May 24, 2006	Wednesday	Rabi-us-Sani 25, 1427

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LONDON, May 23: A year after he stepped into Roland Garros as a hopeful debutant, Rafael Nadal will return to the French Open with the tag of favourite flapping round his neck. The Spanish teenager made light of his inexperience last year to win his first grand slam and his astonishing transformation from apprentice to master on clay suggests he will thrive on the added burden of expectation this time around.

Nadal will turn 20 during the tournament, which starts on Sunday, but he has long since matured into the only player capable of ousting Roger Federer from the pinnacle of the men's game.

Nadal boasts a 5-1 win-loss record against the Swiss world number one and has beaten him in all three of their claycourt contests, including the finals of the Monte Carlo and Rome Masters events this year.

At Roland Garros last year, he beat the Swiss in the semi-finals.

It is a record that engenders confidence, but definitely not complacency.

“I just have one grand slam, for example. Federer has how many, seven?” was Nadal's response following the breathtaking five-set win in Rome when he saved two match points.

“He's a great champion and he has won very many tougher matches. He's definitely better than any other player at the moment.”

Nadal is astute enough to have recognised that Federer is closing the gap between the two, having adopted a more attacking approach, notably on his backhand, in Rome compared to Monte Carlo the previous month.

“I think Federer was maybe tougher to beat. He's more aggressive,” the Spaniard noted.

Aggression is key to Nadal's game and he exudes a level of intensity on the court that no-one else on tour can match.

The result is that the Mallorcan is better known this year for his awesome statistics rather than the bandana, sleeveless top and pirate pants that make him such an arresting sight on court.

Nadal's streak has brought him a record-equalling 53 consecutive claycourt victories so far and he looks certain to surpass Argentine Guillermo Vilas's 1977 mark in the first round at Roland Garros.

However, his withdrawal due to fatigue from the Hamburg Masters last week means he cannot quite surpass Bjorn Borg's record of 16 titles as a teenager. Nadal turns 20 on June 3, the middle Saturday at Roland Garros.

Time may have caught up with him on that regard but so far on clay no-one else has.

ATP results

PORTSCHACH (Austria): Results from second day of the 323,250 euros ATP tournament on Tuesday:

First round: Marach (AUT) bt Vince Spadea (USA) 6-4, 6-3; Andreas Seppi (ITA) bt Lukas Dlouhy (CZE) 6-3, 6-4; Luis Horna (PER) bt Wesley Moodie (RSA) 7-6 (7/3), 6-3; Gilles Simon (FRA) bt Torsten Popp (GER) 7-5, 6-4; Nikolay Davydenko (RUS) bt Tomas Zib (CZE) 6-3, 6-0.

Istanbul Cup results

ISTANBUL: Results from the second day of the 200,000 dollars WTA Istanbul Cup on Tuesday:

First round: Mashona Washington (USA) bt Magdalena Rybarikova (SVK) 7-6 (11/9), 6-7 (5/7), 6-3; Anastasiya Yakimova (BLR) bt Angelique Widjaja (INA) 6-2, 6-1; Tamira Paszek (AUT) bt Alicia Molik (AUS) 5-7, 6-4, 6-4; Urszula Radwanska (POL) bt Maria Elena Camerin (ITA) 6-4, 7-5; Mara Santangelo (ITA) bt Melinda Czink (HUN) 6-1 retired; Sania Mirza (IND) bt Ipek Senoglu (TUR) 6-3, 6-1; Shahar Peer (ISR) bt Jamea Jackson (USA) 6-2, 6-1; Meghann Shaughnessy (USA) bt Anna Chakvetadze (RUS) 1-6, 6-4, 6-0; Dominika Cibulkova (SVK) bt Ashley Harkleroad (USA) 6-7 (4/7), 6-3, 6-0

Second round:

Anastasia Myskina (RUS) bt Tsvetana Pironkova (BUL) 6-4, 6-2.—Agencies