Rafa Nadal and 19 other left-handers were among the 128 men who entered the French Open. Somehow, Rafa is getting set to face his fourth lefty in four matches.

"Wouldn't be bad to play a right-hander for a change," the three-time defending champion said Friday. "But I'm fine with it. "You see, I haven't lost a set yet."

Good point.

The second-seeded Rafa beat No. 26 Jarkko Nieminen 6-1, 6-3, 6-1 to reach the fourth round at Roland Garros and improve to 24-0 for his career at the clay-court Grand Slam tournament.

That includes a 3-for-3 mark against lefties this year, all in straight sets.

"I mean, it's obviously very hard to beat him if you're left-or right-handed," said Nieminen, who dropped to 0-5 against Rafa. "If you are not physically 100 per cent, after a while it starts to get mental, as well. It's very tough to play against him."

Next up for Rafa is No. 22 Fernando Verdasco, a Spanish southpaw who beat No. 15 Mikhail Youzhny 7-6 (5), 5-7, 7-5, 6-1 on Friday. Verdasco, who has lost all five career meetings with Rafa, will be trying to reach his first major quarter-final when they play Sunday.

"He doesn't give you any points. I'll have to be very patient and sometimes you need to fight for all points against Rafa," Verdasco said. "So I'll do my best. And if I do my best and lose, so what?"

Nieminen does think left-handers have a slightly better chance against Rafa, because the shots he directs at righties' backhands go to lefties' forehands.

"It's a little bit easier," Nieminen said. "But it's still a very tough shot."

Rafa was looking forward to getting some rest Saturday after having spent time on court four consecutive days during the rainy tournament. His first-round match originally was scheduled for Monday, didn't begin until Tuesday, and then was suspended after two games. He finished that off Wednesday, and played in the second round Thursday.

"It affected me only a bit. The matches were short," Rafa said. "Actually, the worst part was waiting to play my first match. It took two days and waiting that long makes you nervous."

The only sign of any problem Friday came after the second set, when a trainer came out to treat a blister on the bottom of Rafa's right foot. It's something that bothered him during his loss to Juan Carlos Ferrero at the Rome Masters this month, one of only two defeats for Rafa in his past 113 matches on clay.

"It wasn't hurting too much. I asked for treatment just as a precaution," he said. "I didn't want a repeat of what happened a few weeks ago."

Believe it or not, the man often called the "King of Clay," wants more chances to play on grass courts.

"Well, the grass-court season is very, very, very short, no? I always say the same, no?" the two-time Wimbledon runner-up said. "It's not fair: You only have two weeks (to) prepare for (a) very important tournament like Wimbledon."

Rafa Nadal made light of yet another rain interruption at Roland Garros to coast into the third round with a 6-4 6-0 6-1 victory over qualifier Nicolas Devilder on Thursday.

Rafa, whose first-round match spanned two days because of the weather, was stretched by the sprightly Frenchman in the opening set but reeled off 13 straight games before cruising through in an hour and 54 minutes.

Rafa, who improved his Roland Garros record to 23-0, broke for a 4-2 lead in the opener but Devilder responded immediately with a break of his own.

The Spaniard sealed the first after 51 minutes on his second set point when Devilder netted a backhand serving at 4-5.

The second one reeled off the next five games before the rain came and after a 90-minute break went on to book a place in round three against 26th seed and fellow left-hander Jarkko Nieminen of Finland.

Rafa Nadal chipped away at history when he took his place in the second round of the French Open with his 22nd consecutive winning match at Roland Garros.

The defending champion was given a solid workout by Thomaz Bellucci, a 20-year-old Brazilian qualifier making his Grand Slam debut, before triumphing 7-5 6-3 6-1 in two hours and 34 minutes.

"It's always a bit worrying going through the first round. The conditions were very bad today. The winds were terrible", he said. "I was practising very well but in the last two days I practised only 20 minutes. It is difficult to go to the court and have a good rhythm".

He added: "I also played against a very good opponent. He is a player with great potential to be a great player. But the most important thing is I won."

 Bellucci broke Rafa's first serve of the day - the match was postponed at 1-1 in the first set due to rain last night - was to his credit. When he broke it again in the ninth game he announced his credentials as more than a half-decent competitor on the surface.

