Vincent Kessler/Reuters
PARIS — After a false dawn in Indian Wells, Calif., three months ago, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are well and truly set to renew their rivalry.
It has not been as edgy as Federer’s with Novak Djokovic, not as prolific — nor as routinely draining — as Nadal’s with Djokovic.
But Federer-Nadal — or Nadal-Federer if you are respecting Nadal’s 23-15 head-to-head edge — has been transcendent just the same. It has been a reflection of their contrasting styles, their devoted and oft-divided fan bases and their unforgettable Wimbledon finals in 2007 and 2008.