Mallorca, May 3:

The King of Clay ruled in this oddest of matches between the two best players in tennis. Rafael Nadal beat Roger Federer 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (10) in an exhibition match on Wednesday on a half-grass, half-clay court when the top-ranked Swiss failed to reach a forehand that took a funny bounce across the green side.

Nadal came into the match with a record 72 straight wins on clay. Federer hasn’t lost on grass in four years — a 48-match run that includes four straight Wimbledon titles.

Federer led 4-1 in the tiebreaker before Nadal rallied. After Nadal double-faulted while ahead 6-5, the players traded match points. Nadal then hit three of the final four winners from the clay side.