Unfortunately his own serve betrayed him just when he needed it, perhaps nerves getting the better of him as he double-faulted to hand Rafa the first set.

The champion needs no such encouragement but for large parts of the second set Bellucci held his own until Nadal suddenly clicked into that efficient groove which simply overpowers opponents.

In the third set, three breaks of serve by Rafa told their own story.

Rafa, who now plays another left-hander, French qualifier Nicolas Devilder, in the second round, said: "He is a lefty too so it is going to be tough. I just hope to play better. I'm confident if I'm playing well I have a chance."

Rafa Nadal only managed to play nine minutes of his first round match at the French Open on Tuesday as rain continued to pour in Paris.

The defending champion is level at 1-1 in the first set with Thomaz Bellucci as the match between the pair rolls into a third day at Roland Garros.

Due to persistent showers at the start of the day and midway through the afternoon it was not possible to get many matches finished leaving Rafa and Bellucci, who were second on court, with nothing to do but watch the rain fall.

He is scheduled to continue on Wednesday after Maria Sharapova's match. Play starts at 11am (Paris local time)

The second day’s play at the French Open has been abandoned due to constant rain.The drizzle which had started to come down early in the afternoon became much heavier around 4.30pm local time, forcing the covers to come on.Roland Garros organisers came to a decision around 7.15pm to bring an end to Monday’s play.The likes of men’s champion Rafa Nadal, who was about to start his match against Thomaz Bellucci on the Philippe Chatrier court, and home favourite Amelie Mauresmo will have to wait until Tuesday to play their first-round matches.

Check back for more updates soon!

Rafa Nadal will attempt to win his fourth consecutive title at Roland Garros. And to keep his record perfect 21 wins and no defeat on the clay of Paris. From ever seen, even in times of great Björn Borg, once regarded as the best clay court player in history.

He takes center court to play Brazilian qualifier Thomaz Bellucci today. Good luck Rafa!

In the meantime, Vincent Brousseau-Pouliot from La Presse wrote this really nice article about rafa that we would like to share with you. Enjoy!

Any athlete would normally formed filled. Not Rafael Nadal. It is not that the Majorcan has a boundless ambition. On the contrary, his calm and serene air sometimes gives the impression that he is happy in his role as eternal number two worldwide. If Rafael Nadal does not seem satisfied with his fate, it has perhaps chose the wrong sport. Gamin, Rafa cherished a dream. A dream today impossible to achieve. "His dream was to play soccer for Real Madrid, which is still his favorite team," said his uncle and coach Toni Nadal in an interview with La Presse. If the second World racket gave up his dream of childhood, it is mainly because of this man. Former professional tennis player in Spain, Toni Nadal put a tennis racket in the hands of his nephew at the age of 3 years. Child, Rafa was misfortunes of both tennis and soccer. "Very early, around 3 or 4 years, we realized it had great potential in tennis", says Toni Nadal. "He liked soccer better, but he began to win tennis tournaments. At the end, he chose tennis, but he still prefers soccer". Champion of the Balearic Islands - the archipelago is located or Majorca - to 8 years, he already was distinguished by his passion on a tennis court. "Little, Rafael was a very enthusiastic player who ran very fast, said Toni Nadal. It was very similar to what we see today, but it was even more aggressive." The clan Nadal realises he may be a future star of tennis in the hands when Rafael became European champion in 12 years. At 14, he beat Pat Cash, Wimbledon champion retired. It offered its first global top 10 two years later on clay, his favorite surface. This is the beginning of a long series of successes, that the clan Nadal manages according to the philosophy Mallorcan - staying calm. "We are quiet people who do not make a great case of our success," said Toni Nadal. Rafael Nadal is not the first sports spotlight of the family. His other uncle Miguel has played his professional soccer. For a decade, he was one of the pillars of the national team in Spain, while misfortunes in Barcelona - hence his nickname for the least evocative: the Beast of Barcelona. Of the three brothers Nadal, only the father of Rafael did not win his life in sport. Sebastian Nadal has been rather successful in business. He owns several businesses on the island of Majorca, a company whose doors and windows. Unlike his two brothers, Sebastian has never been a great sportsman. The family Nadal was a little surprised skills sporting his son Rafael. "On the contrary been more normal that my brother Miguel has a child very sporty, Toni Nadal said with a laugh. In the family, the father of Rafael is the one who made the least sport. Sébastien is primarily a sports lounge: he likes better watch a sport that the practice ..." Over the next two weeks, Sebastian Nadal will often eyes riveted on his television in the family home in Majorca, when he will look his son try to win his fourth consecutive title at Roland Garros. The whole family Nadal is also aware of the magnitude of the task that awaits Rafael in Paris. "In sport, the most normal thing is the defeat," said Toni Nadal. (How many times have we heard that? ) The Grand Slam tournaments are all very difficult. It's very complicated to play against the best in the world for two weeks and come out victorious on each occasion. Fortunately, Rafael has a little less pressure now because he won the tournament three times. It is prepared to victory as a defeat. When crowd the field, he tries to play the best you can. With a little luck, all will be well. " Even after all these years at the top of the world tennis scene, clan Nadal more concerned with the training of Rafael that its results in the tournament. "I told him today the same thing as before: to continue to train and improve," said Toni Nadal. "This is the only way to get a win any title. If you involve yourself well, with a little luck, the victory will be there. If you involve yourself badly, is sure this will not happen." Sentenced to win Roland Garros - and why not, other Grand Slam tournaments - Rafael Nadal knows he would never raise the World Cup or the trophy of the Champions League as he dreamed a kid. With hindsight, he did well to listen to his uncle Toni. He may have a passion for soccer, it is a tennis player at heart. It is his little later individualist who is its strength tennis, but he sometimes plays tricks soccer. "Rafael was a soccer player rather individualistic," Toni Nadal remembers with a laugh. "Let's say he does not often passed the ball ... "

