Another Golf-Tennis Connection

There have been quite a few golf-tennis couples lately: Chris Evert and Greg Norman; Venus Williams and Hank Kuehne. Tiger Woods and Roger Federer.

Add homeboys Sergio Garcia and Rafael Nadal to the list. With Nadal at Wimbledon and Garcia at the European Open, some of the London papers are busy writing articles about their friendship - and how world-class athletes in different disciplines can learn from one another. Same as all the stories written about the Woods-Federer mutual admiration society when the friendship between those two titans first came to light.

The Mail calls Garcia "Rafael Nadal's best sporting pal." But Sergio shouldn't get too comfortable in Nadal's embrace. At the beginning of Wimbledon, Nadal talked about watching the U.S. Open golf tournament:

"Tiger is probably my idol," Nadal said. "I never have an idol but he is probably the sportsman who I admire more because I like a lot his mentality.

"I like a lot his eyes when he's going to have the important shot. He is always playing with unbelievable determination in important moments. The last part of the fourth day, only one guy with unbelievable concentration, unbelievable determination and big confidence in yourself. Only Tiger can do something like this.

"I know how tough it is playing having pain, and it is very difficult to have very good concentration when you are, in my case, running or touching the ball and you feel pain. That's unbelievable to win a US Open like this."

Some of what Nadal saw in Tiger is what Sergio needs to acquire. He hasn't been able to emulate Woods; but perhaps he can emulate his friend Nadal. If anyone can teach Garcia something about raising one's game while chasing after a seemingly unsassailable No. 1, it is Rafael Nadal, who is closer than any observers ever thought he would be to catching Roger Federer.

After a second-round 64 in the European Open today, Garcia talked to Reuters UK about Nadal:

"When you see a friend of yours doing well it makes you happy and you want to do well too," Garcia told reporters after firing an eight-under 64 for a nine-under tally of 135 at the London Club.

"It is nice to talk to a friend and ask him how things went. It has been fun and we've been sending messages congratulating each other," added the Spaniard before rushing off to watch Nadal in his Wimbledon semi-final with German Rainer Schuettler.

Nadal won that semifinal, setting up another Wimbledon final against Federer. Regardless of the outcome of that match, Nadal probably has much to teach Garcia about mental toughness and game management, if Garcia is willing to seek counsel.