TENNIS/MONTE CARLO MASTERS: THE POSSIBILITY of Roger Federer winning the French Open, and thereby becoming only the sixth player in the game's long history to capture all four grand slam tournaments, continues to look a forlorn one as long as Rafael Nadal's suspect knees hold together.

The 21-year-old Spaniard defeated the Swiss world number one yesterday for the seventh time in their eight meetings on clay, winning 7-5, 7-5 for his fourth successive Monte Carlo title, thereby equalling the record of New Zealand's Anthony Wilding that was set before the first World War.

Federer had more chances than usual, and this seemed enough to convince him he is getting ever closer to solving the Nadal clay-court conundrum. He twice broke the Spaniard's serve in the opening set, and then held a 4-0 lead in the second. Yet even then he could not nail his nemesis.

His one victory on the surface came last year in the Hamburg Master Series final. Federer has no other option other than to talk up his chances of ultimately getting the better of the world number two on clay, as he did after this defeat, their 15th meeting on all surfaces, and Nadal's ninth victory. It is only on the All England Club's grass, as well as indoors, that Nadal has yet to get the better of him. "I pushed Rafa today, and have the feeling I can beat him if I play the right way," said Federer, who has lost the last three finals here against Nadal, as well as the 2006 and '07 French Open finals.

Federer, who has been without a coach since parting with Tony Roche just under a year ago, has begun working with Spain's US-based Jose Higueras, who coached Michael Chang and Jim Courier to the French Open title.

Both players have had their confidence shaken in recent times. Nadal was without a title since he won in Stuttgart last summer, while Federer, having been beaten in the semi-finals of the Australian Open, almost lost to a qualifier in his opening match here.

Their quality of play in the opening set was patchy, while Nadal's level of intensity in the second dropped alarmingly. At one stage Federer had won three times as many points, including eight in succession as he went 4-0 up, only for Nadal to reel off 11 successive points of his own. It left Federer clutching at straws, ones that seem unlikely to make him winning bricks when the French Open begins in four weeks.