The 2008 French Open draw is out and the big news is that Novak Djokovic is on Rafa's side rather than on Roger's when the French Open draw ceremony was held this morning at 11:30 AM Paris time.

Rafa will probably see Djokovic in the semifinals, but before that, there is a long way to go. First round will be a Brazilian qualifier (arguably the most dangerous of all of them) Thomaz Bellucci.

Hipotetically the next (most imposing) player he could meet prior to the fourth round is unseeded compatriot Feliciano Lopez. From there on things get a bit trickier in the quarterfinals with potential opponents that include No. 6 seed David Nalbandian and No. 19 Nicolas Almagro.

RAFA'S HISTORY ON CLAY: Rafae Nadal is trying to become the second player in the history of the French Championships (since 1925) to win four consecutive titles. Bjorn Borg won four straight years (1978-81) and six overall titles.

The 21-year-old Spaniard (turns 22 on June 3) is undefeated in his career (21-0) at Roland Garros and he enters with a 15-1 clay court record on the season. Since the beginning of 2005 Monte Carlo in April 2005, Rafa has won an amazing 108 of 110 matches on clay, losing only to Federer in the final of ATP Masters Series Hamburg on May 20, 2007 and to countryman Juan Carlos Ferrero in the second round (bye) at ATP Masters Series Rome on May 7.

Rafa has a career record of 21-1 in clay court finals. Last year he set an Open Era record with 81 consecutive clay court match wins and said after his win in Hamburg, “The most important thing is to win Hamburg, not the last tournament before Roland Garros. This tournament is very important, it was the only Masters Series I hadn’t won on clay. I’m happy for that, for sure that will give me more confidence for Roland Garros"

Rafa Nadal toppled Roger Federer in a three-set thriller to capture the Hamburg Masters, as the two best players in the world tuned up in grand style for the upcoming French Open.

Rafa earned a 7-5, 6-7 (3-7), 6-3 victory for his 26th career ATP singles title and third in 2008. All three this year have come on clay, a surface in which he has lost just twice in his last 110 matches.

With this victory, Rafa has taken a 10-6 lead against Federer, including 8-1 on clay and 2-0 overall this year. The two also squared off in the Monte Carlo Masters finale three weeks ago, with the Spanish sensation claiming a 7-5, 7-5 victory.

The first three games of Sunday's match went to Federer and he soon opened a commanding 5-1 lead after a break of serve at love. Rafa, though, roared back and won the final six games to take the set.

"I was a little bit tired," said Rafa, who needed three sets on Saturday to beat Novak Djokovic in the semifinals. "But it's not only the body. Mentally it is tough, too, because it was a lot of tensions yesterday, a lot of pressure. Today it was tough when I was coming on court. But later everything changed."

