Nadal sets his sights on Wimbledon high

The outside courts were bustling here Saturday with rank-and-file players pairing off to practice, their shuffling feet...

The outside courts were bustling here Saturday with rank-and-file players pairing off to practice, their shuffling feet making little noise on the still-pristine grass below. But courtside, as the coaches and the agents looked on in the June gloom, the chatter turned to the favourite for the men8217;s title.

For the last four years, little brain power has been required to decide who deserved that honour. Roger Federer has ruled Wimbledon the way Bjorn Borg and Pete Sampras did before him, and has now won five times in a row on the lawns of the All England Club. But this year, for a change, there is a genuine debate under way.

Rafael Nadal overwhelmed Federer in the French Open final, taking his clay-court domination to a higher plane, and kept right on competing. He caught the high-speed train across the English Channel the day after holding up the trophy in Paris and went on to win the prestigious grass-court tuneup at Queen8217;s Club, beating Novak Djokovic in the final.

8220;Nadal was just a wrecking ball over there,8221; said Brad Gilbert, one of the world8217;s most respected coaches.

Federer was winning his own grass-court tuneup in Halle, Germany, against a weaker field. He did not lose his serve once and ran his winning streak on grass to 59 matches. 8220;I8217;m sure that helped him with his confidence,8221; Gilbert said. 8220;Federer has won here five years in a row, and they say, 8216;You8217;re the champion until you get beat.8217; But I8217;m going to say that, at best, he8217;s the co-favourite this year. At best.8221;

Federer beat Nadal in the Wimbledon final the last two years, with last year8217;s five-set epic ranking as their most compelling duel in a Grand Slam event. Although Federer won in five sets, Nadal had two fine chances to break Federer8217;s serve in the fifth before ending up in tears in the locker room.

Elusive double

Now, after a brilliant month of tennis, the 22-year-old Nadal will try once more to complete the French Open-Wimbledon double that has eluded every man since Borg in 1980.

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Andy Roddick was quick to reject the notion that Federer was more vulnerable this year. 8220;At Queen8217;s, I think I got the question, 8216;Can Roger win Wimbledon?8217; 8220; Roddick said. 8220;I found that to be one of the most ridiculous questions I8217;ve ever answered in my life. You know, he8217;s won it five times.

8220;He probably hasn8217;t been as sharp. But you know, what8217;s that?8221;