Federer And Nadal Set For Showdown At Roland Garros

In 2009 and after several years of frustration, world number one, Roger Federer finally broke his Roland Garros hoodoo and lifted the French Open Mens singles crown for the first time. Federer had been runner up for the three years previously and was beaten on each occasion by Rafa Nadal, the third defeat being one his most ignominious defeats of his otherwise illustrious career.

The 2008 final was as one sided an affair as one could get, with Nadal winning in three straight sets 6 1, 6 0, 6 3, leaving Federer to finally walk off court close to tears. For Nadal it marked, what most plaudits thought, his invincibility on the clay courts of Roland Garros, after all, he had won every single match he had played there since 2005, giving him a 28 0 record.

It was also believed at the time that Federer would never be the same player again, which was to an extent confirmed when he lost his Wimbledon crown six weeks later also to Nadal. His world number one ranking went soon afterwards and it appeared that after six years of being arguably the best tennis player the world has ever seen, were over. How wrong could we have all been!

Federer of course did go on to retain his US Open crown in 2008, but was beaten by Nadal in the final of the Australian Open a few months later in the first Grand Slam of 2009. That win seriously underlined, that although Federer was down, he was not out, but he could only be regarded from that moment as the number 2 in the world. The 2009 French Open was the next Grand Slam on the agenda and that according to everyone was already in Nadal�s ever expanding bag.

In that tournament everything seemed to be going to the prediction, Nadal had eased his way into the last 16 and was drawn against the inconsistent Swede and number 23 seed, Robin Soderling who had never previously won a set off the great Spaniard before. But in true �kiss of death� style, the impossible did happen; Soderling played the best tennis of his life and Nadal played his worst leaving Soderling to triumph at huge odds against and leaving the draw wide open for none other than the almost forgotten, Roger Federer.

Soderling continued his good form and reached his first (and only) Grand Slam final, where he met a resurgent Federer in hungry mood and looking for his first ever French Open and a record equaling 14th Grand Slam title.

The rest as they say is history, Federer won the match comfortably and has since gone on to regain his Wimbledon crown and although losing his US Open title, he regained his title in Australia by defeating Britain�s Andy Murray in the Final in January.

Federer is now back at number one in the world and holds the record of sixteen Grand Slam titles and he will come to Paris for the 2010 Frech Open looking to defend his title against Nadal, the man who almost destroyed him just 2 years ago and it would be no surprise to see this duo face off for the fourth successive year in the final at Roland Garros.

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