 (100%)
Break points saved: 0/0 

LAST 32

Roger Federer
bt Juan Martin del Potro 6-3 6-4
Aces: 7
Double faults: 0
1st serve % in: 58% (35/60)
Win % on 1st serve: 83% (29/35)
Win % on 2nd serve: 60% (15/25)
Break points won: 2/7 (29%)
Break points saved: 5/5 (100%) 

Rafael Nadal
bt Philipp Kohlschreiber 0-6 6-2 6-3
Aces: 0
Double faults: 0
1st serve % in: 80% (47/59)
Win % on 1st serve: 77% (36/47)
Win % on 2nd serve: 58% (7/12)
Break points won: 3/8 (37%)
Break points saved: 0/3 (0%) 

LAST 64

Roger Federer
bt Frances Tiafoe 7-6 (7/2) 6-3
Aces: 8
Double faults: 0
1st serve % in: 57% (32/56)
Win % on 1st serve: 84% (27/32)
Win % on 2nd serve: 75% (18/24)
Break points won: 2/6 (33%)
Break points saved: 0/1 (0%) 

Rafael Nadal
bt Dudi Sela 6-3 6-4
Aces: 3
Double faults: 0
1st serve % in: 71% (40/56)
Win % on 1st serve: 83% (33/40)
Win % on 2nd serve: 63% (10/16)
Break points won: 2/5 (40%)
Break points saved: 2/2 (100%) 

Federer v Nadal: Tournament Stats

ROGER FEDERER

Sets won-lost: 10-2
Total games played: 136
Straight sets wins: 3
Three set wins: 2
Tie-breaks won-lost: 6-1
Aces: 44
First serve % in: 57% (227/395)
Double faults: 9
First serve % won: 82% (186/227)
Second serve % won: 62% (104/168)
Break points won: 10/38 (26%)
Break points saved: 9/15 (60)

RAFAEL NADAL

Sets won-lost: 10-1
Total games played: 100
Straight sets wins: 4
Three set wins: 1
Tie-breaks won-lost: 1-0
Aces: 13
First serve % in: 71% (202/286)
Double faults: 3
First serve % won: 81% (163/202)
Second serve % won: 62% (52/84)
Break points won: 13/27 (48%)
Break points saved: 8/12 (67%)

Federer v Nadal: Classic matches

Sunday's Miami Open final sees two of the great rivals in tennis meet once again. Here, we take a trip down memory lane to look back at six of their most memorable meetings.

Miami, 2005, F (outdoor hard) - Federer 2-6 6-7 7-6 6-3 6-1

In what was just their second match against each other, Federer came from two sets down to claim the Masters title in Miami. Already a multiple Grand Slam winner, Federer knew all about the rising star of Nadal, who had beaten him at the same venue 12 months earlier when he was only 17. Yet he was unable to fend off the teenager in the early stages and when he fell 4-1 down in the third set, the game looked up. However, using his greater experience to the maximum effect, Federer dug deep and managed to turn the match around, Nadal wilting in the final stages. This remained the only match Nadal had lost from two sets up until his 2015 US Open defeat to Fabio Fognini.

Rome, 2006, F (outdoor clay) - Nadal 6-7 7-6 6-4 2-6 7-6

The best claycourt match these two greats have played came not at Roland Garros but in the Eternal City. The contest certainly went on and on - it lasted more than five hours - but it kept an enthralled crowd on the edge of their seats. There was rarely little between the pair as they traded from the baseline, although Federer did have plenty of success when he came forward. The Swiss had the momentum when he took control in the fourth set. He went a break up in the decider but Nadal's ability to run all day was already well known and he would not stay down. He did, however, stand on the brink at 5-6 15-40 only to save two match points and then claim the resultant tie-break, again after Federer led. The victory was Nadal's 53rd in a row on the clay. His streak would finally stop at 81.

Wimbledon, 2007, F (outdoor grass) - Federer 7-6 (9/7) 4-6 7-6 (7/3) 2-6 6-2

Federer was in his absolute pomp, having won every grand slam outside the French Open for the last two years. Nadal, however, stretched him with a demon performance on Centre Court, before going down again in five sets. Federer was sublime in the decider and had to wipe away the tears as he celebrated equalling Bjorn Borg's five Wimbledon triumphs.

