Post by sonya on Jun 11, 2006 21:16:31 GMT 3
Federer gets another chance at Nadal
By Andrew Bogusch
Saturday, June 10, 2006
Only against one player on one surface is world No1 Roger Federer not the favorite - Rafael Nadal on clay. The exact combination that awaits Federer in Sunday's Roland Garros men's final.
The Swiss has won 27 consecutive Grand Slam matches and is in his fourth straight Slam final, having won the previous three. He owns 37 total titles and has been the top-ranked player in the world for the last 123 weeks. But Federer has yet to solve the Mallorcan lefty, the winner of their last four meetings and five of six overall.
Their last two encounters were on clay this spring with Nadal taking a four-setter in the Monte Carlo final (despite being 0-3 in the final-set tiebreaker) and then saving two match points to win the Rome title in five sets and just over five hours.
Difficult losses for Federer to say the least, but they were also learning experiences he now thinks will get him through on Sunday.
"It gave me some information as to the best way to play him, what works well and what doesn't," Federer says of the marathon in Rome. "I think that I have everything it takes to beat him on clay."
However, Federer stops short of calling himself the favorite heading into Sunday, even if Nadal says so.
"Every time he can beat me." Nadal proclaims. "He is No1. I need [to] find solution for beat him, not he find a solution to beat me, no?"
Despite his 59-match claycourt winning streak and Roland Garros title to defend, Nadal said he feels no pressure on the eve of the final. It is Federer, after all, that is in search of the career, calendar-year and non-calendar-year Grand Slam.
"The nerves were more intense in the beginning of the tournament, you know, the Sunday when I started and then throughout the whole tournament," Federer says of his chance at history. "I never want to lose before, especially before, the finals - to allow myself the opportunity [to win the title], and that's exactly what I did."
Expect Federer to come to the net often to make the most of this opportunity. That was his game plan in Rome and it almost worked (Federer did win more points than Nadal in that match, 179-174).
There are a few who feel, after seeing him pushed by Paul-Henri Mathieu and Lleyton Hewitt, that there are now some chinks in the Nadal armor. But not Federer.
"He's never had a fifth set. He's had tough matches, that's certain, but it's normal," Federer says. "You don't expect 6 2, 6 2, 6 2 from the very first round until he holds the cup. That's not the way things happen in tennis. Usually, you have to fight a bit more.
"I think that until now he's been playing the way he needed to play, and he's been winning his matches, which is the important thing. I don't see any weaknesses in his game."
Federer hit with a left-handed junior from Romania Saturday to get as comfortable as possible to the unique spins and bounces a southpaw offers. Anything to solve the Nadal riddle…
TAKEN FROM www.rolandgarros.com/
By Andrew Bogusch
Saturday, June 10, 2006
Only against one player on one surface is world No1 Roger Federer not the favorite - Rafael Nadal on clay. The exact combination that awaits Federer in Sunday's Roland Garros men's final.
The Swiss has won 27 consecutive Grand Slam matches and is in his fourth straight Slam final, having won the previous three. He owns 37 total titles and has been the top-ranked player in the world for the last 123 weeks. But Federer has yet to solve the Mallorcan lefty, the winner of their last four meetings and five of six overall.
Their last two encounters were on clay this spring with Nadal taking a four-setter in the Monte Carlo final (despite being 0-3 in the final-set tiebreaker) and then saving two match points to win the Rome title in five sets and just over five hours.
Difficult losses for Federer to say the least, but they were also learning experiences he now thinks will get him through on Sunday.
"It gave me some information as to the best way to play him, what works well and what doesn't," Federer says of the marathon in Rome. "I think that I have everything it takes to beat him on clay."
However, Federer stops short of calling himself the favorite heading into Sunday, even if Nadal says so.
"Every time he can beat me." Nadal proclaims. "He is No1. I need [to] find solution for beat him, not he find a solution to beat me, no?"
Despite his 59-match claycourt winning streak and Roland Garros title to defend, Nadal said he feels no pressure on the eve of the final. It is Federer, after all, that is in search of the career, calendar-year and non-calendar-year Grand Slam.
"The nerves were more intense in the beginning of the tournament, you know, the Sunday when I started and then throughout the whole tournament," Federer says of his chance at history. "I never want to lose before, especially before, the finals - to allow myself the opportunity [to win the title], and that's exactly what I did."
Expect Federer to come to the net often to make the most of this opportunity. That was his game plan in Rome and it almost worked (Federer did win more points than Nadal in that match, 179-174).
There are a few who feel, after seeing him pushed by Paul-Henri Mathieu and Lleyton Hewitt, that there are now some chinks in the Nadal armor. But not Federer.
"He's never had a fifth set. He's had tough matches, that's certain, but it's normal," Federer says. "You don't expect 6 2, 6 2, 6 2 from the very first round until he holds the cup. That's not the way things happen in tennis. Usually, you have to fight a bit more.
"I think that until now he's been playing the way he needed to play, and he's been winning his matches, which is the important thing. I don't see any weaknesses in his game."
Federer hit with a left-handed junior from Romania Saturday to get as comfortable as possible to the unique spins and bounces a southpaw offers. Anything to solve the Nadal riddle…
TAKEN FROM www.rolandgarros.com/
;D
Sixpack guard 
if amelie hadn't won it,her ao title would be questioned now...this time is more real!!and roger...awww,it would be so sad...his loss would mean that he has rafa problem,not his game problem 
lol