Records in the balance as Federer again takes aim at Nadal

Jun 9, 2007, 12:51 GMT

Paris - One record or another will be set when Roger Federer meets Rafael Nadal in a second straight dream final at the French Open.

The Sunday date looks to be the best chance for world number one Federer to lift the lone Grand Slam title missing from his collection of ten which he began claiming in 2003.

Should the top seed overturn the oddsmakers who see a trophy hat-trick for Spain's Nadal at his 'house' in Paris, the Swiss would become only the third man, after Don Budge (1938) and Rod Laver (1962 and 1969), to hold all four Grand Slam titles at the same time.

Nadal is playing for equally high stakes.

Victory from the 21-year-old powerhouse would duplicate the three in a row achieved by Swedish legend Bjorn Borg.

Federer has prestige riding on the Sunday contest after snapping a five-loss clay loss streak to his young rival only weeks ago in the Hamburg final.

The 25-year-old world-beater put his stamp of authority on the victory, sweeping the final set to love.

Nadal is surfing a tidal wave of confidence with a perfect run to the final, not having lost a set. He's never been beaten at Roland Garros, boasting a 20-0 record.

But for Federer, history can wait as he tackles the man on the other side of the net.

'I want to be focused on this very specific match. I have never achieved such a thing (holding all four majors) so I don't how I'll feel.

'But I want to do my best, focus on the match and win Roland Garros. I don't want to talk too much about having the four titles in a row.'

Perhaps to shift any pressure elsewhere, Federer refuses to dwell on his loss to Nadal at this stage a year ago.

'You do forget about it right away, if you win Wimbledon the following months,' said the four-timeholder at the All England club.

'That kind of overshadows the French Open by a mile.

'After that, you don't even think about the French Open until the end of the year, and then it comes back after the Australian Open. You think about the French Open from the Australian Open on.

'It's every year the same thing, it doesn't change, really.'

Nadal, meanwhile, is playing the same psychological game which has served him well in recent contests against the Swiss.

'He beat me in Hamburg so maybe he is the favourite,' said the second seed who clearly dominates on the clay. 'But I am playing the best tennis of my career.

'If I play my best on Sunday, it will be difficult for him. But if he wins he will be the best player in history.'