Font ResizeNow that the two best men's tennis players in the world have done what was expected, done what was predicted, have come to the ultimate match of the ultimate tournament, let's see what happens.
Let's see what happens when Federer, so graceful, and Rafael Nadal, so forceful, play Sunday in a Wimbledon final full of subplots and loaded with possibilities.
Let's see what happens when Federer tries to equal a record set more than a century in the past, taking this tournament a sixth straight time, and Nadal tries to show he is very bit as good on grass as he is on clay, where Rafa is unbeatable.
Of Federer 's five straight Wimbledons, the last two were over Nadal.
Conversely, Nadal has whipped Federer three straight years in the French Open final, this past June in a rout, 6-1, 6-3, 6-0.
Let's see then what happens. What did happen Friday in the semifinals was Federer needing only 1 hour 42 minutes to dispatch of Marat Safin, 6-3, 7-6 (7-3), 6-4, while Nadal followed with a comparable 6-1, 7-6 (7-3), 6-4 victory over Rainer Schuettler.
From the opening day of what is called the Wimbledon Fortnight, an old-English phrase for a period of two weeks, it was going to be the 26-year-old Federer of Switzerland and 22-year-old Nadal of Spain.
And so it is, each winning six matches without loss of a set.
Do they meet
We've been told this is the year of change, the year Nadal, who's improved on grass, solves the riddle of Roger Federer, who outside of the clay in Paris has won Slam after Slam, albeit not in 2008.
Federer has been told that too, and prideful, he refuses to believe.
"Look,'' he said Friday, "I don't think it matters if I'm the favorite or not. I'm on an incredible winning streak on grass. First, somebody has to break that before we start talking differently.''
The unwritten rule is you stay with a champion until he's beaten.
Safin was asked what he thought, asked to pick a winner, which understandably he would not do.
"Roger is playing well,'' said Safin. "Playing solid. Doesn't do anything fancy. Just plays how he needs to play to be able to win.
"But both are playing great. Federer probably has more experience on grass than Nadal, but Nadal took him to five sets here last year, and he's playing incredibly well right now. Roger has to play his best tennis to be able to beat him.''
And Roger, irritated by suggestions his era is at an end, contends this is when he plays his best tennis.
"My way to the final has been great,'' said Federer. "I cannot do much better than this. If I win Sunday, then maybe I can say I've been playing my best ever.''
Nadal isn't quite as insistent, not that he sounds like someone unwilling to meet any challenge.
"It is always tough to play against Roger,'' said Nadal, a remark disproven by his wrecking of Federer in the French. "We played a lot of matches, and this is one more.''
Rafa won at Queens three weekends ago, one of the two grass-court warm-ups. That, to many, was verification he was prepared to take the next step.
"It doesn't matter if I win on Queens or don't win on Queens,'' Nadal said. "I arrive here with good confidence. I get my confidence from the clay season, the hard (court) season in the United States. I played two finals the last two years here, no?''
Federer played five finals the last five years here, yes? And won every one.
"Every time he is under pressure,'' said Safin of Federer, "he puts the short slice at you, you come to the net, and he hits a passing shot down the line. It's too simple.''
Federer's done his post-match interviews with his cap, the one with "RF'' on the front, pulled low. It's as if he's trying to keep us from guessing what's going on in his head. It's as if he's trying to shut off the critics.
"It's important to bounce back from that loss in Paris,'' he said, "I have to draw from my two previous Wimbledon finals against him.''
Both of which he won.
Contact Art Spander at typoes@aol.com.