Wimbledon, 2008, F (outdoor grass) - Nadal 6-4 6-4 6-7 6-7 9-7

For me, and many others, this is not only the greatest match Federer and Nadal have ever played but also the best tennis match of all time. Bar none. The quality was staggeringly high, reaching a peak in the fourth-set tie-break as Federer fought back from two sets down to level the match. With Nadal having missed two championship points - more accurately Federer saved them - the five-time defending champion looked the more likely winner heading into a decider which was interrupted by rain. The gloom was gathering when the players returned but on they went, both refusing to relent. Federer finally cracked in the 15th game. Nadal duly served out, clinching victory after four hours and 48 minutes of sensational tennis at 9.15pm.

Australian Open, 2009, F (outdoor hard) - Nadal 7-5 3-6 7-6 3-6 6-2

Six months on from their classic Wimbledon encounter came another epic in the Melbourne final. It actually challenged the SW19 clash in terms of quality - the high-bouncing hardcourt allowing both players to show off their full array of shotmaking skills. However, having twice fought back from a set down, Federer looked weary in the decider as Nadal took control, pushing on to add another notch to his tally of wins over Federer. Having previously taken Federer down on the clay and the grass, this win confirmed Nadal as the new king of the court.

Cincinnati, 2013, QF (outdoor hard) - Nadal 5-7 6-4 6-3

In more recent years, Federer-Nadal matches had been much-anticipated but often failed to live up to the high expectations created by what has gone before. However, this meeting was something of a 'mini-classic'. Federer came into the clash in poor form but grabbed the first set, often driving through his backhand - a wing so often attacked by his nemesis. However, Nadal hit back as Federer's error count rose. The Spaniard grabbed an early break in the final set and, despite Federer's best efforts, held onto it throughout. Victory for Nadal made it 21 wins in 31 matches against his greatest rival. 

Australian Open, 2017, F (outdoor hard) - Federer 6-4 3-6 6-1 3-6 6-3

Roger Federer finally clinched an 18th grand slam title by winning a five-set thriller against Rafael Nadal to become Australian Open champion. Federer and Nadal produced one of the finest contests their rivalry has ever seen but it was the Swiss that prevailed, winning 6-4 3-6 6-1 3-6 6-3 after three hours and 38 minutes inside Rod Laver Arena. It means Federer has secured his fifth Melbourne crown and a first grand slam success since Wimbledon in 2012. Nadal twice came back from a set down, and then led by a break in the fifth, but Federer drew on all his powers of brilliance to win one of the most unpredictable finals in recent memory. Federer is now the first man in history to win five or more times at three different major events, and with 18 triumphs he extends his record as the most successful male player of all time. His victory is also his first over Nadal at a grand slam since the Wimbledon final in 2007. The 35-year-old's achievement is all the more remarkable given he arrived in Melbourne having not played a single official match since Wimbledon, after taking the second half of 2016 off to recover from injury. Federer had not expected to go past the fourth round but now he is the champion, capping a topsy-turvy tournament with arguably its greatest twist. 

Federer v Nadal: Full Past Results

2017: Indian Wells (Masters 1000), Outdoor Hard
Federer bt Nadal 6-2 6-3 (Last 16) 

2017: Australian Open (Grand Slam), Outdoor Hard
Federer bt Nadal 6-4 3-6 6-1 3-6 6-3 (Final)

2015: Basel, Indoor Hard
Federer bt Nadal 6-3 5-7 6-3 (Final)

2014: Australian Open (Grand Slam), Outdoor Hard
Nadal bt Federer 7-6(4) 6-3 6-3 (SF)

2013: London (ATP World Tour Finals), Indoor Hard
Nadal bt Federer 7-5 6-3 (SF)

2013: Cincinnati (Masters 1000), Outdoor Hard
Nadal bt Federer 5-7 6-4 6-3 (QF)

