Rafael Nadal believes his game is almost perfect as he targets an historic fifth successive French Open title.
The 22-year-old world number one, whose incredible Roland Garros record stands at 28 wins from 28 matches, has already written off losing his 33-match claycourt streak to old rival Roger Federer in Madrid last week.
He believes a combination of a draining four-hour semi-final victory over Novak Djokovic and the high altitude of the Spanish capital conspired against him.
Adding to his confidence is the knowledge that he has beaten Federer in the last three finals at Roland Garros.
Federer, who is one title short of matching Pete Sampras’s all-time mark of 14 majors, needs a French Open to
become only the sixth man to complete a career Grand Slam.
But he’s travelled this road before. Two years ago, Federer ended Nadal’s 81-match winning streak on clay at Hamburg to instill fresh confidence of
finally cracking the French code, but he was to be denied once the duo resumed hostilities in Paris.
On the evidence of the 2008 tournament, where Nadal didn’t drop a set in seven matches and Federer won just four
games in a brutally one-sided final, the Swiss star again looks doomed.
But Federer refuses to concede defeat, believing that his win in Madrid, which was his 58th title, but first of 2009, could represent another launchpad.
Sunday’s meeting in Madrid was the pair’s 20th career clash with Nadal holding the upper hand 13-7 overall, and 9-2 on clay.
Their rivalry is one of sports’ most compelling with Nadal having dethroned Federer as Wimbledon champion in an epic final in 2008 before the Spaniard reduced the Swiss to a tearful wreck after victory in Australia this year in another five-set thriller.
In the unlikely event of the June 7 final not being a repeat of the last three, Djokovic, who had three match points against Nadal in his Madrid semi-final, would be the most likely beneficiary.
