Federer v Nadal

In many ways, it is the dream final, with Roger Federer losing his air of invincibility when Rafael Nadal steamrollered him in the French Open final last month. As the world's two finest players prepare to meet once again, Michael Stich assesses who will

MANY PEOPLE have predicted that this will be the year when Roger Federer, the Wimbledon champion of five years standing, is finally knocked off his perch by Rafael Nadal, the young pretender from Mallorca. But I still pick Federer to win because he's still playing great, great tennis. If he is playing as well and serving as well as he has in his last few matches, I think he will have just a little bit of an edge.

Federer wants to prove to himself, and to all the people who questioned his level of play, that he is still right up there. He said that the criticism and talk of his fall from the top didn't disturb him, but I think it did. I think he thought it was a little bit disrespectful that people were questioning him.

He is still playing the same level of tennis as before but I think the difference is that the other players have improved. You would then expect Federer to improve, but he has played at the same level.

Let's say Federer has played at 98% of his capability over the last five years. The other guys used to be at around 80 per cent but now they are at 95%, or people like Nadal are. So that it just the difference in being able to improve your game. But I think he is as good as he was last year. There shouldn't be any doubt in his mind or in anyone else's mind.

Maybe, in his eyes, he's even playing a little bit better because he was playing better tennis at the French Open this time than in years before. Yes, he got thumped by Nadal in the final but that happens because of an opponent who was just so much better on the day than he was.

He has to serve well. His backhand slice is not going to work so well against Nadal because he slices to the forehand of Nadal – and that is the strongest part of Nadal's game. He has to play that backhand slice to Nadal's backhand but, then again, Nadal likes his backhand cross-court. He's not going to get too many chances on that one. But the thing is to play the ball low and aggressive and not get into long rallies with Nadal.

Rafa always plays the same sort of tactics: the serve down to the backhand wing, tries to set himself up with the big forehand. Probably he's going to try to come into the net a little bit more and try to finish off the point because he doesn't want to get into long rallies. In long rallies, he knows Roger can face him, equal him from time to time. Tactically, he's just going to play his game and if it works, he's happy.

Nadal beating Federer so severely at the French Open will not, I don't think, have any relevance to today. In the end, if you lose, you lose – no one is ever going to ask you how you lost. You just have to accept the fact that Nadal was playing perfect tennis on that day. And if you lose 8-6 in the fifth, sometimes it is more disastrous, remembering all the chances you blew, than just getting blown off the court.

I always say: the guy who comes second is the winner of the golden pineapple. You don't get anything for that. In fact, it might work as extra motivation.

Federer is obviously a little bit weary of meeting Nadal because he knows he is the only guy who can really beat him, and beat him bad. But he knew that before the French Open final because he's experienced it before – and he's going to know that here at Wimbledon. He knows he has to play his best tennis to win his sixth title.