Spain's Rafael Nadal holds the cup after defeating Switzerland's Roger Federer in the men's final match for the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium, Sunday, June 5, 2011, in Paris. (AP-Yonhap News)
PARIS (AP) _ Regardless of the setting or the surface, Rafael Nadal confounds Roger Federer the way no other man can.
Put the two greats of the game on opposite ends of a court in a Grand Slam final _ particularly at Roland Garros, on the red clay that Nadal rules _ and the one-sided nature of the rivalry grows even more pronounced.
Grinding along the baseline, using every bit of his wingspan to extend points, whipping fearsome forehands this way and that, Nadal flummoxed Federer yet again Sunday in a riveting, highlight-filled match, beating him 7-5, 7-6 (3), 5-7, 6-1 for a record-tying sixth French Open championship and 10th major title overall.
``He plays better against the better ones, and that's what he showed today,'' said Federer, owner of 16 Grand Slam trophies. ``He's a great champion, on clay, especially.''
There's no question that Nadal is as good as it gets in Paris _ 45-1 for his career, and the same number of titles there as Bjorn Borg _ but the Spaniard already also has shown that he is much more than the King of Clay. And Sunday's victory only will raise more questions about whether Federer truly deserves to be called the Greatest of All Time if he is not even the Greatest of Right Now.
Nadal leads their head-to-head series 17-8. That includes a 6-2 advantage in Grand Slam finals and a 5-0 edge at the French Open (in the 2005 semifinals, and the 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2011 finals).
When a reporter recited those numbers and asked for an assessment, Nadal replied: ``Well, it means I can play well, too.''
``When you talk about these statistics, when you try and make these comparisons, really it's not very interesting to me,'' continued Nadal, who would have ceded the No. 1 ranking to Novak Djokovic with a loss Sunday. ``I'm very happy with what I have, with who I am. I'm not the best player in the history of tennis. I think I'm among the best. That's true. That's enough for me.''
He's rapidly gaining on Federer. Nadal turned 25 Friday, making him about six months younger than Federer was when the Swiss star collected his 10th major title.
This was their first meeting in a Grand Slam final in more than two years. It also was the first major championship match contested by any two men who already completed career Grand Slams. And Nadal and Federer put on a worthy show, more than 3{ hours full of lengthy exchanges, brilliant defense, sublime shotmaking, and some dizzying shifts of momentum.
``A big occasion,'' the third-seeded Federer said. ``I was aware of it.''
He won't acknowledge publicly that Nadal drives him crazy with those high-bouncing lefty forehands that arrive shoulder-high on Federer's backhand side, and that perpetual-motion, cover-every-spot, never-cede-a-thing scrambling that forces an opponent to produce several superb shots just to earn a single point.
``It's always pretty straightforward when we play each other ... because we know what to expect,'' Federer said. ``I'm not in any way frustrated with his play.''
Perhaps that's true, but consider this: Federer is 14-1 in the Grand Slam finals he has played against any other opponent. The only time Federer won the French Open, in 2009, he avoided Nadal, who was eliminated in the fourth round that year by Robin Soderling.
Nadal, for his part, doesn't like to boast about his supremacy over Federer, whom he always refers to as the top player ever.
But Toni Nadal, Rafael's uncle and coach, spoke plainly after Sunday's match.
``The game of Rafael is not too good for Roger,'' Toni said, adding that Federer's ``mentality against Rafael is not the best.''
On Sunday, Federer raced to a 5-2 at the outset, but blew a set point by missing a drop shot that landed barely wide.
``I definitely thought that I got maybe a touch unlucky there, and he got a touch lucky,'' Federer said. ``That was one of my bigger chances.''
Nadal then won seven games in a row. Later, when Nadal went up a break in the third and led 4-2, the match appeared over, until Federer charged back to force a fourth set. But Nadal once more assumed control, winning the last five games, then dropping to his knees and leaning forward with his hands covering his eyes.
