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MELBOURNE - It sounds hardly fair. The man hailed as the best tennis player ever versus "Speedy" Gonzales.
It's a contest between the man poised to become only the fifth to win 10 or more Grand Slam events versus a player so inconsistent that, after winning his
semifinal against Tommy Haas impressively - with 42 winners and only three unforced errors - Fernando Gonzalez said of himself: "For many years, I would normally hit two winners and make 45 unforced errors."
Against the Chilean in the final of the Australian Open will be Roger Federer, who humiliated American Andy Roddick last week. Fernando and his fiery forehand will be appearing in a slam final for the first time.
It would be an almighty shock, like the whole of Australia suddenly deciding to go teetotal, if Federer does not triumph here.
Victory against Gonzalez, known as a hothead from Santiago but now playing the most intelligent and gloriously effective tennis of his life, would bring Federer, the 2004 and 2006 champion, a third title at Melbourne Park.
But, much more significantly, the Swiss would reach 10 grand slams won, earning him membership of the highly exclusive double-digit club. Ten slam titles would put the world No 1 level with the flamboyant Bill Tilden, the American outcast who was shunned by tennis after he was twice imprisoned for gay scandals or "immoral offences" and closing in on record holder Pete Sampras (14 slam titles).
Federer would then only trail Australian Rod Laver and Swede Bjorn Borg on 11 slams each, Australian Roy Emerson on 12 and American Sampras.
By moving his slams total into double figures, Federer, still only 25 but already widely considered the finest player in history, would show just how quickly he is closing in on the record.
Barring injury, he is poised to pass Sampras soon, perhaps even as early as next season. Certainly, Sampras has said that Federer will overtake him.
"I really believe in my heart that he's going to win way more than 14," Sampras said. "I think the way he's going and the fact that he doesn't really have players pushing him, he can win close to 17 or 18 majors. He's such a great player. The way he's dominating, it's unbelievable."
Not so long ago, Gonzalez, the 10th seed, used to hit all his shots like a man taking out all his grievances on a tennis ball.
But he is an altogether better, more patient player since last season linking up with Larry Stefanki, the American coach who tamed wild men such as John McEnroe, Marcelo Rios and Yevgeny Kafelnikov.
The slimline Gonzalez is faster around the court and more patient. His sliced backhand, his most improved stroke, kept the rallies going until he could unleash his thunderous forehand.
Gonzalez has also defeated Lleyton Hewitt, James Blake and Rafael Nadal en-route to the final. But it would take an extraordinary effort to change what has come before - Gonzalez and Federer have met nine times, with Federer winning all nine.
"Roger is the number one by far," said Gonzalez, who had never previously gone beyond the last 16 in Melbourne. "But on Sunday, we only have to play one match, there's only one match left in this tournament."
Federer admitted he was well placed to put Sampras into second place. He said: "I'm still five away from the record. But Jimmy Connors has 108 titles overall, I have 45. How can you put me in front of him in terms of titles? It's still far-fetched.
"If I go at the pace I'm going right now, of course I'll break all records. Nobody's ever done that. That's why I say, 'let's wait and see'. I'm definitely on the right track. I'm not injured. I'm playing well. I'm in another final."
And he has been appreciating the "beautiful" compliments for his sophisticated style, such as the lavish praise of "too much talent in one body", offered by his idol, Laver.
It can seem as though Federer walks on to court with a racket-bag stuffed full of tennis history.
Indeed, the right-hander from Basle could become the first man since Borg at the 1980 French Open to go through a slam without dropping a set. There is also the small matter of Federer playing in a seventh consecutive slam final, which equals the record set by Australian Jack Crawford at Wimbledon in 1934.
And there's also the possibility that he could set a new personal mark for his longest winning streak, with 36 unbroken victories (he equalled his best streak, 35, with the Roddick victory; the last to beat him was Scotsman Andy Murray in August).
Federer vs Fernando
Career meetings - match score: Federer 9-0 (7 won in straight sets)
Set score: Federer 22, Gonzales 2
Game score: Federer 150, Gonzales 80