Nadal ties Borg's title record in Paris
Source: Agencies |
June 6, 2011, Monday
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Print Edition
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RAFAEL Nadal sealed a record-equaling sixth French Open title with a 7-5, 7-6 (3), 5-7, 6-1 win over Roger Federer yesterday to continue his dominance on clay over his great rival.
The victory meant the Spaniard equaled Bjorn Borg's men's singles record at Roland Garros while it also made sure he would remain world No. 1 amid pressure from Serb Novak Djokovic.
The top-ranked Nadal improved his record at Roland Garros to 45-1, and to 17-8 against Federer. In grand slam finals, Nadal is now 6-2 against his main rival.
Swiss Federer, who was bidding to beat Nadal in western Paris for the first time in five attempts, raced into a 5-2 lead in the first set and squandered a set point before errors crept into his play as the top seed turned the screw with some exceptional recovery shots.
Nadal rattled off seven games in a row to move 2-0 ahead in the second set as gasps went around a packed crowd on Court Philippe Chatrier, who were mainly supporting record 16-time grand slam champion Federer.
A slow start to the two-week tournament by Nadal was long forgotten by the time two of the greats of the game came to clash in the final after third seed Federer had ended second seed Djokovic's 41-match winning streak in 2011 in the semis.
Like so many of their epic duels down the years, this was another match full of exhilarating rallies and spellbinding winners but "King of Clay" Nadal deservedly prevailed.
Nadal, who has only ever lost one match in his seven years at the French Open, gave Federer a glimmer of a chance in the second set but easily won the tiebreak 7-3.
Federer battled back from 2-4 down in the third with some sublime tennis to extend the contest and had 0-40 on Nadal's opening service game in the fourth set.
Roared back
However, Nadal roared back to claim his 10th grand slam title when a resigned Federer hit a forehand long, the emotional Spaniard dropping to his knees in celebration.
Federer committed 56 unforced errors in the match, while Nadal had only 27.
Nadal is the second youngest man to reach 10 major titles. The only one younger was Borg. He's also about six months younger than Federer was when he won his 10th.
Earlier, Bjorn Fratangelo became the first American boy since John McEnroe in 1977 to win the junior title by defeating Dominic Thiem of Austria 3-6, 6-3, 8-6.
The unseeded Fratangelo broke serve at 6-all when Thiem's backhand sailed wide. He clinched victory and fell flat on the red dirt when the 14th-seeded Thiem hit a backhand return long on match point.
"I did well to hold my nerve at the end to close it out," the 17-year-old Fratangelo said.
Fratangelo of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, began playing tennis at the age of four and hopes to capture major titles like McEnroe, who went on to win Wimbledon three times and the US Open four times.
"It's amazing to follow in his footsteps," Fratangelo said. "Hopefully I'll be competing like him in the men's some day and win grand slams like he did."
Ironically, Fratangelo was named after Borg because his father idolized the Swedish champion, a main rival of McEnroe.
Americans don't have a strong reputation for playing well on the red dirt but Fratangelo honed his skills on clay because there are very few good hard courts where he lives.
"I learned really how to slide, how to move well on the surface," Fratangelo said.
"It taught me to construct points. Coming from indoor tennis, they just slap the ball one, two, three, point's over."
In the girls final, the ninth-seeded Ons Jabeur of Tunisia beat No. 5 Monica Puig of Puerto Rico 7-6 (8), 6-1.
The victory meant the Spaniard equaled Bjorn Borg's men's singles record at Roland Garros while it also made sure he would remain world No. 1 amid pressure from Serb Novak Djokovic.
The top-ranked Nadal improved his record at Roland Garros to 45-1, and to 17-8 against Federer. In grand slam finals, Nadal is now 6-2 against his main rival.
Swiss Federer, who was bidding to beat Nadal in western Paris for the first time in five attempts, raced into a 5-2 lead in the first set and squandered a set point before errors crept into his play as the top seed turned the screw with some exceptional recovery shots.
Nadal rattled off seven games in a row to move 2-0 ahead in the second set as gasps went around a packed crowd on Court Philippe Chatrier, who were mainly supporting record 16-time grand slam champion Federer.
A slow start to the two-week tournament by Nadal was long forgotten by the time two of the greats of the game came to clash in the final after third seed Federer had ended second seed Djokovic's 41-match winning streak in 2011 in the semis.
Like so many of their epic duels down the years, this was another match full of exhilarating rallies and spellbinding winners but "King of Clay" Nadal deservedly prevailed.
Nadal, who has only ever lost one match in his seven years at the French Open, gave Federer a glimmer of a chance in the second set but easily won the tiebreak 7-3.
Federer battled back from 2-4 down in the third with some sublime tennis to extend the contest and had 0-40 on Nadal's opening service game in the fourth set.
Roared back
However, Nadal roared back to claim his 10th grand slam title when a resigned Federer hit a forehand long, the emotional Spaniard dropping to his knees in celebration.
Federer committed 56 unforced errors in the match, while Nadal had only 27.
Nadal is the second youngest man to reach 10 major titles. The only one younger was Borg. He's also about six months younger than Federer was when he won his 10th.
Earlier, Bjorn Fratangelo became the first American boy since John McEnroe in 1977 to win the junior title by defeating Dominic Thiem of Austria 3-6, 6-3, 8-6.
The unseeded Fratangelo broke serve at 6-all when Thiem's backhand sailed wide. He clinched victory and fell flat on the red dirt when the 14th-seeded Thiem hit a backhand return long on match point.
"I did well to hold my nerve at the end to close it out," the 17-year-old Fratangelo said.
Fratangelo of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, began playing tennis at the age of four and hopes to capture major titles like McEnroe, who went on to win Wimbledon three times and the US Open four times.
"It's amazing to follow in his footsteps," Fratangelo said. "Hopefully I'll be competing like him in the men's some day and win grand slams like he did."
Ironically, Fratangelo was named after Borg because his father idolized the Swedish champion, a main rival of McEnroe.
Americans don't have a strong reputation for playing well on the red dirt but Fratangelo honed his skills on clay because there are very few good hard courts where he lives.
"I learned really how to slide, how to move well on the surface," Fratangelo said.
"It taught me to construct points. Coming from indoor tennis, they just slap the ball one, two, three, point's over."
In the girls final, the ninth-seeded Ons Jabeur of Tunisia beat No. 5 Monica Puig of Puerto Rico 7-6 (8), 6-1.
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