Nadal defeats Ferrer to win eighth title at Roland Garros

Rafael Nadal defeated David Ferrer in straight sets to become the first man in tennis history to win eight titles at one Major.

Nadal was the heavy favorite before the match but the start of the match suggested it would not be as easy as some had predicted. The match began in a scrappy fashion. Nadal broke for 2-1. Ferrer broke back. At 3-3 Nadal broke again, and then again, quelling the dogged Ferrer resistance at 5-3 before serving out the set.

In the second set Nadal went on a winning spree from 1-0 30-30 to lead 3-0, the winners, particualrly on the forehand falling from his racket like rain drops from the sky. Ferrer managed to get back into the set to take the fourth game, saving two break points. Ferrer then threatened to break Nadal but Nadal saved Ferrer’s fourth break point with a cross-court backhand after perhaps the best rally of the match where Nadal showcased the retrieving skills and the ability to magic defense into offense that had made him the seven time champion. A service winner and a backhand down the line winner and Nadal led 4-1. Nadal went another run now, his forehand at its aggressive best, a political protest in the stands and Ferrer’s own doing its best to derail him but failing as he once more broke with a cross-court forehand winner to lead 5-1.

At this point bodyguards ran onto the court to deal with a protester who had jumped onto the court with a flare. Nadal took a few seconds for the fuss to die down, no less than he would usually take between serves, and then proceeded to get on with business. But the incident had disturbed him, putting out the fire in his own game. A double fault handed Ferrer two break points. Ferrer seized his chance, taking the first with a backhand volley winner. But Ferrer fell apart in the next game, going down three break points and misfiring on a forehand cross-court to hand Nadal the set.

Nadal started the third set as he had ended the second. Focused and full of flair, he broke Ferrer with a forehand volley to lead 2-0. Ferrer fought back though, earning three break points. Nadal saved the first with a forehand down the line on the stretch. But a Ferrer angled return pulled Nadal too far out the court and the defending champion netted the backhand. Having broken back to get back into the set, Ferrer’s serve did not let him down this time as he served out to love.

At 3-3, Ferrer earned a break point with a backhand down the line winner. But he could not convert, his forehand going long on the next point and then going long again two points later to hand Nadal the game. Serving at 3-4, Ferrer tried his best to withstand the Nadal onslaught of forehands but the pressure was too much as he made errors and on his second break point he double faulted to gift Nadal the opportunity to serve his way into the history books.

Nadal keeps the ball deep, draws errors and after two hours and fifteen minutes a service winner out wide brings him two championship points. The seven time champion makes it eight times. A serve out wide, the ball comes back to his strike zone and fittingly Nadal confirms his status as the greatest clay player in history with an angled forehand cross-court winner.

Nadal falls on his back and covers his face. After seven months out of the tour, this was the seventh title since his comeback last February and while he was always going to be the favorite to win here, his absence from injury and the continuing fine play of Novak Djokovic had cast some doubts on his chances. Nadal, as he has done over and over in his career, proved all the doubters wrong in winning his eight Roland Garros title and his twelth Major title. Still only 27, if Nadal’s knees can hold up, the limit to how many Coupes he can bite his teeth into are limited only by how many more French Open he competes in. And the potential to end his career as the Greatest player of all time and not just on clay are only limited by his own mind and hunger, two aspects which he proved the last two weeks were as strong as those teeth that never seem to chip on those trophies.