Roger Federer insists he can still one day win the French Open
to complete his career Grand Slam despite losing in the final for
the second straight year to claycourt nemesis Rafael Nadal.
It was another bitter pill to swallow for the world No1
following two months of hard labour on his least-favourite surface
honing his game to win the one major title to elude him to
date.?
It was the eighth time he has played the tournament and the
eighth time he has come up short.
His first ever claycourt win over the Spaniard in the final of
the Hamburg Masters last month had boosted his hopes, but once
again he fell in four sets to Nadal who at 21 won the title for the
third year in a row.
The 25-year-old Federer, who has won Wimbledon four times with
three wins in each of the US and Australian Opens said he remained
upbeat about his chances of one day winning in Paris.
"If I had won I would not have had many other goals to chase in
my career," he said.
"Like this it always stays open and eventually, if I get it, the
sweeter it is going to taste.
"So hopefully, I'll give myself more and more opportunities over
and over again. I know I can do it now, that's for sure. After
playing three very good French Opens, Rafa came along and took them
all, so it's kind of Rafa and me."
Federer paid tribute to the Spaniard saying he fully deserved
his victory and that physically he had proved to be the stronger of
the two on the day.
"He moves extremely well on clay. He runs from one end of the
court to the other," he said.
"He has fantastic strokes on this surface and he is very strong,
mentally speaking at his age. That's probably what is most
impressive at such a young age."
The Swiss star said that he would quickly get over his
disappointment and would open his preparations for Wimbledon in his
usual manner by playing next week in the grasscourt tournament in
the German town of Halle.?
Federer will be gunning for a fifth straight Wimbledon title, a
feat last achieved by Bjorn Borg in 1980 and he feels that Nadal
could be a danger in London.
The Spaniard made an unconvincing start to his Wimbledon career
in 2003, but last year he pulled off a major suprise by reaching
the final where he lost in four sets to Federer.
"When you win one Grand Slam tournament, you can win others,"
Federer said of Nadal's chances this year.
"It's just like me, when I won my first Wimbledon, I thought -
well I know how to win a Grand Slam tournament so I can win at the
US Open, the Australian Open and Roland Garros. It gives you
motivation and confidence.
"And given his final in Wimbledon last year, he knows that on
all other surfaces he can win the title."
(China Daily via AFP June 12, 2007)