Sportingo's ORI LEWIS asks if the Swiss master's superior all-round game and mental toughness will be enough to stop the single-minded determination, brute force and stamina of the clay king in the French Open final. Watching both men's semi-finals at the French Open on Friday left me wondering what the players not named Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal must think to themselves in tournaments of this magnitude. One's heart really went out to both Nikolay Davydenko and Novak Djokovic. They tried so hard and ended up with nothing to show for their efforts. Both matches typified the style in which each of Sunday's finalists like to dismiss the opposition. Federer let his formidable Russian foe Davydenko make all the running before moving in for the kill, while Nadal allowed the brave young Serb, who looks certain to be a future world No.1, see the promised land before poking him in both eyes to make sure his aspirations were turned to dust. Barring the majority of Spanish tennis fans and Nadal's family and friends, I don't think there are too many out there who want Nadal to win another Roland Garros title. But will Federer's elegance and poise, his superior all-round game and mental toughness be enough to stop the single-minded determination, the brute force, stamina and the formidable tennis skill which is the essence of Nadal? In normal clay-court conditions, I do not think so. In Paris, Nadal is too tough an opponent even for the great Federer. Djokovic played out of his skin against Nadal and came so close, but in the end the Mallorcan got his man. You can be certain that if Federer, who is normally a slow starter, doesn't get off to a flyer, then he has no chance. In last year's final, he won the first set 6-0, but for him it was all downhill from there and as soon as Nadal got into the fray, there was going to be only one winner. Most tennis fans -- and I am no exception -- think that Federer is good enough to win the Grand Slam, and if he does so, it will be a far greater feat than the one won by Donald Budge and the two by Rod Laver. Neither of those legends of the game had to face an obstacle as formidable on one surface as Nadal is today. Steffi Graf's Golden Grand Slam, in which she won all four majors and the Olympic gold medal in the women's singles tournament at the Barcelona Games in 1992, is unlikely ever to be repeated for pretty obvious reasons. But that is a singular highlight in the annals of modern tennis - and so would be Federer's victory in the event that he finds the secret code to unravelling Nadal's game. I could make a few comparisons to what a Grand Slam feat by Federer would be equal to in the history of sport, but I think I would be wasting good words at this stage, so I'll wait. To Nadal, I will say this: Your uncle, Miguel Angel Nadal, who played for Barca and the Spanish national team in the 1980s and 90s, was known as the 'Beast of Barcelona' for his formidable abilities to break up the opposition's attacks. You don't need to take those traits with you onto the tennis court. We know you are a decent fellow and an honest sportsman, but why don't you try to look as if you are enjoying what you do? There is never any positive expression on your face, it’s always a frown or a wince and it doesn't do your image any good. And for goodness sake, get a decent pair of tennis shorts!
