World order was restored to men’s tennis on Sunday as Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal faced each other for the first time, almost to the day, in one year. Even more reassuring – for those of us who like to know where we stand – was the result.
Twelve months ago Nadal’s defeat by Federer in the Madrid final was the spark for the Majorcan’s loss of his French Open and Wimbledon titles and would raise serious question marks about how long his knees would let him continue. On Sunday Nadal pounded the red earth as only he can. He was back to his unbeatable best – and even Federer couldn’t do anything about it.
So are all bets off for this year’s French Open? Will we look back on last year as a mere blip in history? Can anyone take out Nadal at Roland Garros? And does anyone other than Federer stand a chance of being at the other side of the net on June 6? Sport.co.uk takes a look at the men trying to muscle-in on Roland Garros 2010.
The big two
Rafael Nadal. Three straight titles at Monte Carlo, Rome and Madrid mean his confidence is supremely restored. His knees are free of strapping and he seems as brutally athletic as ever. Head? Tick. Knees? Tick. Say no more.
Roger Federer. The smooth Swiss has had an unusually turbulent year. Since taking the Australian Open title, the 28-year-old took some time out and then exited early at Indian Wells, Miami and Rome. However, as ever, he seems to be peaking just in time for the big one, a semi-final at Estoril followed by the Madrid final showdown with Nadal. With his big-match mentality it would be hard to imagine a French Open final without him.
The clay court threats
David Ferrer. The Spaniard, who decided in January that this would be his last season on tour, looks set to go out with a bang. He’s made three tour finals in 2010, including taking his eighth ATP title in Acapulco, and lost out in the semi-final on the clay at Monte Carlo and Barcelona. In Rome he defeated Murray, Tsonga and Verdasco before losing a hard-fought final to Nadal. In Madrid he took out an impressive Murray and pushed Federer hard in the semi-final. If the former world number four can retain the relaxed approach he’s demonstrated so far this season then it will take a special performance to beat him on the red stuff.
Fernando Gonzalez. The Chilean has had knee problems of late but will be full of energy in Paris and, with a semi-final showing in 2009, will have the extra motivation of a heap of ranking points to defend. Last year he ended Murray’s best ever run on the clay with an explosive performance from the baseline. If he can get his match sharpness back in a couple of gentle early rounds, then a repeat of last year’s semi-final could be on the cards.
The class acts
Novak Djokovic. This time last year Djokovic was recovering from one of the season’s greatest matches on the clay – his Madrid semi-final loss to Nadal. 2010 has proven somewhat quieter on the red earth. Fernando Verdasco took him out in Monte Carlo and Rome, and Djokovic had to retire due to illness in Belgrade. The same illness kept him out of Madrid so he will approach Roland Garros with his form somewhat untested. The Serb can compete with the best on clay, whether he will or not this year is a different matter.
Andy Murray. The Scot has climbed out of his post-Melbourne slump with gradually more impressive performances in Europe. Madrid saw him a class above his opponents in the first two rounds and only just coming up short against a Ferrer purple patch in the quarter-final. Last year he demonstrated increasing comfort on the clay and this year he will be looking to make further progress at the big one. If the mind is in check, this might be the year that he makes it into the last four.
The one nobody wants to meet
Ernest Gulbis. The twenty-one-year-old has grabbed plenty of headlines in 2010 while making a rapid rise into the top 30. He beat Federer in Rome before losing a three-set semi-final to Nadal and in Madrid lost another tight three-setter against a Federer determined for revenge. The fiery Latvian seems to know no fear and might have just the right combination of talent and self-belief to dare to topple one of the big two in Paris. One thing’s for sure – neither Federer nor Nadal will want to see Gulbis’ name in their half of the draw.
Sport.co.uk predicts…
With plenty of threats lurking lower down the seedings, the draw looks set to play a significant part at Roland Garros 2010. The final looks almost predestined to see our second taste of Rafa V Rog this year. The semi-finals? A retiring Spaniard by the name of Ferrer and a newly-arrived Latvian called Gulbis could well be the ones making life hard for the top guys.