Roger vs. Rafa III, coming soon to a grass court near London. Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are headed to Center Court for their third straight Wimbledon final, with one trying to extend his amazing winning streak on grass and the other attempting to win his first Grand Slam title on a surface other than clay. “It's a huge thrill every time when I get to another Wimbledon final,” said 12-time major champion Federer, who stretched his winning streak at the All England Club to 40, a run that includes the last five Wimbledon titles. “It's a great occasion.” Both Federer and four-time French Open champion Rafael Nadal easily advanced through the semifinals Friday. Federer outplayed Marat Safin 6-3, 7-6 (3), 6-4 with a nearly flawless performance, and Nadal later defeated Rainer Schuettler 6-1, 7-6 (3), 6-4. In Sunday's final, Nadal will be trying to become the first man since Bjorn Borg in 1980 to win the French Open and Wimbledon titles in the same year, while Federer will be trying to surpass Borg by winning a sixth straight Wimbledon title. The only man to win six in a row was Willie Renshaw in the 1880s, and he had to win only one match to defend his titles. “He was in the finals every time, so it was a little bit easier for him to win six in a row,” said Federer, who has won 65 straight matches on grass. “A little different for us.” Federer has beaten Nadal in the last two Wimbledon finals, but the second-ranked Spaniard made it close last year, pushing the match to five sets before finally succumbing. Nadal may have humbled Federer in last month's French Open, winning 6-1, 6-3, 6-0 for his third straight final victory over Federer at Roland Garros, but he doesn't necessarily think that makes him the favorite Sunday. “Right now, I know I have on the other side of the net the best player of the world – Roger Federer – but I will try my best and we will see,” said the Spaniard, who is on a 23-match winning streak. “I feel I have to play very well if I want to have chances to win. I know he's playing well, but I'm playing well, too.” Nadal has a 11-6 career edge over Federer, but the top-ranked Swiss star leads 5-2 on surfaces other than clay. “I enjoy the challenge,” Federer said. “Rafa is a great competitor. He's got a winning record over me. Every time I play him, I want to beat him. He's now become so good on all the other surfaces that he's a real threat on anything.” – AP __