2013: Rome (Masters 1000), Outdoor Clay
Nadal bt Federer 6-1 6-3 (Final)

2013: Indian Wells (Masters 1000), Outdoor Hard
Nadal bt Federer 6-4 6-2 (QF)

2012: Indian Wells (Masters 1000), Outdoor Hard
Federer bt Nadal 6-3 6-4 (SF)

2012: Australian Open (Grand Slam), Outdoor Hard
Nadal bt Federer 6-7(5) 6-2 7-6(5) 6-4 (SF)

2011: London (ATP World Tour Finals), Indoor Hard
Federer beat Nadal 6-3 6-0 (RR)

2011: French Open (Grand Slam), Outdoor Clay
Nadal bt Federer 7-5 7-6(3) 5-7 6-1 (Final)

2011: Madrid (Masters 1000), Outdoor Clay
Nadal bt Federer 5-7 6-1 6-3 (SF)

2011: Miami (Masters 1000), Outdoor Hard
Nadal bt Federer 6-3 6-2  (SF)

2010: London (ATP World Tour Finals), Indoor Hard
Federer bt Nadal 6-3 3-6 6-1 (Final)

2010: Madrid (Masters 1000), Outdoor Clay
Nadal bt Federer 6-4 7-6(5) (Final)

2009: Madrid (Masters 1000), Outdoor Clay
Federer bt Nadal 6-4 6-4 (Final)

2009: Australian Open (Grand Slam), Outdoor Hard
Nadal bt Federer 7-5 3-6 7-6(3) 3-6 6-2 (Final)

2008: Wimbledon (Grand Slam), Outdoor Grass
Nadal bt Federer: 6-4 6-4 6-7(5) 6-7(8) 9-7 (Final)

2008: French Open (Grand Slam), Outdoor Clay
Nadal bt Federer 6-1 6-3 6-0 (Final)

2008: Hamburg (ATP Masters Series), Outdoor Clay
Nadal bt Federer 7-5 6-7(3) 6-3 (Final)

2008: Monte Carlo (ATP Masters Series),  Outdoor Clay
Nadal bt Federer 7-5 7-5 (Final)

2007: China (Tennis Masters Cup), Indoor Hard
Federer bt Nadal 6-4 6-1 (SF)

2007: Wimbledon (Grand Slam), Outdoor Grass
Federer bt Nadal 7-6(7) 4-6 7-6(3) 2-6 6-2 (Final)

2007: French Open (Grand Slam), Outdoor Clay
Nadal bt Federer 6-3 4-6 6-3 6-4 (Final)

2007:  Hamburg (ATP Masters Series), Outdoor Clay
Federer bt Nadal 2-6 6-2 6-0 (Final)

2007: Monte Carlo (ATP Masters Series),  Outdoor Clay
Nadal bt Federer 6-4 6-4 (Final)

2006: China (Tennis Masters Cup), Indoor Hard
Federer bt Nadal 6-4 7-5 (SF)

2006: Wimbledon (Grand Slam), Outdoor Grass
Federer bt Nadal 6-0 7-6(5) 6-7(2) 6-3 (Final)

2006: French Open, Outdoor Clay
Nadal bt Federer 1-6 6-1 6-4 7-6(4) (Final)

2006: Rome (Masters 1000), Outdoor Clay
Nadal bt Federer 6-7(0) 7-6(5) 6-4 2-6 7-6(5) (Final)

2006: Monte Carlo (ATP Masters Series), Outdoor Clay
Nadal bt Federer 6-2 6-7(2) 6-3 7-6(5) (Final)

2006: Dubai, Outdoor Hard
Nadal bt Federer 2-6 6-4 6-4 (Final)

2005: French Open (Grand Slam), Outdoor Clay
Nadal bt Federer 6-3 4-6 6-4 6-3 (SF)

2005: Miami (Masters 1000), Outdoor Hard
Federer bt Nadal 2-6 6-7(4) 7-6(5) 6-3 6-1 (Final)

2004: Miami (Masters 1000), Outdoor Hard
Nadal bt Federer 6-3 6-3 (Last 32)