Grassman vs clayman

Marat Safin didn't stand a chance. He might have beaten Roger Federer twice, but that seemed so long ago, the first time in 2002 in Moscow and another one in the memorable Australian Open 2005 when Safin won their semifinal in five sets after saving a match point.

Safin went on to win the title by beating crowd favourite Lleyton Hewitt in the finals. But he has since plunged in the rankings, now ranked at 89th in the world.

But recent form has seen Safin beat world No. 3 Novak Djokovic along the way and with erratic inconsistent play, he managed to set a date with Federer in the semifinals.

But that was as far as he went. Federer dispatched him easily in straight set 6-3 7-6 6-4, winning his 65th straight game on grass, and appearing in his sixth straight finals in Wimbledon. He is now one win away from his sixth consecutive Wimbledon title and 13th Grand Slam championship.

So who might he meet in the finals on Sunday? None other than Rafael Nadal, the world No. 2, the conquerer of Federer. Nadal has an 11-6 career edge over Federer, but the Swiss star leads 5-2 on surfaces other than clay. Federer has not dropped a single set in this year's tournament, and he is looking sharp and hungry for the title. Nadal has met Federer twice in the finals previously, but fell short everytime. Last year he lost to Federer in five sets.

Will it be third time lucky for Nadal?

Personally, I don't think so.