Novak Djokovic is hoping that the final piece of his puzzle falls into place Sunday on the buckskin-colored court of the Foro Italico when he meets Roger Federer in the final of the Rome Masters. That puzzle, completed with a win, would represent the successful completion of Djokovic's preparations for this, perhaps the most critical French Open of his career.
That tournament begins May 19. Top-seeded Djokovic has one important test before then, the Rome final with No. 2 Federer. Djokovic arrived in the final by swatting away that persistent clay-court grinder David Ferrer as if he were a pesky fly. Lithe, lean Federer reached the ultimate round by crushing his beefy countryman -- and conqueror of troubled icon Rafael Nadal -- Stan Wawrinka.
This promises to be a dazzling final if both men are fully invested in it, a final that might approach the five-hour, five-set masterpiece Federer and Nadal played on the same court in 2006 (Nadal won the deciding tiebreaker 7-5). Sure, Federer is 33, almost a full decade older. But you can't tell by looking at the corners of his eye, or by his hairline or his tummy -- and certainly not by the dispatch with which he covers the court.
During this past week in Rome, Federer hasn't lost a set, and he has played just one tiebreaker. You would have thought his opponents were on a mission to nudge the digital clock past the one-hour mark, rather than to -- egads! -- win. All of this might have Federer fans doing cartwheels in the aisles of the Foro, were it not for the identity of his opponent Sunday.
To put it impolitely, comparatively speaking Djokovic has won everything this year and Federer has won squat. (Djokovic captured the Australian Open and three Masters 1000 titles; Federer, an ATP 500 and a pair of throwaway ATP 250s.) And for all of Federer's "beautiful game" peregrinations, Djokovic seems to have applied the famous concept that "form follows function" to tennis. In the process, he appears to have become impregnable.
Besides, if Federer version 7.1 is attacking more than ever (and more successfully than ever), so is Djokovic 3.2. And where Federer maxed out his serve years ago, the best player in the world has significantly improved his own, particularly his second.
But tennis is a mental game, and there Federer may enjoy a distinct advantage beyond the slim lead he still clings to in their head-to-head (20-18 overall, 1-1 this year). He has been the only thorn in Djokovic's side for about two years now, the single obstacle that stands in way of Djokovic's designs on world domination.
Djokovic knows this, and Federer knows it too. And as the all-time singles Grand Slam champion and, in the eyes of many, the greatest player ever to swing a racket, Federer rarely has the luxury of playing the role of the underdog. Yet he found that role inspirational in 2011, when he halted Djokovic's 43-match winning streak and French Open title ambitions in the Roland Garros semifinals.
Don't think for a minute Federer doesn't take some pleasure from being the piece that doesn't quite fit the puzzle.