PARIS -- Regardless of the setting or the surface, Rafael Nadal confounds Roger Federer the way no other man can.
# L" o5 U7 ]9 [5.39.217.76Put the two greats of the game on opposite ends of a court in aGrand Slam final -- particularly at Roland Garros, on the red clay thatNadal rules -- and the one-sided nature of the rivalry grows even morepronounced.tvb now,tvbnow,bttvb) P. N# D T* \, w! y, Z
Grinding along the baseline, using every inch of his wingspan toextend points, whipping fearsome forehands this way and that, Nadalflummoxed Federer yet again Sunday in a riveting, highlight-filledmatch, beating him 7-5, 7-6 (3), 5-7, 6-1 for a record-tying sixthFrench Open championship and 10th major title overall.+ q1 T; l# O* `6 `/ q* v
"He plays better against the better ones, and that's what he showedtoday," said Federer, owner of 16 Grand Slam trophies. "He's a greatchampion, on clay, especially."
* Z9 _; h1 G# U5.39.217.76There'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 thanthe King of Clay. And Sunday's victory only will raise more questionsabout whether Federer truly deserves to be called the Greatest of AllTime if he is not even the Greatest of Right Now.5.39.217.76& Z6 h6 t' J0 w' Z+ X
Nadal leads their head-to-head series 17-8. That includes a 6-2advantage in Grand Slam finals and a 5-0 edge at the French Open (inthe 2005 semifinals, and the 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2011 finals).
1 R; o5 Q5 O0 F+ e6 S* _* F4 Ntvb now,tvbnow,bttvbWhen a reporter recited those numbers and asked for an assessment, Nadal replied: "Well, it means I can play well, too."
' Z, [/ z& t$ U# t7 Q5.39.217.76"When you talk about these statistics, when you try and make thesecomparisons, really it's not very interesting to me," continued Nadal,who would have ceded the No. 1 ranking to Novak Djokovic with a lossSunday. "I'm very happy with what I have, with who I am. I'm not thebest player in the history of tennis. I think I'm among the best.That's true. That's enough for me."8 _; ~2 L0 G- F5 O9 o
He's rapidly gaining on Federer. Nadal turned 25 Friday, making himabout six months younger than Federer was when the Swiss star collectedhis 10th major title.7 C7 A' i2 n6 P% \' K
Their rivalry is a friendly -- not heated -- one. Nadal conceded apoint Sunday when he saw Federer's shot landed in but was called out. Afew years ago, Federer gave Nadal a lift on a private jet from onetournament site to another after learning his on-court nemesis hadtrouble finding a commercial flight.
: I- D. i3 _6 Y4 y+ g' N. d8 Y' {8 ]TVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。This was their first meeting in a Grand Slam final in more than twoyears. It also was the first major championship match contested by anytwo men who already completed career Grand Slams. And Nadal and Federerput on a worthy show, more than 3 1/2 hours chock-full of lengthyexchanges, brilliant defence, sublime shotmaking, and some dizzyingshifts of momentum.
* ]0 `* O0 ^ T( `$ o* ?TVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。"A big occasion," the third-seeded Federer said. "I was aware of it."
4 v" D$ ^$ D- P+ l3 K- U) T$ K3 `TVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。He won't acknowledge publicly that Nadal drives him crazy with thosehigh-bouncing lefty forehands that arrive shoulder-high on Federer'sbackhand side, and that perpetual-motion, cover-every-spot,never-cede-a-thing scrambling that forces an opponent to produceseveral superb shots just to earn a single point.tvb now,tvbnow,bttvb( J1 ?) c% D3 A
"It's always pretty straightforward when we play each other ...because we know what to expect," Federer said. "I'm not in any wayfrustrated with his play."
- U) M# ]4 @# c* {Perhaps that's true, but consider this: Federer is 14-1 in the GrandSlam finals he has played against any other opponent. The only timeFederer won the French Open, in 2009, he avoided Nadal, who waseliminated in the fourth round that year by Robin Soderling.
o2 x5 D1 c3 X# W' i0 U6 tTVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。Nadal, for his part, doesn't like to boast about his supremacy over Federer, whom he always refers to as the top player ever.
4 n! W/ ]: {& Y! D, y) h公仔箱論壇But Toni Nadal, Rafael's uncle and coach, spoke plainly after Sunday's match.
# Z, C6 l+ \$ J, K"The game of Rafael is not too good for Roger," Toni said, adding that Federer's "mentality against Rafael is not the best."
