Looking Over His Shoulder

PARIS —  It looked almost surreal Friday in the Tenniseum on the grounds of Roland Garros.

Well, after all, this is France.

The face of defending champion Rafael Nadal of Spain was beamed on the wall along with the French Open men’s draw, just behind Roger Federer of Switzerland, who was sitting at a table for his news conference. When Federer was asked about his first-round opponent, he turned to glance back at the draw.

He couldn’t miss the boyish visage of Nadal. The can’t-miss presence of the Spaniard almost serves as a larger metaphor for Federer and this tournament. Federer is the No. 1-ranked player in the game and the winner of the last three Grand Slam tournaments, but the super-sized Nadal mystique looms over him.

Federer has lost to Nadal in their last four meetings, starting with last year’s semifinal here and, most recently, in the Italian Open final on May 14. The words epic and classic are tossed around too easily in tennis but they certainly applied in Rome, where Federer squandered a 4-1 fifth-set lead and two match points.

No wonder he sees the Spanish teenager lurking in his rearview mirror. Nadal has already tied Guillermo Vilas’ open-era mark with a record 53 consecutive victories on clay courts, and will hold the record by himself with a first-round win over Sweden’s Robin Soderling in Paris.

“I think it’s maybe getting there slowly with the rivalry,” Federer said. “We still haven’t played enough yet. Sometimes a rivalry needs a win and a loss, a win and a loss. That’s not what’s been going on. He’s been winning the last few.

“He’s only been on the tour for a couple of years. I think it’s heading into a very nice direction for tennis by having a player like him on tour.”

Rome whetted the appetite for a rematch, which could come in the final here two weeks from today. Components necessary to give the rivalry an extra edge emerged after the Rome final. There, Federer departed from his usual smoothness and claimed that Nadal’s uncle and coach, Toni Nadal, was coaching during the match, which is against the rules in tennis.

On Friday, Nadal was twice asked about Federer’s remarks. The first time was in English and Nadal did not care to address the issue. Later, he was expressive when asked in Spanish.

He denied that he received assistance in Rome but pushed for the no-coaching rule to be changed. Nadal noted that a tour supervisor who understands Spanish was sitting near his uncle and did not raise the issue.

Nadal humorously demonstrated his point, jumping out of his chair. He pretended to be an impassive coach, looking side to side, and punctuated his statement that coaches aren’t paid to go to places like the Australian Open to just sit there.

Presumably, Federer will be asked about Nadal’s remarks, as there will be plenty of time for additional give-and-take between the players before the final, or more simply, The Only Match That Matters.

Extra time is a reality in Paris because another day has been placed on the schedule, turning the French Open into a 15-day event, with play starting today instead of the traditional Monday. Federer is scheduled against qualifier Diego Hartfield of Argentina on the main show court.

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French facts

The French Open starts today:

When: Play begins a day earlier than in the past, in order to get more ticket sales, more TV exposure and more flexibility in case of bad weather.

* Where: Roland Garros in Paris.

* Championships: The women’s singles final is June 10; the men’s singles final is June 11.

* 2005 men’s champion: Rafael Nadal of Spain.

* 2005 women’s champion: Justine Henin-Hardenne of Belgium.

* No. 1-seeded man: Roger Federer of Switzerland, bidding to complete a non-calendar Grand Slam by winning his fourth consecutive major title.

* No. 1-seeded woman: Amelie Mauresmo of France, who won her first major title at the Australian Open in January.

* Prize money: At the current exchange rate, about $18.2 million (14.265 million euros) total, with about $1.2 million (940,000 euros) going to the men’s and women’s champion. It’s the first time they will receive the same amount.

* Television: ESPN2, Channel 4.