May 28, 2006	Sunday	Rabi-us-Sani 29, 1427

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PARIS, May 27: Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal believe they are about to lead tennis into a new golden age with French Open victory crucial in swinging the balance of power in their direction.

Federer goes into Roland Garros from Sunday hoping to become the first man since Rod Laver 37 years ago to hold all four Grand Slam titles at the same time.

But Nadal, the teenage Mallorcan muscleman, holds all the cards.

He is the defending champion having triumphed on his debut year last season and is the Swiss superstar's nemesis having won five of the pair's six career meetings.

They include all of Federer's three defeats in 2006 including the finals of the clay court Monte Carlo and Rome Masters events.

In the process, Nadal has pulled level with Guillermo Vilas's record of 53 successive wins on clay set back in 1977.

But Federer, who squandered two match points against Nadal in their five-hour final marathon in Rome, isn't giving up.

“I have to play him more often to figure him out and that is what I have been doing.

“I think I am getting closer and closer,” said Federer who has never been at his most comfortable here losing three times in the first round before losing to Nadal in the semifinals last year.

“I think we are getting close to having a rivalry but we still haven't played enough yet.”

Nadal has never lost to Federer on clay, but the 19-year-old still believes the Swiss is the better player.

“I think he's a great champion and he has overcome many things, tougher things,” said Nadal.

Federer will face a lucky loser in the opening round after French veteran Arnaud Clement withdrew on Friday because of injury with his first tricky assignment possibly coming in the third round where he could face Olympic champion Nicolas Massu of Chile.

Nadal will face Sweden's Robin Soderling in the first round where victory would hand him a record 54th successive triumph on clay.

On the women side Amelie Mauresmo goes into the French Open as top seed for the first time but her hopes of finally banishing the demons that have haunted her at Roland Garros are endangered by the unexpected threats of Martina Hingis and Nadia Petrova.

Twelve months ago, no one would have given credence to the idea that former tennis queen Hingis still could win the one Grand Slam title that has eluded her.

At that time Hingis had been retired from the sport for three years a victim of mental and physical burnout at the age of 22.

But twelve months on, with the wounds healed and the batteries recharged, she returned to the fray in January.

Most pundits said the slightly-built Swiss player would not be able to stay with the latest wave of big-hitters, but she has proved them all wrong.—AFP