Can Federer stop Nadal's French run?

A brief look at the strengths and weaknesses of the leading contenders for the men's title at the French Open which begins on Sunday.

Rafael Nadal (Spain)

The four-times champion has the ability to flatten opponents with his fearsome forehand groundstrokes. A supreme athlete, he employs speed and an aggressive approach to win through. As for weaknesses, he does not understand the meaning of the word.

An exquisite squash-style shot he conjured up at the 2006 French Open sums up the talent of the man. Might have overcome a mental block against Nadal by beating the Spaniard in Madrid last Sunday -- snapping a five-match losing streak. But memories of his 2008 final mauling may come back to haunt him.

As well as being a supreme tactician, he trips up many opponents with his excellent court coverage. Despite honing his skills on clay at the Sanchez-Casal academy in Barcelona during his teenage years, red dirt remains his weakest surface and he would do well to reach the second week for the first time.

Boasts an attractive all-court game with his backhand being his strongest weapon. His fitness, though, has been called into question time and again as he has quit mid-match four times in 17 Grand Slam tournaments.

Can adapt to playing on many different surfaces as he proved by winning back-to-back titles on clay and hardcourt in 2008. His swift coverage around the court helps him to run opponents ragged.

His thunderbolt serve is no longer the weapon it once was and on clay it fails to do much damage. With four opening-round losses, two second-round showings and a solitary visit to the third round, Roddick has probably already booked his flight out of Paris.

After a consistent start to the season on hard courts, his double-handed backhand has failed to pay dividends on the energy-sapping clay. As the highest ranked home player, he will be under the spotlight as France looks for its first men's champion since Yannick Noah in 1983.

Spain's Davis Cup hero has an ominous forehand and has proved to be a supreme athlete after keeping Nadal on court for more than five hours in a battle of wills and stamina in the Australian Open semi-finals. The gifted left-hander has the game to reach the second week for the first time.