Nadal chases rival atSFlbFrench Open

Associated Press

PARIS

Plenty of tennis tournaments, big and small, ask Roger Federer to participate in their draw ceremonies — show up, shake some hands, pose for a few photos, lend prestige. He has a ready response.

“I always say, ‘No,”’ the 16-time major champion explained, “just because I don’t want to be a part of it.”

At this year’s French Open, Federer did not have a choice in the matter. The French Open, you see, always invites the previous year’s male and female champions to help determine the brackets by reaching into the tournament’s silver trophies, randomly selecting numbers assigned to players. Finally, Federer was eligible.

So there he was Friday morning at the French tennis federation’s museum on the Roland Garros grounds, wearing a dark blazer, crisp collared shirt and jeans. Smiling for the cameras. Pulling numbers out of a trophy. Performing, at long last, the duties of the French Open’s defending champion.

A few hours later and a short stroll away, Federer donned a gray T-shirt, black shorts and aqua headband and worked up a sweat while practicing in the main stadium, on the very court where a year ago he shed tears while kissing the one major trophy that previously was missing from his collection.

Arriving on site this year “felt different because I have so many great memories from this court now, whereas in the past, I mean, I played good matches, but I couldn’t come back and think, ‘This is where I’ve had my most emotional wins in my career.’ I didn’t. They were all at Wimbledon or U.S. Open or other places,” Federer said.

Only one man has managed to beat Federer at Roland Garros during the past five years: his chief rival, Rafael Nadal. The Spaniard has won the French Open four times, and each journey to the title required a victory against Federer — in the 2005 semifinals, and the 2006-08 finals. A year ago, though, Nadal was upset in the fourth round, dropping his career mark at Roland Garros to 31-1.

So now it’s Nadal who is getting rather tired of hearing the same query over and over: Does it feel different NOT being the defending champion?

“I know I’m going to have to answer this question 100 times more,” Nadal said Friday. “I’m going to repeat the same [answer], no? I didn’t win last year, but the goal is still the same every year.”