Federer targets Nadal not history in dream Paris clash

PARIS: Roger Federer won't be distracted by his place in history when he faces double French Open champion Rafael Nadal in what could be a classic Roland Garros title showdown on Sunday.

If Federer wins a first French Open, he will become only the third man, after Don Budge (1938) and Rod Laver (1962 and 1969), to hold all four Grand Slam titles at the same time.

Should Nadal triumph, the 21-year-old Spaniard will emulate Bjorn Borg by winning three successive Paris titles and become just the second man in 93 years to achieve the feat at the sport's most demanding Grand Slam.

Federer already has 10 majors in his collection but has known nothing but heartbreak here with Nadal beating him in the semi-finals in 2005 and in the final last year.

Furthermore, Nadal has never lost in Paris, racking up 20 wins in 20 matches.

He has also looked the more impressive this time round, reaching his third successive final without dropping a set.

By contrast, the world number one has been stretched by Tommy Robredo, who won a set in the quarter-finals, as well as a gutsy Nikolay Davydenko in the last four.

"I don't want to talk too much about having the four titles in a row," said Federer.

"I want to be focused on this very specific match. I have never achieved such a thing so I don't how I'll feel. But I want to do my best, focus on the match and win Roland Garros."

Victory would also put him at the halfway stage of winning the calendar Grand Slam with his Wimbledon and US Open title defences to come.

Federer won the first set in last year's final before being swept aside and the omens for the 2007 Roland Garros were not looking good earlier in the clay court season.

The Swiss lost again to Nadal in straight sets in the Monte Carlo final and suffered an embarrassing early exit in Rome at the hands of unheralded Italian Filippo Volandri.

He then split with coach Tony Roche as his clay season threatened to implode.

But in Hamburg, Federer finally got the better of Nadal for the first time on clay and brought to an end the Spaniard's record 81-match winning streak on his favourite surface.

It was his fourth career Hamburg win, proving to himself again that he can win on clay.

He has carried that renewed hope with him into Paris where he will be playing in a record eighth successive Grand Slam final, passing the previous best of seven in a row set by Australia's Jack Crawford in 1934.

"That shows consistency," said the Swiss who reached the final with a 7-5, 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (9/7) win over Davydenko.

"That was always a problem when I was younger. Now I'm in the final again and that's great. I'm in great shape and I have a game plan for the match."

Despite his perfect record at Roland Garros, and having eased past Serbia's Novak Djokovic 7-5, 6-4, 6-2 in his semi-final, Nadal refuses to believe that he is the favourite to make it three-in-a-row.

"He beat me in Hamburg so maybe he is the favourite," said the 21-year-old.

"But I am playing the best tennis of my career. If I play my best on Sunday, it will be difficult for him. However, if he wins he will be the best player in history."