Monte Carlo or bust for the big two

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal will resume one of

modern sport’s great rivalries today when they meet for the second year in a row in the final

of the Monte Carlo Open.

Nadal won 12 months ago and

a few weeks later went on to

beat Federer in the final of the

French Open, the one Grand

Slam title still eluding the Swiss.

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This time, however, Federer is

working overtime in a bid to

tame the clay courts of Europe,

and he looked superb yesterday,

beating Juan Carlos Ferrero 6-3,

6-4 to book his place in the final.

The world No 1 said: "I felt

really good. It was tougher than

the score suggests, because he

has won the French Open,

which is more than I have."

Unluckily for Federer, twotime

French Open champion

Nadal is playing better than

ever, as emphasised by yesterday’s

6-0, 7-5 demolition of

Tomas Berdych for his 66th

consecutive victory on clay, an

astonishing record stretching

back two years.

Since Nadal has won all four

meetings on clay between the

two giants of the game, it is no

wonder the Spaniard feels good

going into the final. He holds a

6-3 career record against

Federer.

He is also showing no aftereffects

from the foot injury that

forced him out of the Davis Cup quarter-final.

He said: "I’m very

happy with the way I’m playing."

Federer has put a miserable

March — when he lost twice to

Guillermo Canas in the United

States — behind him and is

putting in the hours in a quest

to win the French Open in

June.

The ten-time Grand Slam

winner, striving to become

only the sixth player to complete

the Slam of Slams, has

hired the services of parttime

coach Tony Roche several

weeks earlier than usual

to get a head start in his preparations

for the French Open.