Strings attached to tennis edge

The sentimental connection between the world's best tennis players and their rackets, like an umbilical cord that unites a violinist with his instrument, explains many things. It is also a theme that transcends brand and sponsorship and is practically devoid of commercialization, a romantic exception in such a lucrative sphere.

"I had the option to change my racket a few years ago," world number one Rafa Nadal reflected. "It's a difficult and important decision: you can earn more money but if you lose a bit of feeling, you lose more games than before, which in turn makes you less happy than before, and I believe that happiness is more important than money."

Then there is idolatry. Roger Federer, who on Wednesday overcame a stiff challenge from Gilles Simon to advance to the third round with a 6-2, 6-3, 4-6, 4-6, 6-3 victory, uses a Wilson, because Pete Sampras favored one. Nadal uses a Babolat, as did Carlos Moyà. Xavi Segura, racket stringer for Spain's Davis Cup team and a trusted ally of Nadal in material matters, understands the biography of these two rackets better than anyone.

Federer pays around 30,000 euros a year to keep his rackets in perfect condition

"The peculiarity of Nadal's racket is the bottom part of the neck"

"Federer's racket has one of the smallest impact surfaces on the Tour [580 square centimeters]. Its profile is slim, which gives him more control, but the tendency is toward wider heads for more power," Segura says. "That gives Federer more precision. That sort of racket isn't used more because its center, the sweet spot, is so reduced that you need a very good technique and physique to hit the ball well. He has enlarged the center of the racket by increasing the distance between the grip and the neck. Among Federer's rivals power prevails. This is how he counters it."

Federer pays between 30,000 and 33,000 euros a year so that his rackets are in perfect condition and Ron Yu, his racket stringer, travels with him. Nadal prefers to entrust his to each tournament's own stringers.

"The peculiarity of Nadal's racket is the bottom part of the neck isn't tubular but aerodynamic, like a speed-trial cyclist's helmet, so it penetrates the air more and has more capacity for acceleration," says Segura. "What he has personalized is the weight, the balance. His racket weighs 20 grams more than the ones in the shop, 300 instead of 320. He puts adhesive lead strips on the handle, or silicone injections."

According to Segura, Nadal pays about 500 euros a year to balance the weight of 40 or 50 rackets. Unlike Federer, however, he spends a considerable amount on his physical preparation, taking with him an entourage of trainers throughout the tour.

Juan Martín del Potro uses much bigger rackets than Federer, with heads of around 660 square centimeters. Like Nadal, Del Potro knows that the players of old, of the amateur era, suspect any hard-hitter of the 21st century of being incapable of competing with their wooden rackets.

"I doubt he'd be as good as he is," chuckles former world number one and eight-times Grand Slam winner Ken Rosewall. "Wooden rackets had a much smaller head. For Nadal's style of play it would be difficult to find a way to produce topspin. It's easier with the big rackets of today."

Nadal does not argue: "If I had trained with a wooden racket as a child, I could do it," he says. "But now, no. It would be impossible to adapt."

Fernando Verdasco, the number nine seed in Melbourne, uses a Dunlop and his racket was forced into a tough day's work on Wednesday. The holder, with Nadal, of the longest match in Australian Open history, Verdasco saved three match points against Janko Tipsarevic in a five set victory lasting just under four hours. Despite dropping the first two sets, Verdasco rallied to win 2-6, 4-6, 6-4, 7-6, 6-0 and will play Japan's Kei Nishikori in the third round.

"Every time you win a game like this at a Grand Slam it gives you a lot of confidence and shows you whether you are in good shape physically and mentally," Verdasco said. "It was an important victory after going down two sets and saving match points in the fourth. This was a very positive match for me."