rogerfederer.com - Roger and Rafa showdown!

Roger and Rafa showdown!

2008 brings another major showdown in Roland Garros! Roger will play triple defending champion Rafael Nadal in the French Open final on Sunday. Our champ won 6-2, 5-7, 6-3, 7-5 over unseeded Gaël Monfils in a three-hour thriller.

"He had a bad first game and I had a very good first set but then he stepped up into the court. It was very tight and I'm relieved," Roger said in a courtside interview.

Roger praised Monfils, whose athleticism and leaping can be best compared to a basketballer. Roger was clearly in charge in the first set but made too many unforced errors in the second. After Roger had taken home the third, the French youngster was sent sprawling to the clay as he attempted retrievals as Roger saved break points in the fourth set. But Roger made his intentions clear as he broke in the opening game in windy conditions under grey skies. Monfils was only the second unseeded player Roger had faced in 17 Grand Slam semi-finals the other was Jonas Björkman at Wimbledon two years ago.

Roger converted on seven of 15 break points, with 87 winners and 30 unforced errors in the high-voltage win in front of a Chatrier showcourt crowd which insisted on interrupting the proceedings with a Mexican wave before what was to be the final game as Monfils served to stay in it. Monfils broke on three of 13 occasions, almost matching the seed on winners (84) but producing 40 unforced errors.

It will be the third straight year that Roger and Nadal have met in the final at Roland Garros with Nadal winning the previous two. Nadal also defeated Roger in the 2005 semi-finals. Roger will be going for his 13th career Grand Slam title, one short of the record of 14 held by Pete Sampras. Nadal will have a shot at equaling Björn Borg as the only player to win four straight French Open titles. The Swede achieved that feat in 1981.