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On Friday, tennis fans will be treated to the 39th match between Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. Nadal holds a 23-15 edge, most of his advantage coming from his 13-2 mark on clay. Though Nadal, 33, has lost their last five meetings, Federer, 37, has never beaten him at the French Open. Federer, in fact, has won only four of the 19 sets they have played at Roland Garros.
Here are excerpts from The New York Times articles about their matches in Paris.
2005: SEMIFINAL