Later today, ESPN will publish some of my thoughts on the men's final, so I won't steal the thunder of that post, but I'll borrow my own last line: You have to be nuts to think that Federer can't win, but you have to be downright crazy to think he will win.That more or less summarizes the extraordinary situation we're facing: the top player in the world and candidate for GOAT designation is going to play a Grand Slam final in the same place for the third year in a row, and he's going to be a an obvious, perhaps prohibitive underdog (some of my dissolute British pals in the press room tell me that at the moment, Nadal is a 4-1 favorite).
But even that condition pales in comparison the simply extraordinary fact that Roger and Rafa are contesting their third consecutive singles at Roland Garros, and as the No. 1 and 2 seeds (respectively) . You can read details pertaining to that fact later, but I find it incredible that such a towering status quo has been established at Roland Garros, and by such a wildly contrasting pair of individuals. Long after the particulars - like who won - fade, we'll marvel at this (literally) unique achievement.
Around noon, Bjorn Borg held a press conference here. I couldn't resist asking the first question, before the formal start: "Bjorn, how many games do you think Vilas will get off you today?"
He laughed and replied, "I knew you were going to ask me that. . ."
Then we got down to business. I'm going to cherry pick his thoughts on today's final because the women's championship will be getting underway shortly:
On Nadal:
I mean, the way Rafael is playing, I think he's probably playing his best tennis so far, if you compare to the other three years here in Paris. He's more confident. I think he looks stronger, hitting the ball better, moving well. But just feeling that, you know, if you have a lot of confidence and you go out on the court, you really feel twice as big as the other guy on the other side of the net.
On Borg:
So to beat him (Nadal) tomorrow, it's going to be a tough task for Roger. But in the other hand, it's the best I seen Roger play clay court for the last three years, too. So, I mean, he made few changes this year. I think he's slightly more patient when he plays. He's slightly more aggressive. He's using his forehand more in a different way, and I think he's feeling more comfortable and more confident on the clay when he plays.
On what he and Nadal have in common as clay-court players:
Another similarity, too, with me and Nadal is that the other players, they know they have to play the best tennis. He has psychological a little bit advantage, because you never seen him play a bad match on clay. I mean, I never seen it. I'll been watching Rafa three, four years. I didn't see one bad match compared to other players. They can play bad, but he doesn't really play bad. And he is very mentally strong, you know. Because on clay, every point he plays is a match point. . .he feels like, Okay, here I'm going to go out and play the final. He feels like or he knew that the other guy has to play the best tennis of his life to beat me.
On what Federer must do:
The final tomorrow is very important for Roger not to give any points free to Nadal. He cannot do that. You know, if he do that, he has to work twice a hard to win back the points. So he has to be very careful of every single point he play tomorrow against Nadal.
On Federer's chances:
But in the same time, Roger is playing the (his) best tennis now on clay, so he has a very good chance to do that tomorrow. But, of course, when you have that confidence, tennis is about confidence. I mean, it's such a mental game, tennis. If you feel really confident all the time, then such a big advantage. You feel like you can play well under pressure, you win the most important points, you win the crucial points in the match, and I think that's the way Nadal is feeling right now.
They played twice this year. They played in Monte Carlo and Hamburg. Roger is playing much better now compared to Monte Carlo and Hamburg. For me, it's a big difference. Like I said, he's a bit more patient. Maybe he's been talking about that to his coach, Higueras. I don't know what they've been talking about.
But when you watch him play now, he play different. It's like he feel even more comfortable on the clay, and he's waiting for the right shot to be aggressive. Sometimes before when he played Nadal, he was sometimes too aggressive on certain position in the court, maybe where he should be more patient.
That's what his game today is, is he's being more patient. I think it's very important against Nadal. Then you have to wait for the right shot. He's using his forehand much more now than he did before, too. For him to do that, that means that he's starting to feel more confident and very comfortable doing that.
I think he knows exactly how to play Nadal tomorrow. They play many times. He's been losing close matches, but I think this going to be the first time for him I think that he knows exactly what he's going to do tomorrow. I'm not going to say that, but you probably have to see it tomorrow.
On the style Federer might persue in the final:
Well, the tactics ?? I mean, Roger's been playing Nadal the last three years here now. He's been playing the same, kind of the same tactics, using the same tactics for three years now. But if you see him play now, Roger, he's not going to do that. He's going to play different tomorrow against Nadal, I'm sure. Because like I said, he's feeling more confident by doing that.
So that you will see, and that's why I say he has a very good chance to win tomorrow. Why I lost to Adriano Panatta. Adriano had a big game, and he mixed up the thing, too. Maybe similarity to maybe what Roger should have done before, too. So I think he will be more aggressive, Roger, tomorrow.
On his own failure to return in 1982 to defend his title:
Well, in my mind it was. You know, when you're not motivated and you feel like you don't enjoy it, it's very difficult, even if I had a good chance in '82. If I had continued, I think I had a good chance to win. But if you're not motivated, it's very difficult. It's another thing I want to change ?? if I regret something, and if I could change it, is when I didn't play '77 here, for instance. When I played Team Tennis in
United States. I think that was the most stupid thing I did. (laughter.) We all do stupid things.
On whether or not Federer should attack more:
Roger should play all the matches he's been playing up to this point he should continue to play the way he's been doing, because he's playing different now if you compare him to French Open last year, big difference. He has to be a little bit more aggressive, and he's playing more aggressive now than before, though. But still, at the same time, very important, he has to be patient at the same time, too.
On whether his French Open or Wimbledon records are more valuable to him:
It's difficult to compare. I think of course, now they're going to break my records. Let's say to win both French and Wimbledon. . .
The assembled press laughed. It was good to see Borg in such a loquacious mood. You'll see him present the trophies on Sunday.