) a; z/ j3 S$ r- U4 X! aTVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。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.
" @- c% D6 t" S6 @1 _% n$ ^, T: T5.39.217.76"I definitely thought that I got maybe a touch unlucky there, and hegot a touch lucky," Federer said. "That was one of my bigger chances."
' _( Q* Q% h# T) R5.39.217.76Nadal then won seven games in a row. Later, when Nadal went up abreak in the third and led 4-2, the match appeared over, until Federercharged back to force a fourth set.TVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。8 M1 w/ b9 U! r1 s# [- J9 a H7 E
But Nadal once more assumed control, winning the last five games,then dropping to his knees and leaning forward with his hands coveringhis eyes.TVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。' e: ~/ }* z! `' C" D" p7 d
"I was able to play my best when I needed my best," Nadal said. "For that reason, today I am here with the trophy."1 O+ X; x3 J3 [. N
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 thetitle. After all, he fell behind unseeded John Isner of the UnitedStates 2-1 in sets in the first round, pushed to five sets for the onlytime in his seven trips to the French Open.
' Q) [' k8 O; R. [tvb now,tvbnow,bttvb"Last week, when Rafael was playing so badly," Uncle Toni recountedSunday evening, "to lift some of the pressure, I told him: 'Stay calm.Winning or losing won't change your life."'
) g$ H9 `6 M7 N- F I7 ?# Itvb now,tvbnow,bttvbNot that Sunday's match needed any assistance in the dramadepartment, but a little extra came in the form of a rain delay -- thevery first of the entire 15-day tournament -- while Nadal was servingto take a two-set lead.3 L$ I1 T6 V; y; o8 ~
He had a set point at 5-4, 40-30, but wasted it with a forehand thatclipped the net and flew long. That made it deuce, and that's whendrops began falling. As spectators pulled on hats and popped openumbrellas, Nadal and Federer waited a few seconds before walking offthe court.
6 S5 S) P: C. p- Ttvb now,tvbnow,bttvbFederer slipped into a private trainer's room and hopped up on atable. Nadal switched shirts and fidgeted with his racket strings in ahallway, then had a brief chat with his mentor.tvb now,tvbnow,bttvb1 S6 H3 R4 _. S% X
"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."'
) M! z3 w. @' N- `5 N& mTVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。After a 10-minute break, the match resumed, and Nadal immediatelyearned a second set point. But Federer saved that one, too, opening aneight-point run for him. And then it was Nadal's turn to take eightpoints in a row, including a 4-0 lead in the tiebreaker, which heeventually closed with a forehand winner.# d+ s/ T' k9 z9 `
Federer wasn't finished, breaking Nadal at love to get within 4-3 inthe third set. When Federer struck a forehand winner down the line tobreak again and go ahead 6-5, he earned a standing ovation and chantsof "Ro-ger! Ro-ger!" from thousands of fans at Court Philippe Chatrier./ n1 V: i9 I: e' \/ D
"When Roger plays like this," Nadal said, "the opponent has nothing to do, sometimes.". n: F" P. X* u3 F1 d5 W8 B8 |, l
With the crowd roaring each time he won a point, Federer served outthe set, capping it with another forehand winner. The outcome seemed indoubt. Federer had won 117 points, Nadal 116.
# p7 |' n6 b- zTVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。"All of a sudden, at 0-0 in the fourth set," Federer said, "you think, 'OK, we have a match again."'
$ U# [. e* z/ I2 wNadal served to begin the fourth set, and Federer quickly gainedthree break points at love-40. This, then, would be the final twist.Nadal erased two break points with groundstroke winners, and the thirdwith an ace at 120 m.p.h. A service winner at 114 m.p.h. followed. ThenFederer shanked a backhand off his frame and into the stands.+ J9 U$ q* @8 Y3 Q
"Very important for me, no?" Nadal would say later. "That was a big turning point of the match, in my opinion."
6 \5 c" e! n* }1 s. tThat made it 1-0, and Federer held to 1-1. But that was it. Nadaldidn't lose another game as the sun finally broke through the greyclouds, bathing the court in light. An appropriate conclusion forNadal, the kid from the island of Mallorca who loves to spend free timefishing or at the beach.TVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。1 ~5 d x0 o- f+ e# z
On the back of each of the sky-blue sneakers that kept carrying himto balls that should have been out of reach, Nadal had the number "5"in a circle -- signifying his French Open title count until Sunday.
0 v+ G s" v7 b0 _TVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。 |
發表於 2011-5-25 12:01 PM
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