French Open - Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal?

In men's tennis these days, this is the only question that will be invariably asked by the fans. Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal? Well, I reckon both players have a good chance of winning the French Open this year in Roland Garros with Rafael Nadal slightly edges ahead considering their head-to-head records and Nadal's almost perfect results on clay courts recently.

The unique characteristics of the clay courts, notably the French Open had over the years prevent some great players like Pete Sampras and Roger Federer from crowning champion. The tennis balls tend to be bounced slower than other court surfaces like grass and Rebound Ace. Players must have patience. Normally they exchange shots at the baseline before going in for a kill.

Overall, Roger Federer is a complete player in terms of skills, footworks, service, composure and his ability to read the game so well. Rafael Nadal on the other hand has a great physique - his sheer brute force of forehand topspin is his best weapon in addition to his great court coverage. Of course, like many Spain and Latin American players, Nadal was groomed and trained on clay courts since young. This is shown from the nationality of previous champions for the past ten years in French Open were from Spain and Latin America with the exception of Andre Agassi.

So, Rafael Nadal is still the one to beat in this year French Open. But don't rule out Roger Federer. His win over Rafael Nadal in Hamburg Masters recently on clay court should serve as a timely reminder.