``I was able to play my best when I needed my best,'' Nadal said. ``For that reason, today I am here with the trophy.''
Midway through the tournament, Nadal talked down his chances, admonishing himself for not hitting the ball with enough ``conviction'' and questioning whether he was playing well enough to take home the title. After all, he fell behind unseeded John Isner 2-1 in sets in the first round, pushed to five sets for the only time in his seven trips to the French Open.
``Last week, when Rafael was playing so badly,'' Uncle Toni recounted Sunday evening, ``to lift some of the pressure, I told him: 'Stay calm. Winning or losing won't change your life.'''
Not that Sunday's match needed any assistance in the drama department, but a little extra came in the form of a rain delay _ the very first of the entire 15-day tournament _ while Nadal was serving to take a two-set lead.
He had a set point at 5-4, 40-30, but wasted it with a forehand that clipped the net and flew long. That made it deuce, and that's when drops began falling. As spectators pulled on hats and popped open umbrellas, Nadal and Federer waited a few seconds before walking off the court.
Federer slipped into a private trainer's room and hopped up on a table. Nadal switched shirts and fidgeted with his racket strings in a hallway, then had a brief chat with his mentor.
``Rafael was very nervous in the locker room,'' Uncle Toni said. ``I (told) him: 'It's difficult for you. But it's very difficult for him, too.'''
After a 10-minute break, the match resumed, and Nadal immediately earned a second set point. But Federer saved that one, too, opening an eight-point run for him. And then it was Nadal's turn to take eight points in a row, including a 4-0 lead in the tiebreaker, which he eventually closed with a forehand winner.
Federer wasn't finished, breaking Nadal at love to get within 4-3 in the third set. When Federer struck a forehand winner down the line to break again and go ahead 6-5, he earned a standing ovation and chants of ``Ro-ger! Ro-ger!'' from thousands of fans at Court Philippe Chatrier.
``When Roger plays like this,'' Nadal said, ``the opponent has nothing to do, sometimes.''
With the crowd roaring each time he won a point, Federer served out the set, capping it with another forehand winner. The outcome seemed in doubt. Federer had won 117 points, Nadal 116.
``All of a sudden, at 0-0 in the fourth set,'' Federer said, ``you think, 'OK, we have a match again.'''
Nadal served to begin the fourth set, and Federer quickly gained three break points at love-40. This, then, would be the final twist. Nadal erased two break points with groundstroke winners, and the third with an ace. A service winner followed. Then Federer shanked a backhand off his frame and into the stands.
``Very important for me, no?'' Nadal would say later. ``That was a big turning point of the match, in my opinion.''
That made it 1-0, and Federer held to 1-1. But that was it. Nadal didn't lose another game as the sun finally broke through the gray clouds, bathing the court in light. An appropriate conclusion for Nadal, the kid from the island of Mallorca who loves to spend free time fishing or at the beach.
On the back of each of the sky-blue sneakers that kept carrying him to balls that should have been out of reach, Nadal had the number ``5'' in a circle _ signifying his French Open title count until Sunday.
Time to order a new pair.
프랑스오픈- 나달, 통산 6번째 우승 위업
라파엘 나달(1위•스페인)이 프랑스오픈 테니스 대회(총상금 1천752만유로) 남자단식에서 통산 6번째 우승을 차지했다.
나달은 5일(현지시간) 프랑스 파리의 스타드 롤랑가로에서 열린 대회 마지막 날 남자단식 결승에서 로저 페더러(3위•스위스)를 3-1(7-5 7-6 5-7 6-1)로 물리치 고 지난해에 이어 2년 연속 정상을 지켰다.
이로써 나달은 2005년부터 2008년까지 4연패를 달성한 데 이어 이 대회 단식에 서 통산 6번째 우승 트로피를 품에 안았다. 우승 상금은 120만 유로(한화 18억8천만 원)다.
6회 우승은 비욘 보리(스웨덴)와 어깨를 나란히 하는 이 대회 최다 우승 타이기 록이다.
