While talk spirals from the pro-am pairing of Tiger Woods & Michael Jordan today at the Wachovia Championship, there's unfortunately less coverage on a more intriguing pairing.  Two other dominant athletes meet today on a court divided.

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are playing an exhibition match designed around each one's most notable specialty.  The four-time defending Wimbledon champ and the two-time defending French Open champ face off on a half-grass, half-clay court in Mallorca, Spain.

On the surface (pun intended), this is ingenuous marketing of the sport.  The world's top two, the only Grand Slam winners of 2006, styling shots in front of a sell-out crowd in Nadal's birthplace.

Along with this home court advantage, Nadal has the winning edge over Federer.  A 7-3 head-to-head record, including a perfect 5-0 on clay.  Fed has a 1-0 advantage on the lawn.  The hybrid court requires each to switch their best surface with the one each would love to claim a first rivalry victory.

And this is where I think this exercise in fun will best serve the Swiss.

Nadal is not the first player to own Federer.  (Nor the last.  In 2007, Guillermo Canas has been that man.)  David Nalbandian used to have a hold on Fed for years, starting in the juniors.  The world number one eventually switched that momentum.

Fed has been chipping away at the dirt.  This could be his tipping point.  The fresh challenge of the on-court shuffle -- which will even have the players changing their shoes whenever they change ends -- is ripe opportunity for Fed to design a new game plan.

Strategy is one of the Swiss star's most potent weapons.  Without discounting the presence of Tony Roche, Federer's dominance and longevity owe much to his ability to coach himself, both throughout a season and specifically during a match.  Having to shift and alternate tactics for today's match favors Fed's long-range goals, including winning the French Open.

According to the Associated Press, Federer said, "It'll be fun to find out what it's like to play on a court with mixed surfaces... And it ought to be interesting to see who chooses the better tactic."

Throw-away comments about a throw-away match?  I think not.

Remember the buzz on Andy Roddick when he beat Federer in the Kooyong exhibition right before the Australian Open?  Federer was willing to sacrifice that win in order to experiment with his game and later demolished the American in their AO semi.  Not to mention, Fed won that tournament without dropping a set.

We may look back on today's showy playtime as the catalyst for Federer's quantum leap.  His integration on clay -- and separation from Nadal.  The timing couldn't be better.  There's 25 days, 15 hours and 39 minutes until Roland Garros...