Federer vs. Nadal: Evidently, you can always get what you want

Safin was asked what he thought, asked to pick a winner, which understandably he would not do.

"Roger is playing well," said Safin. "Playing solid. Doesn't do anything fancy. Just plays how he needs to play to be able to win.

"But both are playing great. Federer probably has more experience on grass than Nadal, but Nadal took him to five sets here last year, and he's playing incredibly well right now. Roger has to play his best tennis to be able to beat him."

And Roger, irritated by suggestions his era is at an end, contends this is when he plays his best tennis.

"My way to the final has been great," said Federer. "I cannot do much better than this. If I win Sunday, then maybe I can say I've been playing my best ever."

Nadal isn't quite as insistent, not that he sounds like someone unwilling to meet any challenge.

"It is always tough to play against Roger," said Nadal, a remark disproved by his wrecking of Federer in the French. "We played a lot of matches, and this is one more."

Rafa won at Queens three weekends ago, one of the two grass-court warmups. That, to many, was verification he was prepared to take the next step.

"It doesn't matter if I win on Queens or don't win on Queens," Nadal said. "I arrive here with good confidence. I get my confidence from the clay season, the hard (court) season in the United States. I played two finals the last two years here, no?"

Federer played five finals the last five years here, yes? And won every one.

"Every time he is under pressure," said Safin, "he puts the short slice at you, you come to the net, and he hits a passing shot down the line. It's too simple."

Federer has done his post-match interviews with his cap, the one with "RF" on the front, pulled low. It's as if he's trying to keep us from guessing what's going on in his head. It's as if he's trying to shut off the critics.

"For me, obviously, it's important to bounce back from that loss in Paris," he said, "even though I can't draw anything from that match because Rafa plays so different on clay and grass. I have to draw from my two previous Wimbledon finals against him."

Nadal was competent against Schuettler, who isn't in his class and was weary from that two-day, 5-hour, 12-minute quarters win over Arnaud Clement.

"I win in three sets," said Nadal, "but now I know I have the best player in the world on the other side of the net."

Which is exactly as it should be.