Federer will relish rivalry with Nadal
(Reuters)
Updated: 2006-03-07 08:53

In the biography "On being John McEnroe" the American admits the premature retirement of Borg left a vacuum that no other rival could fill, not even Connors.

Rafael Nadal of Spain bites his trophy after defeating Roger Federer of Switzerland in their final match at the Dubai Open tennis tournament in United Arab Emirates March 4, 2006. [Reuters]

His respect for the Swede led him to try, unsuccessfully, to lure him back to the circuit.

So, while 19-year-old French Open champion Nadal was tearfully collecting his trophy in Dubai at the weekend, Federer stood at courtside, already plotting revenge.

The Swiss, who many feel is the greatest player ever to wield a racket, knows that the French Open, the only major to elude him, will prove his greatest challenge.

He probably would have won it last year, only to get trampled by the marauding Spaniard in an intense semi-final.

He also lost to Nadal in Miami in 2004 and his only success against him came, also in Miami, a year later when he recovered from a two-set deficit to claim the title.

The game comes so easy for Federer that he can beat top-10 grand slam winners like Lleyton Hewitt and Andy Roddick with cruise control switched on.

Nadal is different. So far, at least, Federer has not worked out a way to counter the fizzing topspin and sheer tenacity of the Mallorcan matador.

"It's not easy being expected to win all the time," Federer said after losing in Dubai. "But I'm happy with my game and it gives me something to look forward to when I play him again."

For his part, Nadal keeps up his mantra that Federer is untouchable as world number one, although it is unlikely that he really believes that.

The bristling, bad-tempered showdowns of the Eighties might be asking a little too much, such is the obvious rapport between the world's top two players.

However, if they end up on opposite sides of the net on a regular basis this year, and barring injuries that will surely happen, tennis fans will be in for some epic showdowns.