보리는 1974~1975년, 1978~1979년, 1980~1981년 등 2년 연속 우승을 세 차례 해 냈다.
나달은 이 대회에서 6회, 윔블던에서 2회, 호주오픈과 US오픈에서 한 번씩 우승 해 메이저 통산 우승 횟수를 10으로 늘렸다.
메이저대회 단식 최다 우승 기록은 페더러(16회)가 갖고 있으며 10회 이상을 기록한 선수는 나달까지 7명이 됐다.
초반은 페더러의 기세가 좋았다. 나달의 첫 서브게임부터 브레이크하며 게임스코어 3-0까지 달아났고 이 간격은 5-2까지 좁혀지지 않았다.
그러나 '클레이코트의 황제' 나달이 쉽게 무너지지는 않았다.
자신의 서브게임을 지켜 5-3으로 추격한 나달은 이어진 페더러의 서브게임을 따내며 승부를 원점으로 돌렸다.
나달은 이때 처음 잡은 브레이크 포인트를 살리며 경기 분위기를 단번에 바꿔놨지만, 페더러는 이전까지 브레이크 포인트를 5번이나 잡고도 달아나지 못해 결국 역 전의 빌미를 내준 셈이 됐다.
기세가 오른 나달은 이후 패싱샷이 살아나며 내리 3게임을 더 따내 7-5로 첫 세트를 이겼고 2세트에서도 게임스코어 2-0까지 앞서갔다.
1세트 게임스코어 2-5부터 7게임을 연달아 잡아내며 경기 주도권을 확실히 장악 했다.
페더러도 호락호락하지는 않았다. 게임스코어 4-5로 뒤진 나달의 서브게임을 따 내며 승부를 타이브레이크까지 끌고 들어간 것이다.
그러나 나달은 타이브레이크에서 4-0까지 달아나 세트 올을 만들려는 페더러의 기세를 다시 꺾어놨다.
3세트는 페더러 차지였다. 페더러는 게임스코어 2-4로 뒤지다 이후 6게임 가운데 5게임을 따내며 반격에 성공했다.
페더러의 상승세는 4세트 첫 게임에서도 이어지는 듯했다.
나달의 서브게임에서 0-40까지 앞서며 승부를 5세트로 몰고 갈 태세였다. 그러 나 0-40 리드를 지키지 못하고 결국 첫 게임을 나달에 내줬고 이후 게임스코어 1-2 로 뒤진 상황에서 자신의 서브게임을 뺏기며 패색이 짙어졌다.
승기를 잡은 나달은 이후 3게임을 더 따내며 6-1로 4세트를 마무리하고 10번째 메이저대회 우승을 확정 지었다.
이 대회에서 노박 조코비치(2위•세르비아)가 결승에 진출했더라면 세계 1위를 내줄 위기였으나 페더러가 4강에서 조코비치를 꺾어준 덕에 세계 1위 자리도 유지하 게 됐다.
페더러는 지난해 호주오픈 이후 메이저 5개 대회 연속 무관에 그쳤다.
나달과 페더러의 상대 전적도 나달이 17승8패로 간격을 더 벌렸다. 메이저대회 맞대결에서도 나달이 7승2패로 압도하고 있다.
(연합뉴스)
Spain's Rafael Nadal reacts after defeating Switzerland's Roger Federer during the men's final match for the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium, Sunday, June 5, 2011, in Paris. (AP-Yonhap News)
Rafael Nadal of Spain celebrates defeating Roger Federer of Switzerland in four sets, 7-5, 7-6, 5-7, 6-1, in the men's final of the French Open tennis tournament in Roland Garros stadium in Paris, Sunday June 5, 2011. (AP-Yonhap News)
Spain's Rafael Nadal, right, and Switzerland's Roger Federer pose with their trophies after the men's final match for the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium, Sunday, June 5, 2011, in Paris. (AP-Yonhap News)