A dominant win over Roger Federer has allowed Rafael Nadal to pull level with tennis legend Bjorn Borg after winning his sixth French Open title. Nadal finished the final with a comfortable 7-5 7-6 (7-3) 5-7 6-1 win to secure his tenth Grand Slam title while also keeping hold of his world number one ranking, with the Spanish player all too aware before the action started that a defeat would allow rival Novak Djokovic to push him into second place.
Nadal's victory came at the expense of a man who looked extremely dominant during the early stages of the match, Federer appearing to be far more comfortable on court throughout the first few games of the set than Nadal, but the Swiss player wasted a precious set point to allow his opponent to find his rhythm on court.
Some uncharacteristically careless rallies from Federer allowed Nadal to pounce, with the Spaniard eradicating the lack of fluency that had seemed to haunt him during the build-up to the showpiece event, with the tournament match balls cited by a few of the top players in the men's and women's draw as holding them back, particularly in the tricky weather conditions.
Nadal fell to his knees in relief after the final rally, Federer slamming the ball long to wrap up the match, and the player's coach was keen to identify the result's wider significance; not only has the result pulled the player level with Borg, it will also have given him a sense of quiet confidence ahead of Wimbledon next month.
Meanwhile, Federer was left to look back with some regret on the missed opportunities that proved so crucial against his biggest rival, with the missed set point in the opening set showing clearly just how Federer allowed the match to slip through his fingers carelessly. That said, though, with the final the player's first in a Grand Slam since last year's Australian Open, Federer, who has identified winning Wimbledon next month as his number one priority, will still feel relieved that he worked his way through a couple of difficult rounds to reach the showpiece event in Paris.
Nadal's victory came at the expense of a man who looked extremely dominant during the early stages of the match, Federer appearing to be far more comfortable on court throughout the first few games of the set than Nadal, but the Swiss player wasted a precious set point to allow his opponent to find his rhythm on court.
Some uncharacteristically careless rallies from Federer allowed Nadal to pounce, with the Spaniard eradicating the lack of fluency that had seemed to haunt him during the build-up to the showpiece event, with the tournament match balls cited by a few of the top players in the men's and women's draw as holding them back, particularly in the tricky weather conditions.
Nadal fell to his knees in relief after the final rally, Federer slamming the ball long to wrap up the match, and the player's coach was keen to identify the result's wider significance; not only has the result pulled the player level with Borg, it will also have given him a sense of quiet confidence ahead of Wimbledon next month.
Meanwhile, Federer was left to look back with some regret on the missed opportunities that proved so crucial against his biggest rival, with the missed set point in the opening set showing clearly just how Federer allowed the match to slip through his fingers carelessly. That said, though, with the final the player's first in a Grand Slam since last year's Australian Open, Federer, who has identified winning Wimbledon next month as his number one priority, will still feel relieved that he worked his way through a couple of difficult rounds to reach the showpiece event in Paris.
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