THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
PARIS -- If Roger Federer was looking for a coach with intimate knowledge of Roland Garros, he certainly found his man in Jose Higueras.
Federer conducted his post-draw French Open news conference Friday, busy dismissing the notion he's having an average season and refusing to look toward yet another final against Rafael Nadal. And Higueras? Done putting Federer through his paces for the day, he was holding court in a hallway near the main locker-rooms. He got a tap on the shoulder from Nadal, Federer's nemesis and the three-time reigning champion at the clay-court Grand Slam tournament. "Rafaelito!" Higueras called out as his countryman sauntered past.
He traded kisses on each cheek with Svetlana Kuznetsova, the 2004 U.S. Open champion and runner-up in Paris two years ago. He paused to chat in French with a man who worked tournament security when Higueras reached the semifinals twice in the early 1980s.
"I know everybody here over 60," Higueras said.
He coached Michael Chang to the 1989 French Open title, then guided Jim Courier to the 1991 and 1992 trophies. If Higueras thinks he can help Federer finally add the Coupe des Mousquetaires to his collection, he wasn't saying two days before the tournament.
Indeed, Higueras didn't want to answer questions about Federer. So it was left to the player to explain how he might benefit from a coach he's worked with only on-and-off since mid-April.
"A guy seeing it from a different angle. Somebody you can discuss and talk about tactics and certain things," said Federer, who plays 41st-ranked Sam Querrey of the United States in the first round Tuesday. "If he sees something in my technique, that is something that you can then work on in the practice sessions. That is something we haven't had a chance to really look at. If you're down, sure, he can build you up. But I wasn't really down since we started working together."
Federer insists he hasn't been down much at all, even though this is the first season since 2001 he'll begin the French having won only one title.
"I wish I could have won maybe a tournament here and there a little bit more. But if I keep on winning the next few, I don't really care what happened in the past," said the top-ranked Federer, whose 12 major titles put him two from Pete Sampras' career record. "I'm happy with the season so far. You might think it's average. I don't."
If anyone speaks more glowingly of Federer's chances than Federer himself, it's Nadal. He's always quick to point out who is No. 1 in the rankings and who is No. 2.
On Friday, Nadal called Federer "one of the best clay-court players." Nadal noted that Federer has played in "three finals in Monte Carlo, two finals in Rome, two more finals here, one more semifinal here." What the Spaniard neglected to mention is that seven of those eight matches were played against Nadal, and Federer's record in those encounters is 0-7.
As for Higueras, Nadal wondered how much Federer's game might have changed in such short time together.
"If I have a new coach, it's impossible to change my game in three weeks," said Nadal, whose first-round opponent is qualifier Thomaz Bellucci, a 20-year-old Brazilian making his Grand Slam debut.
While Federer hopes to become the sixth man to complete a career Grand Slam, Nadal wants to become only the second in history to win four consecutive French Opens.
Remember: Nadal is 21-0 at this tournament. He's also won 108 of his past 110 matches on clay overall. Then again, one of those losses came against Federer.
"All I need to know is that I know I can beat him," Federer said. "We're six matches away, again, from each other. My focus is not on Rafa yet."
Nadal could have a more interesting path, including a possible semifinal against No. 3 Novak Djokovic, who upset Federer en route to winning the Australian Open in January.
"I'm coming to this year's French Open as a more mature player," Djokovic said. "And considering that fact, I believe much more in myself and that I can win against Rafa on clay, or Roger on any surface."
He was drawn into a possible meeting with No. 7 James Blake of the United States in the quarter-finals. Other matchups could be Federer vs. No. 8 Richard Gasquet, Nadal vs. No. 6 David Nalbandian, and No. 4 Nikolay Davydenko vs. No. 5 David Ferrer.
Or Nadal's quarter-final foe instead could be No. 19 Nicolas Almagro, who leads the tour with 25 clay-court victories. Federer might face Mario Ancic -- the last player to beat him at Wimbledon, way back in 2002 -- in the third round, and six-foot-10 Ivo Karlovic in the fourth.
There are three Canadians in the main singles draw. Frank Dancevic of Niagara Falls, Ont., will face qualifier Miguel Angel Lopez Jaen of Spain while Aleksandra Wozniak of Blainville, Que., will take on No. 20 seed Sybille Bammer of Austria and Stephanie Dubois of Laval, Que., will face qualifier Selima Sfar of Tunisia.
As the reigning men's champion, Nadal participated in Friday's draw. The reigning women's champion, Justine Henin, was not present. The 25-year-old Belgian retired suddenly this month, and won't be defending her title, so she was replaced for the festivities by 2007 runner-up Ana Ivanovic.
The women's quarter-finals could be No. 1 Maria Sharapova vs. No. 7 Elena Dementieva, No. 4 Kuznetsova vs. No. 6 Anna Chakvetadze, No. 2 Ivanovic vs. No. 5 Serena Williams, and No. 3 Jelena Jankovic vs. No. 8 Venus Williams. The Williams sisters could face each other in the semifinals -- or the two young Serbs, Ivanovic and Jankovic, could meet.
Serena Williams, the 2002 champion, is the only past French Open winner in the women's field.
"It was such a long time ago," she said. "Honestly, I doubt it even happened, so I'm going to have to win again."
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