The Same Song and Dance

After all of the hype behind Novak Djokovic's incredible run, his gluten-free diet and the way that he was steamrolling opponents into the French Open, tennis fans see the same two men in the French Open finals that usually appear there.

Hint: neither is named Djokovic.

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal will square off tomorrow in the finals at Roland Garros.  The King of Clay Nadal is the favorite having won five of the last six Coupe des Mosquetaires.  The only other man to win a title in that time: Roger Federer. 

Nadal is the undisputed best in the world when it comes to clay.  And while he has struggled with his game a little recently, he always finds his best games the the French Open.  Nadal's strength, athleticism, and speed create a clay monster that eats up every ball that is hit his way.  The crowds at Roland Garros love him, as he demonstrates pure class while dominating each opponent that dares stand in his way.

But do not sell Federer short.  I suppose it seems almost blasphemous to dismiss a man who has won 16 Grand Slams, including a French Open over Rafael Nadal, but that is just how overpowering Nadal is on clay.  Federer, however, does have a wave of momentum to ride that came from his victory of Djokovic.  There were whispers in the tennis world about whether Federer's gears were beginning to slow down.  He has not won a Grand Slam since 2010, when he captured the Australian open.  And this is his first finals in a Grand Slam since that same tournament.

Federer put a halt to the whispers when he knocked off #1 ranked Djokovic in four sets, including a spirited break of Djokovic in the tenth game of the fourth set.  From there, Federer held his serve and eventually won the tiebreaker, finishing off the Serb and his incredible run.  Federer proved that he still has life in his legs to compete at the Grand Slam level.

Here we go again: Federer vs. Nadal in a Grand Slam final.  The rivalry that put tennis back on the map will treat fans to what will surely be another classic match.  Nadal has the advantage on the court physically, but Federer has the emotion and momentum.  Expect Nadal to take home another French Open, but if Federer plays strong early in the match, do not be surprised if he can knock of Nadal.