Thus far into 2008, it would be something of a gross understatement to maintain things most certainly have not worked out the way Roger Federer would have wanted them. But with his greatest challenge once again appearing on the horizon, the world No1 has erred on the side of common sense and sought the best kind of advice for his annual attempt to win the French Open.

A bout of glandular fever, albeit minor if Federer’s assertions that the virus has now completely left his body, is reason enough to accept the first few months of the year did not produce a single title. Yet many also pointed to stubbornness of the Swiss for the change in his fortunes. After parting with Tony Roche 11 months ago, he showed a marked reluctance to employ anyone else in the role and occasionally seemed to suffer the consequences.

Finally stepping into the role for what is expected to be Federer’s 2008 run on clay that begins today in Estoril and extends through Monte Carlo, Rome, Hamburg and finally Roland Garros in Paris is Jose Higueras, an advisor whose curriculum vitae when it comes to clay court play has few equals.

As a player, the Californian-based Spaniard reached the last four at the French Open twice in successive years, losing to such legends of the crushed brick dust as Guillermo Vilas and Mats Wilander. In 1983, he rose as high as No6 in the world, most of his titles being won on clay.

But it is as a coach that he has become truly revered, the list of players who sought the Higueras knowledge making impressive reading. First, he mentored Michael Chang into becoming the youngest male Grand Slam champion at the 1989 French Open. Then he was Jim Courier’s guide as the baseball capped American won back to back titles at both the French and Australian Opens.

Sergi Bruguera, the Catalan who took the French title in 1993 and ’94 was another disciple. So too, albeit briefly was the 1998 champion of Roland Garros, Carlos Moya. And Pete Sampras, perhaps the person whose advice Federer most respects, employed Higueras for a spell as he sought different ways of overcoming his phobia of the French Open.

Federer is not an easy man to coach, it is very hard to improve on what many people perceive to be the nearest living thing to perfection on a tennis court. Occasionally the chemistry is initially superb but then suffers irreparable breakdown with age-difference and an inability to communicate; the case of Roche being the perfect example.

The Higueras situation has been bizarrely dealt with by the Federer camp. A weekend practice session on Estoril’s centre court left little out of the public eye. Yet both Federer and long-time girlfriend Mirka had wanted to keep the liaison under wraps and ordered Higueras not to speak to any media.

Sources close to the 55 year-old Spaniard, who runs his own tennis academy in Palm Springs and currently has the American Robbie Ginepri and impressive Israeli girl player Shahar Peer under his guidance, say they will work together for a couple weeks to see if there is common ground. If so the deal will be extended.

The results could be fascinating.