The world no.3 pointed out that he was not trying to 'spoil the party' with his win over Djokovic, which also deprived the Serb of the no.1 ranking for the first time in his career. He was focused on getting another crack at the title he won in 2009, and admitted it meant a lot. "[It] almost feels like I've won the tournament, which is not the case. Silverware is still out there to be won, and I'm looking forward to the match with Rafa, who is my true rival for all those years since he became world no.1."
The pair are no strangers, having faced each other 24 times during their career with Nadal winning two-thirds of their contests. Their last outing together on the Roland Garros clay, back in 2008, was one of Federer's darkest hours, Nadal thrashing him for the loss of just four games. And Roger is under no illusion about the enormity of the challenge that five-time French Open champion Rafa presents. "Everybody knows how many times he's got me here in Paris. I'm happy I never stopped believing. That's why I got the Roland Garros in 2009, which remains one of my most special wins in my career."
Rafa, who was late for his post-match press conference on Friday because he was so absorbed by the first set tie-break between Federer and Djokovic, is also looking forward to playing his rival once again. "I am happy to play against him because it is always an honour to play against the best player in history. It always represents something very special." The Spaniard has nine Grand Slam titles to his name but even though he has only lost one match here out of 45 over the years, he will not take anything for granted. He freely admitted he lacked confidence at the start of the tournament because he felt under pressure to protect his ranking points.
"I'm really happy to be playing the finals for one of the most important tournaments in the world on clay, so I have reasons to be satisfied. As you know I've had to overcome very difficult situations in the past one-and-a half weeks. I have reached the finals, that's true and I'm very happy. I had to forget about this type of anxiety of the fears I had two weeks go, and now I have gained more confidence," he said.
The French Open will always be a special tournament for the Spaniard, having won his first Grand Slam here in 2005 as a teenager. "The fact that you have reached the finals is something you want to repeat. It's always renewed. The appetite is still there. It's an incredible feeling," Nadal said.
How long the rivalry will last between the two is anybody's guess. Birthdays have a habit of coming around quickly and Federer turns 30 in August, which perhaps explains how thrilled he is to have been granted yet another tilt at the crown. "I have another opportunity to beat Rafa here and get the French Open title. I've got to play some extraordinary special tennis, I'm aware of that. But I obviously took a huge step today [against Djokovic] and hope I can get everything together for the final."
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