When the French Open begins on Monday, not only will Roger Federer stand apart, but he will start as favourite to win the title.

Equipped with a brand of tennis which modern history suggests should be a liability on the slow, gruelling clay of Roland Garros, Federer's talent is such that the world number one can still be expected to overcome all.

The modest Swiss with perfect timing can protest all he likes, he is the favourite.

Last year he became the first Swiss man to win a grand slam singles title, at Wimbledon, and showed his versatility by winning seven titles on three different surfaces.

At the beginning of this year he bagged the Australian Open title and now looks a decent bet to win in Paris.

In the weeks leading up to Roland Garros, all the talk had been of Guillermo Coria and the Argentine's devastating claycourt play.

Earlier this month he went into the Hamburg final against Federer on a 31-match winning streak on the gruelling surface, yet with little fuss and his customary command Federer dispatched him in four sets.

FIRST-HAND KNOWLEDGE

Still, though, Federer plays down his chances at the Open.

"I really don't want to consider myself as the favourite," he said after that win over Coria.

"I don't want to waste thoughts on possible semi-finals or quarter-finals," the 22-year-old Federer added, reflecting on his opening-round defeats in Paris over the last two years.

"I'll concentrate on my first round because that's what didn't work in the last two years."

But the Federer of last year and the player today are very different.

He now knows he can win on any surface and at the highest of levels.

Certainly his opponents recognise his capability. Coria has recent first-hand knowledge of his threat and champion Juan Carlos Ferrero marks him out as a danger.

The Spaniard has never been beaten before the semi-final stage at Roland Garros but he has been troubled by injuries and illness all year.

CHICKEN POX

At the beginning of the season, Ferrero contracted chicken pox. He injured his wrist and ribs afterwards and has barely played on his favourite surface.

"Having only played four games on clay (since last year) will be a handicap," he told Spanish newspaper El Pais this week.

"But Roland Garros is the last tournament I have left and I'm going to try to do the best possible."

As well as the threat of Federer and Coria, Ferrero will also face fierce opposition from his compatriots, traditionally strong on clay.

Carlos Moya is hitting form at just the right time and believes his is playing better tennis than in 1998 when he won the French crown and reached world number one.

"I think I'm a better player than I was a few years ago," he said in Hamburg, where he was stopped by Federer in the quarter-finals.

"I didn't win the French Open again but if you look at my match record now you will see that it is better than what it was in 1997 or 1998."

U.S. Open champion Andy Roddick sits between Federer and Coria at number two in the rankings and although, like Federer, he has a poor record in Paris he could certainly lift the title this year.