It's kinda hard to feel sorry for Roger Federer, a player who has lost just 11 matches since the start of the 2005 season.
But against Rafael Nadal on clay, Federer turns into something of a mere mortal. On Sunday, Nadal beat him 6-4, 6-4 in. It was the fifth time Federer has lost to Nadal on clay and the world's top-ranked player's third loss this season. He has not won a tournament since February.
The two-time defending French Open champion Nadal is 14-0 in clay-court finals and won the title at Monte Carlo for the third straight year.
Federer has four Wimbledon titles, and three at both the U.S. and Australian opens, but still needs the French Open to complete a career grand slam and to win four consecutive majors. The four majors need to be won in the same calendar year to be considered a tennis grand slam.
Federer told reporters after the match that he is not discouraged by the loss: "I feel this match gave me some information. I'm absolutely in the mix with him on clay. I feel like I'm in good shape for the rest of clay-court season, and it's going to come down to the French Open to see who wins."
In his news conference, Nadal said: "Today's match was very close. For sure, it's a surprise to win in two sets against the No. 1. I was confident because I was playing my best tennis this week."