Nadal's victory at Roland Garros great for rest of season, but raises questions

The King of clay has done it again - Nadal's triumph on the red courts in Paris proved that he is still the best player on the surface. But even though he came through in style, without losing a set throughout the tournament, a few questionmarks can definitely be raised.

Defending champion Roger Federer was knocked out earlier by a stunning Robin Söderling during the quarterfinal round, in a match where the damp, rainy conditions also played a decisive role.

With all credit given to Söderling, it was a pity that Fed couldn't defend his title in a final against Nadal, in a match that probably could have been the best match of the season. It would have been exhilirating to see the two giants battle it out to the limit, Rafa eager to re-conquer his trophy and Fed in good form, and in a far more relaxed and dangerous role as before, as the defending champion.

While Söderling repeated his sensational feat of last year, against Federer this time, it was somehow in the air that he couldn't bring forward the same level of super play in the final. It is a mighty tough task to win your first Grand Slam, and Söderling knows this now after two failed attempts.

The nerves and anxiety got to the Swede once more as he underperformed significantly in the final. After the first set, you still had the feeling that he was dictating play while Nadal could only try to defend as well as possible, but he just couldn't convert his chances on the important points which proved to be the decisive factor.

But it is clear that the type of projectile-strength that Söderling and Del Potro possess probably is the winning recipe of the future.

Federer is still playing at a very good level, but within a few years, he will have to pass the relay stick on the to the younger generation. And I believe that while Söderling's game wasn't enough to beat Nadal in the French Open final, the signs say that it will be enough eventually, as the Swede gets even better and more mature.

I see Söderling as a future Nr.1 player. His incredible power-play and tough Swedish mentality are there already, he just needs a little more experience of playing big finals.

Having said that, the rest of the season looks very interesting.

For me, Roger Federer still remains as clear favourite for his seventh title in Wimbledon, but the threats are definitely there from not only Nadal and Söderling, but from Berdych as well, who also keeps improving and can play really well on grass. However, I don't think that Berdych is quiet ready for a Grand Slam win yet.

If the whimsical British weather allows the grass to "remain grass" and if Fed delivers his usual SW19 level, he will take this one.

The summer hard court season will be very open. I think this is where the year-end rankings will be decided, and the US Open is up for grabs for several players. Considering Nadal's results here, Federer is the favourite, but after his epic loss to a frenetic Del Potro last year, it just might once again go to someone else, even if it will take another superhuman effort to beat him.

In any way, the second half of the season looks very promising, and it might also be the last season of the Federer-Nadal dominance, as the young guns bang on the door harder than ever before.