Jan. 2: Roger Federer will be looking to bounce back from a string of Grand Slam defeats in 2010 while his biggest rival, top-ranked Rafael Nadal, is hoping to resume the dominant form that saw him capture the French Open, Wimbledon and US Open titles.
Spectators can expect to see much of the pair in 2011, starting with the season-opening Qatar Open in Doha which begins Monday. A taste of their long-running rivalry was also on display in Abu Dhabi on Saturday, when Nadal edged Federer 7-6, 7-6 to defend his title at the invitational World Tennis Championships.
In the first round, Federer plays a qualifier while Nadal plays Slovekian Karol Beck.
Before leaving for Doha, the No. 2-ranked Federer said he saw Abu Dhabi and Doha as a chance to try out new shots, adding that he was looking forward to resuming his duel with Nadal that will get its first big test at the Australian Open, set to begin on January 17, where the 29-year-old Swiss is the defending champion.