PALMA DE MALLORCA (Spain), May 3: Clay court king Rafael Nadal got the better of world No 1 and grass court master Roger Federer to win ‘the battle of the surfaces’ in front of his home crowd in Palma on Wednesday.

Nadal, who had won seven of the previous 10 meetings against the Swiss, used his renowned tenacity to edge a 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (12-10) victory in an absorbing exhibition match played out on a specially constructed hybrid court that was one half grass and one half clay.

The 20-year-old Spaniard, on a 72-match unbeaten streak on clay after notching up titles at Monte Carlo and Barcelona last month, adjusted better to the mixed surface in a match that was probably the most bizarre tennis challenge since Billie Jean King beat Bobby Rigg in the Battle of the Sexes back in 1973.

The split court gave a clear advantage to the player on the clay side, with the higher bounce giving them more time to line up their shots and move their opponent around the court.

The two players were at their most vulnerable when serving from the grass end of the court as the ball tending to sit up for their opponents and give them time to attack the serve.

Changeovers were extended to two minutes instead of the usual 90 seconds to give players a chance to change their footwear for each surface.

In general, the mixed surface stood up well, although the grass side gave some odd bounces in the latter stages.—Reuters