| 09 May 2010
As the second Grand Slam tournament of 2010 is drawing nearer, all signs are pointing to a resurgent showing from four-time French Open champion RafaelNadal.
With world number one Roger Federer consistently faltering since his Australia Open victory nearly four months ago, Nadal is poised to reclaim his favorite title and with little opposition in sight.
Novak Djokovic remains an enigma, Andy Murray has not yet recovered from his second Slam-final defeat, Del Potro is injured and potentially out of the picture until after the U.S. Open and Andy Roddick has never been a real threat on clay.
So who is there to challenge Rafa on his favorite surface? The simple answer is no one. Sure Fernando Verdasco and David Ferrer might put together a few solid rounds and advance to the quarterfinals, but neither is going to threaten his Royal Clayness. Nadal thrashed Verdasco in the finals of Monte Carlo 6-0, 6-1 and has defeated Ferrer twice in the past month without dropping a set.
Until his shocking defeat at the hands of Robin Soderling last year in the fourth round at Roland Garros, Rafa had reigned supreme. That loss can be in-part related to recurrent knee injuries which for the time being, no longer seem to be affecting his play.
So here we are at the last Masters 1000 tournament before the big dance. Federer seeded first, Nadal seeded second. Tournament organizers and tennis fans alike are anxiously waiting for a preview of the French Open final. Will their wishes be granted?
Despite his recent losses to Albert Montanes and Ernests Gulbis, I see no reason why Federer does not bounce back with a strong showing this week. His first round bye guarantees him a second-round showing against veteran CarlosMoya, who should likely have retired a year ago, or Benjamin Becker, who merely holds the surname of a former tennis great. While Montanes and Gulbis both lurk as potential quarterfinal opponents, it is time for Roger to raise the bar and get serious about his French Open title defense. After attaining the all-time Grand Slam record in 2009 and getting married and having twin girls, it is not shocking to see the Swiss champion relent at certain events. Now, as the thought of repeating at RolandGarros looms, expect to see a more resilient effort from Federer in Madrid.
Still, with a healthy Nadal owning a 9-2 winning record against him on clay, Federer is going to be hard-pressed to emerge victorious either in Madrid or in Paris. It just doesn't seem like a Federer victory is likely at either venue. Regardless, a return to the finals in either or both events would bode well for Roger and give him a nice boost of confidence heading into June and a return to his favorite tournament at the All-England Club at Wimbledon.
Enjoy the clay court tennis while it is still here, and enjoy the wonderful display of tennis that a healthy Nadal can provide us with.
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