Worthy of anticipation

WIMBLEDON, England -- Celebrating a set-clinching shot during his remarkable run to the Wimbledon final, Rafael Nadal punched the air and dashed to his chair, fist leading the way.

That's the way he plays, and woe to those in his path. Showing he's more than a mere king of clay, the precocious, pugnacious Spaniard has found his way across the All England Club's treacherous lawns to another showdown against Roger Federer.

Their championship meeting four weeks ago at the French Open was billed as the match of the year, which makes today's final the rematch of the year. It's a rarity: The last time Roland Garros and Wimbledon had the same men's finalists was in 1952.

"It's nice for the fans," said Nadal, his English improving as rapidly as his grass-court game. "You can think, 'This time Roger's going to win. This time Rafa's going to win.' That's good for tennis, no?"

The stakes were considerable in Paris, with Federer bidding to win his fourth consecutive major championship and complete a career Grand Slam. Instead, Nadal earned his second successive French Open title.

Now, regal Roger's supremacy is in jeopardy. He's bidding for his eighth Grand Slam title, and some current and former players say he has a chance to be remembered as the best player ever. But with a loss, he can't even claim to be the best player in 2006.

Federer is 0-4 this year against Nadal and 55-0 against everyone else.

"It's not normal to win four consecutive times against one man when he loses just four matches in the year," Nadal said.

Still, the setting -- Centre Court's hallowed lawn -- makes Federer the favorite. His last loss there came four years ago.

"This is my favorite surface; that obviously changes things a little bit," Federer said. "I don't have many bad records against players. This is one.

"But I don't think I have been affected by him beating me, because I know it has been very close all the time. When I played him, I didn't feel like I played bad. That, for me, is very important to know heading into a final."

Federer is trying to join Pete Sampras and Bjorn Borg as the only men since 1913 to win four consecutive Wimbledon titles. He has an Open-era record 47 consecutive grass-court victories, including 27 in a row at the All England Club.

Despite a difficult draw, he has won all 18 sets over the past two weeks, and he lost only four games to Jonas Bjorkman in the most lopsided men's semifinal in tournament history.

"I never really reached a final of any Grand Slam as easy as this Wimbledon," he said, "so I hope I can finish it off in style."

While the No. 1-seeded Federer often makes it look easy, No. 2-seeded Nadal works hard to wear down opponents, retrieving balls other players wouldn't even bother to chase and hitting every shot as if it were his last. His exaggerated grip, average serve and grinder mentality supposedly make his game a poor match for grass, but he has swept the past 15 sets without being broken.

"Sure, for me, it's a surprise to be in the final," he said.

Unlike many recent French Open champions, Nadal embraced from the start the challenge of playing on grass, where the bounces and footwork test skills in different ways.

But the distinction between surfaces may be smaller than in the past. Sampras said Nadal has benefited from a dearth of serve-and-volleyers, that all-but-defunct breed whose onrushing approach once dominated lawn tennis.

Even Federer ventures forward less frequently than when he first won Wimbledon in 2003.

"It's almost like you watch Wimbledon and you're watching the French but it's green, because everyone is staying back," Sampras said.