Former Wimbledon champion Virginia Wade feels Rafael Nadal should be considered the greatest claycourter of all time if he wins this year's French Open.
Nadal will be chasing a record seventh title at Roland Garros when the event gets under way on Sunday. He is currently tied on six with the legendary Bjorn Borg.
Borg is considered by many to the greatest dirtballer, but Wade, who will be covering the tournament as a pundit for British Eurosport, feels Nadal will deserve to move ahead of him in the pantheon of stars if he lifts the famous trophy for a seventh time next month.
"I think I would give the edge to Nadal by a hair," she said.
"He's beating everybody all the time (on clay). His record in Monte Carlo (eight successive titles) is beyond belief.
"Of course, they play much faster than they used to and can hit the ball much harder but if he won the French I might have to give him the edge."
Asked to compare the two, Wade, who was Wimbledon champion in 1977 - the same year Borg won his second title in SW19, added: "They are so different physically and in the way they play.
"Bjorn never gave away anything. He wasn't as overtly emotional on the court as Rafa. He was clinical and as quick as a flash, lightning fast.
"The great thing about Bjorn was he would never miss a ball from the baseline and then he'd come over on to the grass and start serving and volleying!"
Like many, Wade feels a Nadal-Djokovic final is on the cards in Paris but she is siding with the Spaniard should the pair clash.
"Djokovic is a little fluctuating in his game but Nadal fights every single point.
"Djokovic would be so disappointed not to win having won the other three Grand Slams, but he hasn't been playing as decisively as last year.
"Djokovic developed so many facets of his game last year. He improved his serve so much, his forehand and stepped into the ball. He was even coming into the net quite well.
"This year he started to play a little bit scared. He was a little fortunate to get through against Andy (Murray) and Nadal in the final in Australia, but then how many times has he survived these crises?
"Nadal has been playing brilliantly and if you get into a five-set match between Rafa and Novak you would have to back Nadal."
Despite fancying the big two to be involved in the men's final, Wade is not ruling out a surprise finalist or two, but feels the underdogs' chances may come down to how fast the courts and ball play.
Roger Federer benefited from conditions to his liking 12 months ago to reach the final and the Swiss, like many others, will be keeping his fingers crossed for a repeat of fast courts and balls.
Wade added: "Last year Paris played with a fast, high-bouncing ball made by Babolat which was different from the rest of the tour but French-made.
"If the balls are the same as last year and other things like the weather stay dry, then the big guys with big serves will be really hard to beat.
"(Juan Martin) Del Potro, (Tomas) Berdych and (Milos) Raonic - these guys are not even outsiders any more. They can beat anybody on a given day.
"Look what happened with John Isner against Federer in the Davis Cup on his home territory (Isner won in four sets on clay)."
