spaincolours.com, A bridge towards spain - Nadal ends Federer's slam streak

Nadal rolls Federer in French Open final

French Open champion Rafael Nadal

If there was doubt whom the crowd was pulling for in the French Open men's final yesterday, with Roger Federer aiming to be the first man to hold all four Grand Slam titles at once since Australian great Rod Laver in 1969, it was obvious after he took a 3-0 lead in the first set and raucous chanting of “Roger, Roger” rained down as he sat during the first change-over.

Le beau rêve (beautiful dream), as the French put it, seemed possible, especially after he closed out the set 6-1 in 37 minutes against Rafael Nadal. But once Federer lost serve in the second game of the second set after leading 40-love, Nadal, over what he later referred to as “nerves,” rolled inexorably to his record 60th victory on clay, defending his title with a 1-6, 6-1, 6-4, 7-6 (4) win.

As has happened to everyone who has played Nadal on clay since April last year, Federer seemed to have nowhere to hit the ball. The Spaniard muscles back virtually every ball with a lethal, leaden topspin and repeatedly runs down shots other mortals would not reach.

He has now beaten Federer four times during the streak and by doing so yesterday ended the world No. 1's streak of seven wins in Grand Slam finals.

It seems symptomatic of Federer's competitive queasiness against Nadal that he cited his own poor form at as early a juncture as the second set as crucial to the outcome.

“I definitely felt the second set was the turning point,” he said. “I think just giving it away like that was maybe the key.”

Nadal, 20, has also had to battle adversity. A troublesome stress fracture in his left foot forced him off the tour between last November and February of this year.

After acknowledging Federer as “probably the best player in history and the most complete player I've seen” at the presentation ceremony, he got personal. “I'd like to thank my mother and father,” he said. “We had difficult moments at the beginning of the year [because of the foot] and there were times when we weren't sure I'd be here.”

Nadal's victory was one in an unbroken line of wins over the past 20 years on Parisian clay by baseliners over a category broadly known as attacking players. One of those was in 1988, when Mats Wilander of Sweden was too steady for the wondrous but wild skill set of Henri Leconte of France.

Yesterday, Wilander, 41, was critical of the stoic demeanour of Federer. He cited the fourth set tiebreaker and said, “Why, when he breaks to 2-1, isn't there room for a come on or something to show Nadal that I'm still here and I'm No. 1 in the world and about to win four majors in the same 12 months? He walked by him like it was a junior against the man. David versus Goliath.

“It seemed weird he didn't get more pumped up.”

Leconte, beaten 7-5, 6-2, 6-1 by Wilander in 1988, insisted an attacking player such as Federer can win, but “he has to go to the net more, take more risks.”

Of playing Nadal, Leconte, 42, said: “You have to rush him on two or three shots. Once you get involved in rallies with him, it's tough. You really have to be wired physically — and you can't be scared.”

Nadal, who, after a first-round bye, will likely meet American Mardy Fish on Wednesday at the Queen's Club event in London, said yesterday of the quick turnaround from clay to grass: “The tour is not well organized in my opinion. We have not much time between the two big tournaments of the year. I am going to try, but I don't think you change games overnight.”

That is this week. But more immediate for him was the moment after victory yesterday when he lay flat, exhausted and ecstatic, on the ochre terre battue that is indisputably his domain.

Note: from Globe and Mail