Al Hilal advances to AFC Champions League knockout stage despite 1-1 draw with Al Sadd    Finance minister: All Vision 2030 projects have sustainable funding that won't affect public finances    Crown Prince announces medium-term debt strategy to diversify funding sources "A resilient economy capable of overcoming challenges reflects progress towards achieving Vision 2030 goals"    'No excuses' for Israel to not accept ceasefire deal, EU foreign policy chief says    Alkhorayef highlights role of National Initiative for Global Supply Chains in boosting Saudi economy    Saudi Arabia signs investment deals worth SR35bn with foreign firms to strengthen global supply chains    Saudi Arabia unveils updates on Expo 2030 Riyadh master plan at 175th BIE General Assembly Riyadh Expo Development Company established to oversee strategic planning, operations, and legacy development    Riyadh Season draws 8 million visitors in 6 weeks    Saudi FM attends Quadripartite meeting on Sudan in Italy    Gangsters block aid distribution in south Gaza    Russian deserter reveals war secrets of guarding nuclear base    Georgia's new parliament opens first session amid mass protests and boycott    Best-selling novelist Barbara Taylor Bradford dies    Cristiano Ronaldo's double powers Al Nassr to 3-1 win over Al Gharafa in AFC Champions League    Al Ahli edges Al Ain 2-1, bolsters perfect start in AFC Champions League Elite    Al-Falih: 1,238 foreign investors obtain premium residency in Saudi Arabia    Most decorated Australian Olympian McKeon retires    Adele doesn't know when she'll perform again after tearful Vegas goodbye    'Pregnant' for 15 months: Inside the 'miracle' pregnancy scam    Do cigarettes belong in a museum?    Order vs. Morality: Lessons from New York's 1977 Blackout    India puts blockbuster Pakistani film on hold    The Vikings and the Islamic world    Filipino pilgrim's incredible evolution from an enemy of Islam to its staunch advocate    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Nadal bags 6th French title
Mark Meadows
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 06 - 06 - 2011

PARIS: Rafa Nadal racked up a record-equalling sixth French Open title with a four-sets win over great rival Roger Federer Sunday as his potent powers on clay again proved irresistible.
The 7-5, 7-6, 5-7, 6-1 victory brought him level with Swede Bjorn Borg for Roland Garros men's singles triumphs while it made sure he would stay as world No. 1 ahead of Serbia's Novak Djokovic with Wimbledon looming.
“It's fantastic to win this final against the player who's certainly the best in the world, the best in history,” said Nadal, who has beaten Federer in six of their eight meetings in Grand Slam finals, four of them in Paris. “It's a very special, outstanding tournament for me. It's one of my wildest dreams come true.”
Swiss Federer, who was bidding to beat the Spaniard on the Paris clay for the first time in five attempts, made a lightning start and squandered a point to win the first set but was ultimately powerless to stop Nadal's charge.
The day had started bright and sunny with Swiss fans playing their huge alpine horns in the tree-lined paths of the age-old venue, which will keep the event past 2016 after a redevelopment plan beat rival proposals for a move to the Paris suburbs.
Federer started the encounter with a confident service game and then snatched his opponent's serve on his fourth opportunity when Nadal surprisingly spun a short forehand into the net.
“Roger, Roger!”, the 15,000 crowd chanted as the 2009 champion comfortably held for 3-0 with two thumping aces.
Looking rattled, