Roger Federer's stunning victory over Novak Djokovic may have shocked the French Open, but it came as no surprise to Rafael Nadal who will renew his epic rivalry with the Swiss in today's Roland Garros title match.
Federer brought Djokovic's 43-match winning spree to a halt in their semi-final Friday to set up a fourth French Open final in six years against five-time champion Nadal.
"You are more surprised than me that Roger is in the final. We know how good he is, he is having a great season, losing only to me and Novak," said Nadal, who can equal Bjorn Borg's record of six French Open titles with victory in the final.
"He lost to Novak in Australia, Dubai and Indian Wells; to me in Miami and Madrid. He won in Doha and he's always making semi-finals and finals."
Today's final will be the 25th time the two great rivals have met in their career.
It will be their 19th final clash and eighth meeting in a Grand Slam final, although their first in a major since the 2009 Australian Open title match, which the Spaniard won.
Federer is the holder of a record 16 Grand Slam titles while victory on Sunday would take world No 1 Nadal to 10.
Despite that, Nadal said yesterday that the Swiss player's accomplishments will never be equalled.
"It's impossible to be at your best every week. What he has done is impossible for the rest of us to repeat. It will be an honour to play him, it's no surprise to see him in the final."
Nadal has won all of his three Roland Garros finals against Federer and in 2008 allowed his opponent just four games, the most one-sided Paris final since 1977. But Nadal said that brutal mauling will count for nothing on Sunday.
"In 2008, I was playing the best tennis of my career. But that was three years ago. It's impossible to compare matches. I will go on court knowing I can win or I can lose," said Nadal, who will retain his world number spot if he wins.
The pressure was lifted from Federer's shoulders with his triumph over Robin Soderling two years ago to enable him to finally complete his set of grand slam titles, but he knows beating Nadal on the court he has made his own would be possibly his crowning glory.
"I'm looking forward to the match with Rafa, who has been my true rival for all those years. This is obviously another big match," said Federer.
"It always seems to me that Rafa needs to be in a French Open final to make it special, and I got the match I guess I was hoping for. After beating Novak, it's in a way a gift that I get the chance."
* Agencies
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
What is the definition of an SME?
SMEs in the UAE are defined by the number of employees, annual turnover and sector. For example, a “small company” in the services industry has six to 50 employees with a turnover of more than Dh2 million up to Dh20m, while in the manufacturing industry the requirements are 10 to 100 employees with a turnover of more than Dh3m up to Dh50m, according to Dubai SME, an agency of the Department of Economic Development.
A “medium-sized company” can either have staff of 51 to 200 employees or 101 to 250 employees, and a turnover less than or equal to Dh200m or Dh250m, again depending on whether the business is in the trading, manufacturing or services sectors.
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants
Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere
Director: Scott Cooper
Starring: Jeremy Allen White, Odessa Young, Jeremy Strong
Rating: 4/5
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Company Profile
Name: JustClean
Based: Kuwait with offices in other GCC countries
Launch year: 2016
Number of employees: 130
Sector: online laundry service
Funding: $12.9m from Kuwait-based Faith Capital Holding
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
MATCH INFO
Inter Milan 1 (Martinez 18' pen)
Juventus 2 (Dybala 4', Higuain 80')
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
RESULT
Norway 1 Spain 1
Norway: King (90 4')
Spain: Niguez (47')
