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  • Nadal and Federer make it three finals in a row

    6/8/08 1:15 AM | Cheryl Murray
    - Delighting fans and organizers alike, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer will battle once again for Grand Slam glory.

    History is on the line on Sunday. For Switzerland's Roger Federer, Roland Garros is the missing piece to the puzzle. He has tried and been stopped by Rafael Nadal three times in his quest for legend status, once in the semi-finals (2005) and twice in the final (2006, 2007). Federer is already a legend, of course. He has twelve grand slam titles and has amassed a run as the world number one for 224 straight weeks, a total no other player has ever come close to. The only thing stopping him from proudly wearing the mantle of “Greatest of All Time” and holder of the career slam is Rafael Nadal.

    For Rafael Nadal, Sunday will give him the opportunty to equal the accomplishment set by Bjorn Borg of winning four French Opens in a row (1978-1981). The Swedish legend himself will be on hand Sunday to see which of these men will prevail.

    The odds are stacked against Federer. He has a 1-8 record against Nadal on clay, including two losses this year in the finals of Monte Carlo and Hamburg. There are still chances for the Swiss, however. He has resolved to play ultra-aggressively against Nadal. Ultimately, it failed him in Monte Carlo and Hamburg, but he got closer than he usually does. If he can execute his drop shots and net game perfectly, he will give himself opportunities.

    Except for a glitch in Rome, where blisters caused him to lose in the second round to Juan Carlos Ferrero, Nadal has been fierce on the dirt this year. He has done the seemingly impossible and improved on his clay court game since last year. He is playing more aggressively than he has ever dared before. The evidence for his increasing effectiveness on clay lies in the way he bulldozed his way through his draw at the French Open. He has not dropped a set so far, even though he has played the likes of Nicolas Almagro and Novak Djokovic. Federer, in contrast, has not played a single seeded player on his way to the final.

    Roger Federer will have some opportunities, but Nadal should be able to take home his fourth Coupe de Mousquetaires trophy. The determination and concentration that he takes with him whenever he plays is doubly effective on clay because he combines them with the confidence that if he plays his game well, he is better than everyone else. Nadal in four.

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