While Mexico won a crucial game 3-1 versus Iran which should take them to round 2 on Day 3 of the WC, I will take a moment to focus on Nadal and his French triumph. Nadal has dominated like few have in tennis history this clay court season. Indeed, it can be seen as he has notched up the consecutive victories on clay record while remaining unbeaten through the season. Despite Nadal being the favourite to win the match versus Federer, a lot of people, including me backed Federer to win the the tournament. Perhaps there was a feeling that Federer would have the last laugh. After all, Federer does know a trick or two about tennis!

It looked like Federer could for a few moments as Federer took the first set 6-1. That would be all though, as Nadal claimed the French Open for the second consecutive time. No one will grudge Nadal as it would be a pity from the Nadal viewpoint if after such a fabulous season, he would have failed to win what really mattered. For Federer, it is his bad luck that he lives in the era of Nadal. Similarly, he is lucky he doesn’t live in the era of Sampras. Also, earlier eras have season superb clay court players as well - Muster and Kuerten most notably from the recent past. A champion has to stride over adversity and opponents and Federer knows that.

What will be interesting now - can Nadal up his game on other surfaces? The test will come as the grass court season starts. The tennis focus shifts to Wimbledon now. Don’t know how many of you will care though in the world cup madness!

Before the French Open started, Federer said that it was really between him and Nadal. While you are caught in the world cup euphoria, please do not forget to watch this match.

The two have faced each other in tough matches all through the clay court season. Nadal has come up triumphs all the time. Will seven be the lucky match for Federer? I do hope so. Being a huge Federer fan right from the time he beat Sampras in Wimbledon, it will be delightful to see Federer claim his greatest victory. The losses early on in the season to Nadal, Nadal’s clay court winning streak and every thing else will mean nothing for Nadal if he fails to win Roland Garros. This is the only thing which matters when we look back down the years and what people play for - the big titles.

I don’t have much to add on this apart from what I have already said. Some of the lots I have written on the topic:

• Nadal-Federer: Agassi Sampras II?
• Nadal vs Federer VI Preview
• Nadal-Federer

Apart from backing Federer, my gut feeling tells me that he will win. Here is what some other fans feel.

Who do you feel will win?

The French Open is my favourite grand slam ahead of Wimbledon - the battles fascinate me more than the quick matches we see on grass. This year though, the football and NBA has meant I haven’t been able to talk much on the French Open.

On the women’s side, the stories so far have seen Hingis outsed by Clijsters - showing she has a lot of work still left to do in her tryst with destiny. The biggest story has been Nicole Vaidisova though. Is she the next big thing in women’s tennis? Defeating Amelie Mauresmo and then striding over Venus Williams is no mean thing. The last four sees Vaidisova face the real test when she faces Svetlana Kuznetsova - the in form player at the moment and likely to go through to the finals. The other semi has another Belgian battle between Clijsters and Henine-Hardenne. It is a match for which no one seems to have any clue about who will advance - the ingredient which makes Clijsters-Henine encounters exciting prospects.

The big action is happening in the men’s side though. The top 4 seeds have all reached the semis. When you consider the history of players from no where reaching the last 4 - be it Michael Change, Thomas Muster or Gustavo Kuerten, it is amazing to have the four best players on paper coming to the party. More importantly, Nadal and Federer look all set for the show down of the clay court season. Before that, Federer has to defeat a challenging David Nalbandian, one of the best clay court players in his own right.

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The Laureus Sports Awards, commonly acknowledged as the sports oscars have been announced. Federer wins the award for a second consecutive time. Croatian skier Janica Kostelic is the women’s winner after a fourth Winter Olympic gold. Tennis dominates the awards list as Hingis takes the comeback of the year while Nadal takes the newcomer of the year.

For Federer to challenge for the title next year, I suspect he has to stride over some one whom he has never beaten on clay - and he says that he is ready.

The pay issue in tennis has all the ingredients which captivate the mind - authority versus player, man versus woman. The issue has reached boiling point with the announcement of the All England club. Reports CNN:

The All England club announced on Tuesday that its singles winners would receive a four percent increase, but with the men’s champion receiving 30,000 pounds ($51,000) more than his female counterpart.

This leaves Wimbledon as the only Grand Slam which gives away less prize money to its champions. French Open announced equal pay for it’s champions earlier this year. However, they still give more money to the men compared to the women. The US Open gives it’s prize money down the middle though as seen by the 2005 prize money distribution.

The women are fuming. Former player’s Chris Evert and Billie Jean King’s views from the same CNN article:

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It is upon us. The first big battle of the clay court season. I had previewed the clay court season here. Over the last few days, Nadal and Federer have done away with the best of the rest in contemporary clay court tennis with considerable ease. Federer, after being stretched to three sets by Novak Djokovic, has lost just 16 games in 4 consequent rounds.

Nadal has been as dominant. Apart from the semi where Gaston Gaudio stretched Nadal to three sets, he has lost only 22 games in 4 matches. Nadal has a 3-1 lead over Federer in head-to-head. Also, a 1-0 in clay courtesy that semi-final Roland Garros triumph last year. Nadal has also handed Federer his only defeat of the season when he beat Federer 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 in Dubai, the only time they met this year.

The previous two encounters in Dubai and at Roland Garros have been tight and engaging. The one upon us promises to be one in possibly a series of superb battles between the two over their careers.

The clay court season has taken off from the sluggish first gear, if there ever exists one on clay. The serious business has already begun with the first two rounds Monte Carlo Masters tournament over.

Justin Gimelstob writes over at CNNSI:

This past week, a sport within a sport began: clay-court tennis. What is arguably tennis’ toughest season tipped off around the world with events in Houston and Valencia, Spain.

Clay surfaces offer totally different challenges than the hard-court tennis that dominates the early part of the ATP Tour calendar. Clay-court tennis hinges on movement, strategy and defense. Sliding effectively on clay is an art unto itself. It combines the artistic flare of ice skating with the athletic grace of a ballerina.

The season ends with the French Open, a title most clay court gladiators of Europe consider the ultimate prize in tennis over Wimbledon. Clay courts provide gruelling battles. You cannot win games on serves and volleys. The ball slows down considerably once it hits the surface. So you have to defeat the opponent despite the surface. In a Wimbledon, you would have to grass on surface aid you with bounce and pace after bouncing. On hard courts, you do not have the support of the surface. However, it doesn’t make you toil much more like clay does.

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