ANALYSIS-Tennis-Nadal's no show deprives Federer of sidekick

By Pritha Sarkar

LONDON, June 19 (Reuters) - When Roger Federer shows up at Wimbledon without Rafael Nadal looking down at him from the top of the draw, it will feel like Bjorn Borg has arrived without John McEnroe or Pete Sampras minus Andre Agassi.

In an era when Federer-Nadal showdowns are starting to reach epic proportions, the Swiss will have to go it alone for the first time next week since the 2006 Australian Open when the Spaniard missed out due to a foot injury.

The season that promised much for Nadal when he beat Federer in a thrilling five-setter to win his first Australian Open in January, unravelled on Friday.

Although the way he plays puts a huge amount of pressure on his body -- the exaggerated topspin, the chasing and sliding -- when it comes to the big tournaments he has generally managed to play through the pain and flatten his opponents.

On Friday, wearing a purple T-shirt and with his shoulders sagging, he told the tennis world the news it did not want to hear.

"Unfortunately this year I won't be able to play at Wimbledon," he told a news conference in Spanish.

While it may be good news for the countless players he has bullied into submission with his wicked forehand, his absence will leave a gaping hole in the draw.

A tournament without its world number one, its top seed and its champion is a little like trying to stage the Oscars without the prized golden statuettes.