© Getty Images/AP/Getty Images
By Kamakshi Tandon

The shadow of Bjorn Borg has hung over the two men's finalists all fortnight, so it's only appropriate that the man himself has been going back and forth between the two.

As the Championships began, he backed Rafael Nadal to match his own feat of winning the French and Wimbledon back-to-back. "I was with Nadal  at the beginning of the tournament and I'm still with Nadal," he told NBC earlier this week. 

By Friday, he had changed his mind and predicted that his record of five straight Wimbledon titles would be eclipsed by Roger Federer. "Before the tournament I picked Nadal just to pick someone else," said Borg. "Nadal has improved his game a lot since last year but if Roger is playing the way he has until the semifinals, it's going to be tough to beat Roger."

A good sign for the defending champion, but remember too that Borg tipped Federer in the French Open final -- and we all know how how that turned out. Federer suffered a crushing defeat to Nadal, winning just four games. Still, Borg is not alone in his uncertainty. Few people, be they experts or fans, are being too unequivocal about their choice and the anticipation surrounding the upcoming showdown is a reflection of how tight the encounter is expected to be.

While Borg was contemplating Federer's chances, his partner in Wimbledon legend, John McEnroe, spent some time that day hitting with Nadal on the practice courts. The former master of touch was eager to face the game's current master of topspin. "His forehand is incredible. The speed and spin is incredible and the pop in his serve, there's a life to it," said McEnroe afterwards.

Having toppled a five-time champion himself when he defeated Borg at Wimbledon in 1981, McEnroe is giving Nadal a good shot to do the same.

Federer and Nadal did play a memorable five-set final last year, but it did not have the late-stage drama of an 18-16 tiebreak like Borg and McEnroe and its momentum got somewhat lost when the two did not face each again in a major for 11 months. A wondrous final in Rome two years ago has been their best match to date, but they have yet to be as competitive at a Slam.

So the hope is that this latest meeting will turn out to be a high-water mark -- their best match so far... their best match ever?

"It's quite hard for me to judge at the moment how this rivalry will be looked upon later on, like we look at Becker-Edberg... McEnroe-Connors... Sampras-Agassi," reflected Federer, a keen tennis historian. "In the moment you're sort of right in it. You try to win the matches that come along against your main rival.

"I know it's something special what we're going through at the moment, but I think maybe in five years' time we'll sort of see more."

Marat Safin, Federer's victim in the semifinals, doesn't feel the need for that kind of detached historical assessment. "Definitely I think it's more fun than Sampras-Agassi," he asserted. "Because I'm living in this generation. Sampras-Agassi was great, but we were too young to understand that. We are living [Federer-Nadal] right now. We know how Nadal is in the locker room. I can speak to both of them. You know, for us it's a little bit closer.

"I think they're just also two great guys, to be honest, really down-to-earth. Federer is quite funny. Nadal is also there. No, very interesting.  It's good to be with them in the same locker room."

Not even Safin could be coaxed into picking a winner, though he did suggest that he's leaning towards Nadal. "It's a tough one. A tough one," he said. "Nadal is playing just too good. Let's see how Roger is going start the match.

"It's just interesting to see, because everything depends on the tactics. Clay court is just too tough for Federer because Nadal, for example, is playing an open-stance backhand and forehand, so [Federer] can't really make him stretch. He cannot do anything. He cannot go to the volley because Nadal is just too fast.

"But here, for example, he will try to push him, and maybe he has more chance here."

After the anticlimax of the one-sided result in Paris, both have looked intimidating on the grass. Nadal looked the better of the two early on, wining Queen's and playing top-notch tennis that culminated in a fearsome display against Andy Murray in the quarterfinals. Federer was solid rather than spectacular during his win in Halle and his first few rounds at Wimbledon, but he produced a striking display against Mario Ancic in the quarterfinals and looked better than Nadal in their respective semifinals.

They have been keeping half an eye on each other's play, knowing that the outcome of the final will have a big impact on the shape of men's game. But many of their Grand Slam encounters have had that kind of impact, so this is nothing new. What is new this time is that one of them will go in as at least a joint favorite on the other's favorite surface -- for the first time in their three meetings at the All England Club, Nadal will walk on Centre Court as Federer's equal in most people's minds.

The world No. 1 also has the psychological baggage of their Paris encounter to deal with. Chris Evert once observed, "When you get your head beaten against the wall, you don't forget it." Though Federer dismisses the idea, the proof will lie on the court tomorrow. In Federer's favor is the grass surface, which tempers the bounce of Nadal's grounstrokes and gives Federer much more opportunity to hit the ball in his strike zone -- particularly important for the effectiveness of his one-handed backhand. At the very least, it gives him the comfort of knowing that he will not suffer a beatdown like Paris.

It will not be an antagonistic encounter. They know each other well, having chatted regularly this week, passing time during rain delays and exchanging views on Euro 2008. They also know each other's games well, having played 18 times - Nadal has won nine of their 10 meetings on clay, Federer has gone 5-2 on hardcourts and grass.

Despite the pressure and eternal doubts surrounding him, Federer says he's not sorry that Nadal will across the net as he goes for his 13th Grand Slam. "I enjoy the challenge," said Federer. "Rafa is a great competitor. He's got a winning record over me. Every time I play him I want to try to beat him."

"I'm only going to try my best," said Nadal. "Later, if he plays better than me and beats me I'll just congratulate him like I do every year."

Despite those noble words, a loss will be bitterly disappointing for either. For those watching, it will be bitterly disappointing if the match isn't a classic.