Tennis gets a new boost!

I must be among the few serious tennis aficionados who watched the meteoric rise of Roger Federer with misgivings. Don't get me wrong. The fellow is phenomenally gifted. I absolutely adore his backhand, except when it is misfiring, of course. And no, Henin-Hardenne's doesn't begin to compare to Roger's angles on that backhand, though she strokes it much flatter and cleaner.

It is a curious tendency of mine, and most people for that matter(whether they prefer to own to it or not), to vehemently oppose a dominant figure in sport and cheer for the relative underdogs... I disliked Sampras at the peak of his powers, loathed Graf for her unopposed hegemony, cheered the Williamses sisters to their humiliation of Hingis' lollipop serves, found few redeeming features eventually in the sisters' game, dismissed Agassi's baseline play, derided Navratilova's one-dimensional game(or so I thought)... I wasn't around during Borg's reign, though, so I shall not scandalise his ardent fans....
I thought 2001 Wimbledon was utterly riveting with Ivanisevic's epic march to the trophy, backed Capriati during her brief rise to the top(even though she is completely lacking in imagination), booed Sampras during the 2000 and 2001 US Open finals(yes, crucify me), loved Chang's athleticism.....
Of course, I see each of the above for their true worth now that I appreciate the game so much more. Now Federer is a surefire candidate for the most complete and innovative player ever. Even Sampras lacked his baseline coverage. I love Federer's low-fault game(something I have often grudged the latest breed of tennis players is their error-prone styles), his deceptive serve, his lovely slice...... But there ought to be competition, fcol!
Hence the Nadal ray of sunshine comes as a benediction at this time. Of course, there is the trivial fact that a combination of a lefty with topspin should give anyone headaches, especially a right-hander. But this kid has more than that. His forehand crosscourt is a beast of an altogether different variety from what one is used to. His agility is remarkable. His defence impeccable. And his spirit unquellable. A crackerjacker mixture!!
Is he as good as Federer? No, but he has the all-important psychological edge over the great man. He'll probably win Roland garros this year, but his test will come at Wimbledon and Flushing Meadows. Will his claycourt genius adapt to the low-bounce grass and swift hardcourts? Remember, he has had success against Roger on hard courts as well.
The 2 men are raring to go, and Paris should be a tense watch. Unless Safin finds his range or Nalbandian can prove spoilsport, we should have another Rafa-Roger showdown. And it will demonstrate what exactly Roger meant when he said "I am there. I know what to do to beat him".