Players Under the Microscope / Editor / 20 May 2007 /

Roger Federer has finally broken his duck against Rafael Nadal on clay after claiming the Hamburg Masters with a three-set victory over the Spaniard.

Nadal had put together an incredible run of 81 successive victories on clay but that record has now come to a halt as the Swiss ace brushed off his recent dip in form to win his first tournament in five events on the circuit.

Betfair customers have responded with Nadal drifting out to 1.88 to win the French open having been matched as low as 1.52, while Federer has immediately come in to 3.1.

Federer has dominated the tennis world in recent years, collecting 10 Grand Slam victories and a host of other tournaments along the way.

But he has never won the French, with Nadal proving too strong on clay in all of their previous encounters on the slower surface.

But that has all changed now with the world number one bouncing back after losing the first set in Germany, to drop only two more games for a 2-6 6-2 6-0 success over the left-hander.

Federer faced break points early in the second set, after surrendering meekly in the first, but he saved them and it acted as a catalyst to up his level.

With the Spanish starlet fading, the 25-year-old took full advantage to pull off a famous victory.

His triumph will give other top-name stars hope that, if they catch Nadal on an off day at Roland Garros, he is beatable and the French Open authorities will be happy that the men's singles will no longer be seen as a one-man show

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