Targetting Bjorn Borg

Few will bet against the 25-year-old going on to become the both the all-time Wimbledon king and Grand Slam title collector as a win here would give Federer his 11th major, leaving Sampras’ best of 14 tantalisingly within reach. Despite Nadal again shattering his hopes of becoming just the third man in history to hold all four Grand Slam titles at the same time, Federer insists that defeat in Paris will have no bearing on his Wimbledon campaign.

“It’s always easy to forget the clay season because there was so much talk about it. Once you get on the grass, great. If you lose, you kind of forget about it. I’m very excited about the grass season. Everything is in the past,” he said.

“This is a huge opportunity for me once again, to win Wimbledon. And hopefully win my fifth in a row, that would be absolutely incredible.”

Borg is getting used to seeing his records matched; at Roland Garros, Nadal equalled his three consecutive French Opens. The Swedish legend has already had reason to be grateful to Federer after the Swiss’ shock win over Sampras in 2001 stopped the American from also becoming a five-in-a-row Wimbledon winner.

“I have always seen an awful lot of myself in Roger, the way he approaches the game, the way he carries himself,” Borg told Vogue magazine.

“He doesn’t always let everything show on the surface, all of the emotion, but he cares about it strongly underneath. Off court he is very relaxed. He’s a very cool guy.”

Cool indeed.

Last year, Federer felt so comfortable in south-west London that he dared to stroll onto court resplendent in a cream blazer with his own crest sewn into the breast pocket. His record meant he could get away with it. He’s on a 48-match winning streak on grass with 28 in succession coming at Wimbledon.

If Federer is to be toppled, who is the likely slayer? There hasn’t been a Spanish men’s champion since Manuel Santana in 1966.

But Nadal stunned everyone, himself included, by reaching the final last year after having to come back from a two-set deficit to beat unheralded American Robert Kendrick in the second round.

The 21-year-old insists he can approach Wimbledon with the same mindset as last year – with no pressure on a surface that is still alien to him. “Playing a final again is very difficult. You’re talking about a surface that is not my favourite,” said Nadal.

“But I want to do my best, and get in Wimbledon with the best possible preparation. And if I don’t succeed, I’ll go back home happy, because I’ve done what I could.”

Andy Roddick, twice a runner-up to Federer, comes into Wimbledon buoyed by a fourth Queen’s Club title and with a point to prove after America’s men suffered their worst French Open with not one player getting beyond the first round.

He also has what he hopes will be the advantage of having 1974 and 1982 champion Jimmy Connors in his corner. “Jimmy’s emphasis is: ‘You’re tough to beat on grass. Go put your best foot forward. You don’t have to overplay’,” said Roddick.

Other contenders are hard to find. Lleyton Hewitt is the only man in the draw, apart from Federer, who knows what it’s like to win here and has made at least the quarter-finals in the last three years while Serbian 20-year-old Novak Djokovic is seen by many as a potential Grand Slam champion-in-waiting.

He has enlisted the expertise of Australia’s Mark Woodforde, who won six Wimbledon doubles titles, to sharpen his serve-and-volley game. If the identity of the 2007 champion looks ominously familiar, then other aspects of this year’s Wimbledon are fresher.

The famed Centre Court is completely uncovered as work progresses on the installation of a retractable roof in time for the 2009 championships.

Also new is equal prize money for men and women while the Hawkeye line-call system will debut, but only on the two main show courts.