Federer and Nadal on course for early showdown

by Richard EATON

TENNIS: DOHA, Jan 2, 2010 (AFP) - Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal will face the same question here next week when the Qatar Open begins the 2010 ATP Tour - can they possibly be what they were?

Tennis' two greatest heroes will be wanting to answer that for different reasons - Federer, because of his apparent state of emotional bliss, and Nadal because of his increasingly frequent physical problems.

Federer has the difficult task of finding new motivation now that he has achieved every tennis goal of which he can ever have dreamed, and gained a new focus in life with five-month old twin daughters.

Nadal needs to end a worrying eight months without a tour title and to prove that he can still challenge for Grand Slam trophies after what seems to have become semi-permanent knee problems.

Each player has been making optimistic noises, as they must.

Federer cites two new inspirations with which to sustain his very high standards, whilst Nadal sees his immediate difficulties as stemming from other than a chronic injury.

Federer's scenario is the most innovative.

"I want the achievement of competing against three generations of players," he said, referring to his having started during the Sampras-Agassi era, continuing in "the Nadal era", and hoping to compete against the next wave of leading players.

"And I want to stay around long enough for my children to see me playing," Federer said, a remark suggesting the 28-year-old may try to remain at or near the top until he is 35. That is a tough ask.