Another Federer vs Nadal final

Don't put your money on Roger Federer.

The Swiss, who has won 12 grand-slam titles but has never triumphed at Roland Garros, has been beaten by the Spaniard in the final for the past two years.

Nadal is 10-6 against Federer - including 8-1 on clay, and 3-0 at the French Open - making him the only active player to have faced the Swiss star more than four times and compiled a winning record against him.

For each of the past four years, Federer has come to Paris knowing that he needed a French Open title to complete a career Grand Slam, something only five men have accomplished: Andre Agassi, Don Budge, Roy Emerson, Rod Laver and Fred Perry.

In 2005, that pursuit ended in the semifinals against Nadal. He was beaten 6-3 4-6 6-4 6-3. In 2006, he made it to the final just to lose to Nadal 1-6 6-1 6-4 7-6 while in 2007, it was the same story when he lost 6-3 4-6 6-3 6-4. And in 2008, he has another shot at it. But this time, he will be facing a stronger and improved Nadal.

Nadal is on fire. He’s 27-0 for his career at the French Open, winning 81 of 88 sets. He’s dropped zero sets through six matches this year, and only 36 games, the third-fewest lost by a man en route to a Grand Slam final in the 40-year Open era (the only lower totals were both accomplished by Borg at the French Open).

He’s won 114 of his last 116 matches on clay. He’s 40-0 in best-of-five-set matches on the surface and was pushed to five sets only twice in that span. He’s 21-1 in clay-court finals. And that one lost was to Federer, in 2007 Hamburg Masters, 2-6 6-2 6-0.

Impressive stats, isn't it?

But is he invincible?

Looking at the way he's been playing at the moment, I would say yes. Federer will need plenty of luck, and some sort of a miracle, to claim his first French Open title.