Sure, it would be sweeter.

If sports went off script, and the climax was Roger Federer winning his first French Open for his record-tying 14th overall Grand Slam singles title, his vanquished foe in the final would be Rafael Nadal.

But that's not how sports work. Roland Garros isn't a movie set. Nadal, the top seed and heavy favorite to reign for the fifth consecutive year, lost in the fourth round.

Bracketing that surprise were early exits by the two other primary Federer foils -- No. 4 Novak Djokovic in the third round and No. 3 Andy Murray in the quarterfinals.

So here's Federer, his path cleared, with probably the best chance he'll get to fill the one void that leaves his place in history open to discussion.

A French Open conquest would confirm Roger Federer as the best player ever, period.

No asterisk.

So what if he didn't have to beat Nadal, or Djokovic, or Murray?

Their failures in Paris, if anything, command appreciation for a Federer feat that might better reflect his greatness than his collection of major titles: He now has reached the semifinals at 20 -- twenty! -- consecutive Grand Slam events.

It's a remarkable run of sustained success dating back to 2004 when he lost in the third-round at Roland Garros. And who beat him that day? Three-time champion Gustavo Kuerten.

Since then, on every trip to Melbourne, Paris, London or New York, Federer has advanced to the last four, either winning it all or losing to the guy who did. Details on the defeats are as follows:

Federer's Grand Slam defeats since 2005 Event Lost in ... Lost to ... Score 2009 Australian Open F Rafael Nadal 7-5, 3-6, 7-6, 3-6, 6-2 2008 Wimbledon F Rafael Nadal 6-4, 6-4, 6-7, 6-7, 9-7 2008 French Open F Rafael Nadal 6-1, 6-3, 6-0 2008 Australian Open SF Novak Djokovic 7-5, 6-3, 7-6 2007 French Open F Rafael Nadal 6-3, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 2006 French Open F Rafael Nadal 1-6, 6-1, 6-4, 7-6 2005 French Open SF Rafael Nadal 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 2005 Australian Open SF Marat Safin 5-7, 6-4, 5-7, 7-6, 9-7

There have been bullets dodged, for sure. This year alone, Federer has overcome two-set deficits in the fourth round of the Australian (Tomas Berdych) and French (Tommy Haas) Opens.

Had he lost one of those matches -- a great player having an off day against a very good player having a lightning-in-his-bottle day, just as Nadal lost Sunday to Robin Soderling -- the result would have been an upset.

And Federer, for sure, was the "favorite" in his quarterfinal match, despite coming off the struggles against Haas and facing No. 11 Frenchman Gael Monfils, a gifted, athletic shot-maker who had dropped just one set and was on his preferred surface before a home crowd.

It was one of those perfect storms that a great player sometimes encounters, and Federer weathered it yet again.

He could have folded in the French Open semifinals, trailing two sets to one against an energized and dangerous Juan Martin del Potro. But Federer picked up his game and earned a trip to the championship match.

Someone who understands the degree of difficulty here is the man who, for now, stands alone with 14 major titles.

Pete Sampras will recall the summer of 2001, when his quest for an eighth Wimbledon title was derailed in the fourth-round on Centre Court by a 19-year-old, emerging star from Switzerland. His name: Roger Federer.

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