Rafa's momentum carried into the second set, as he broke Federer's serve in the first game. Federer, however, captured the next four games with a pair of breaks to build a 4-1 advantage.

Serving to force a third set at 5-3, Federer quickly fell behind and faced a pair of break points. He saved both, but soon again confronted another and Rafa converted to stay in the set.

Rafa held serve in the next game and won the first three points against Federer's serve in the 11th, but the top-seeded Swiss superstar steadied himself with an ace and fought back to win five straight points to hold for 6-5.

The set went to a tiebreaker and Rafa won the first two points before Federer took control by ripping off five in a row, eventually forcing the decisive set. Rafa then came up with the first break of the third to grab a 3-1 lead and it would prove to be the difference. Federer could not break back and Rafa finally closed out the match in just under three hours.

"It wasn't my best performance. If you get broken so many times there is always something you are a little bit unhappy about," said Federer. "But I think I am finding the right type of play from the baseline."

Next up for both will be the French Open, which begins next Sunday in Paris..

Rafa Nadal will meet Roger Federer in the Hamburg Masters final on Sunday after clinching a pulsating 7-5, 2-6, 6-2 win over Novak Djokovic on Saturday.

Sunday's final will be the 16th time the world's top two have met, with the Swiss star beating Rafa only once on clay. In last year's final here, he bounced back from losing the first set to win 2-6, 6-2, 6-0.

"I am looking forward to playing in Roger's home," quipped Rafa after Federer had earlier picked up his 22nd straight win in Hamburg to reach Sunday's final"..."He has won here four times and it is best clay court venue, he loves it here, it will be a very tough match".

"Roger played a little over an hour of tennis today, while I played more than three, I just have to make sure I am 100 percent ready, because that is the level you have to reach to beat Roger."

The last of Rafa's seven wins over Federer on clay came last month in Monte Carlo when the world number one went down 7-5, 7-5. In Saturday's semi-final, with not only a place in Sunday's final at stake, but the world number two ranking behind Federer up for grabs, this was a titanic tussle between Nadal and Australian Open champion Djokovic, who won the Rome title last week.

"It was one of the best matches I have played, maybe the best I have ever played in on clay", said Djokovic..I just want to take the positive things out of it. Nadal is the best defensive player in the history of the sport."

Djokovic has never beaten Rafa on clay in their three previous meetings on the surface, but he romped into a 3-0 lead in the first set and was a point away from extending the gap until Rafa responded. The Spaniard fought back brilliantly with plenty of aggression to take the first set 7-5.

Djokovic rallied to take the second set 6-2 having powered his way into a 4-2 lead with some superb forehands. Rafa then dug deep to seize a 5-2 lead in the third set but needed five match points before he took the decider 6-2 after three hours and two minutes.

"It was special game, because he played a very good game, he has improved incredibly and is getting better," said Rafa. "He's going to be world number one within a few years, he's very good and very young."

Rafa Nadal put in an imposing performance to overcome Spanish compatriot Carlos Moya 6-1 6-3 and reach the semi-finals of the Hamburg Masters.

The 21-year-old French Open champion will now face 20-year-old Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic in a match that will determine who carries the mantle of the world number two ranking.

Rafa has been the number two to Roger Federer's world number one ever since first claiming that position in July, 2005 after winning the first of three successive French Open trophies.

With that said, Rafa showed no signs that he was ready to surrender the spot in his match against Moya, dominating the first set with an imposing display of winners and top-notch defence. The 2007 Hamburg runner-up easily outclassed his close friend and fellow Mallorcan, winning five straight games to close out the opener in just 25 minutes.

After breaking Moya, who is ten years Nadal's senior, in the opening game of the second set, Rafa looked headed for an equally comfortable margin of victory. But the former world number one showed the fighting spirit that has kept him in the top-20 for so long, breaking back in the fourth game thanks to a stunning exhibition of volleying.

Rafa, however, was able to reclaim his advantage in the very next game and - despite stubborn resistance from Moya - never looked back, wrapping up the comfortable win in just one hour and 15 minutes with another break of serve in the ninth game.

It will be the tenth time the two of them meet, with Rafa winning 6 of the 9 previous matches.