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Roger Federer will eye a place in history on Sunday when he attempts to finally win a French Open title, wrap up a career grand slam and end all doubts over his status as the greatest player of all time.
However, standing in his way is pale, journeyman Swede Robin Soderling who sent shockwaves through tennis by condemning four-time champion Rafael Nadal to his first ever Roland Garros defeat.
The final also has added spice because of the drastically different characters of the two men.
Federer, playing in his 19th grand slam final and looking to equal Pete Sampras’s record of 14 major wins, is widely respected for his dazzling talent on the court and his bearing and humility off it.
Soderling, who has never got beyond the third round in any of his 21 previous majors, is treated with hostility by many of his contemporaries who accuse the 24-year-old of being aloof, rude and confrontational.
Federer, however, said he respects what Soderling, bidding to be the first Swedish champion at Roland Garros since Mats Wilander in 1988, has achieved in the last two weeks.
“I can’t underestimate Robin,” said Federer, who will be appearing in a fourth successive French Open final having lost the last three to Nadal.
“It’s nice to see someone else for a change in the final. I’ve been here before. I don’t know if it’s an advantage or not, because I’ve never been able to win.”
Federer’s path to the final has not been an easy one.
Ever since Nadal’s fourth round demise, the Swiss star admits that legions of fans, as well as some players, have besieged him to reassure him that this is his year.
The expectations, at time, have looked too great to bear.
He had to come back from two sets down to beat Tommy Haas in the last 16 while he also needed to stage a recovery to see off 20-year-old Argentine giant Juan Martin del Potro 3-6 7-6 2-6 6-1 6-4 in the semi-finals.
But Federer has shrugged off fears of fatigue sabotaging his hopes on Sunday where victory will make him only the sixth man in history to complete a career Grand Slam, something that even eluded his great friend Sampras.
“When you reach the final, all questions have been answered. You know where you stand,” said the second seed.
Federer will start as overwhelming favourite having defeated Soderling nine times out of nine with the Swede winning just one set in that sequence.
When they met on clay in Madrid on the eve of Roland Garros, Federer eased to a straight sets victory.
But under the guidance of compatriot Magnus Norman, who was runner-up to Gustavo Kuerten in 2000, Soderling has been a revelation from the moment he opened his campaign in front of just a handful of spectators out on Court Six.
As well as Nadal, he has put out 10th seed Nikolay Davydenko, who was twice a semi-finalist, 14th seed David Ferrer and then 12th seeded Chilean Fernando Gonzalez in the semi-final.
That 6-3 7-5 5-7 4-6 6-4 win was achieved after being 1-4 down in the deciding set.
“I have surprised myself a little bit,” admitted the Swede who will reach a career high of 12 in the world by making his first Grand Slam final.
Soderling was full of praise for the help he’s received from Norman.
“It’s great to have a coach that used to play. He’s been in the position I’m in right now,” he said.
He was also keen to put the record straight on his reputation as one of the most disliked men in the locker room.
“I’m not going to change the way I am. It’s just tennis. Maybe I don’t say hello to the players all the time, but I’m always nervous and tense before a match,” said Soderling.
“I don’t like to speak much before a match. It’s nothing to do with the other players. I just don’t like to lose.”
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