World number one Roger Federer is looking forward to taking revenge against French Open champion Rafael Nadal later this week on the grass of the Halle Open in Germany.
Spaniard Nadal, 19, whose power and fitness have swept him to a 24-match winning streak on clay, beat Federer in the semi-finals at Roland Garros.
Both players are aiming to get some practice on grass at the $800,000 tournament in western Germany before Wimbledon starts on June 20. They could meet in the Halle semis.
"I hope [Nadal] stays in the tournament for a long time and a rematch is possible," Federer, who has won at Halle the last two years and has, himself, not lost on grass for 24 successive matches, said at a news conference.
"Of course I would be the favourite because this surface is very special for me," Federer added. Nadal has beaten the Swiss twice in their three meetings, with Federer coming from two sets down to win their other encounter. They have never met on grass.
"Clearly my goal is a hat-trick of wins at [Halle]," Federer said. "I want to win the title and help build up my confidence for Wimbledon."
The 23-year-old Federer is also gunning for a third successive win at the All England Club.
His main rivals in London are Andy Roddick of the US, Russia's Marat Safin, who is also playing in Halle, and Australia's Lleyton Hewitt, Federer said.
"Those three players have the most experience and the potential to win the trophy," he said, adding that Britain's Tim Henman would also pose a threat at his home event.
Federer said a clutch of young players coming through the ranks, including Nadal, Richard Gasquet of France and the Czech Republic's Tomas Berdych are good news for tennis.
But he said he is also still feeling "very young" and had a warning for anyone aiming to steal his crown: "The youngsters will have a difficult job putting me under pressure out there."
