French Open Preview: Federer on a mission to beat Nadal on clay
This weekend for the first time the gates of Roland Garros will open on a Sunday with the French Open tournament extended to 15 days. One day longer for Roger Federer, the world No1, to nurture the belief that he can win the only grand slam that has eluded him and bring down Spain’s Nadal, the world No2, the reigning champion and his nemesis.
Only five men have won all four slams and Federer is obsessed with the idea of becoming the sixth. Since he lost to Nadal in last year’s semi-final Federer has been unbeatable in the slams, winning his third Wimbledon title and his second US and Australian Opens.
Universal praise has been heaped on him, culminating in this week’s Laureus sportsman of the year award in Barcelona. Yet as he accepted the accolade he could not get away from the teenager who has been bugging him all year. For in Barcelona to receive the newcomer of the year award was Nadal, unbeaten in 53 clay-court matches. Last year Federer lost only seven matches and four of those were against the boy from Mallorca.
Going in to last year’s Tennis Masters final in November Federer had won 24 successive finals. This year he has lost three, all of them against Nadal, in Dubai, Monte Carlo and Rome. In comparison Nadal has won 13 consecutive finals, his last defeat at that stage being at the ATP Masters series in Miami last year, when he lost to Federer - the only time the Swiss has beaten him in six meetings. It is a rivalry that has gripped the tennis world.
The Federer facade, as clear as freshly fired porcelain a year ago, has suddenly begun to exhibit hairline cracks and nobody can be quite sure whether it is the lightest of damage or if the cracks will widen. Despite four successive defeats against Nadal, the Swiss remains convinced he can reverse the trend as he did against other players whose styles he initially found difficult to fathom, such as Andre Agassi, the only player in the modern era to win the four slams.
Federer vs Nadal: Head-to-head History
Roger Federer
Age: 24
Career prize money: $22.8m
Born: Basel, Switerland
Seeded: 1
Grand slam titles: 7
Rafael Nadal
Age: 19
Career prize money: $5.9m
Born: Manacor, Majorca
Seeded: 2
Grand slam titles: 1
Head-to-head - Nadal leads 5-1:
Miami 2004 Last 32 Hard court (Nadal 6-3,6-3)
Miami 2005 Final Hard court (Federer 2-6, 6-7, 7-6, 6-3, 6-1)
Paris 2005 Semi-final Clay (Nadal 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3)
Dubai 2006 Final Hard court (Nadal 2-6, 6-4, 6-4)
Monte Carlo 2006 Final Clay (Nadal 6-2, 6-7, 6-3, 7-6)
Rome 2006 Final Clay (Nadal 6-7, 7-6, 6-4, 2-6, 7-6)
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French Open Tips: Nadal to beat Federer once again.Â
