New Delhi: The 'King of Clay', Spain's World No. 2 Rafael Nadal will meet the all-conquering Swiss World No. 1 Roger Federer in a repeat of last year's final at the French Open on Sunday.
It took 13 days, 12 matches, and, on a muggy, cloudy Friday, more than a few moments of elevated heart rates, but Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer are right where the world expected them to be - in the final of the French Open.
And so they will reprise the championship match of 2006, when Nadal secured the French for the second time in a row while Federer failed to win the only Grand Slam not in his portfolio, and the one that threatens to dog his career the way failure here followed Pete Sampras.
"No, I feel very happy right now because I will play the final, so that's the most important thing for me. Later, I know I played against the best of the world, and sure, it's going to be a very nice match, interesting match, final of a Grand Slam against one of the best of the history. So, he beat me the last time in Hamburg, but for that reason, maybe, he's the favourite," Nadal says of the danger that lurks.
"(You) never know if the chances are higher or lower. I've put myself again in a great position. I've played well all two weeks, basically, and there's just one more match to go. Last year I came out of the blocks very, very strong with a great first set, but after that, I couldn't handle Nadal. So I hope this year's going to be different," says an optimistic Federer.
If Federer springs the upset on Sunday, he will not only become only the sixth man to win each of the four Slams, but he will have won four majors in a row, dating back to 2006 edition of Wimbledon.
That's a big if, however, after the way he played on Friday and after the even sharper edge that Nadal has put on his game.
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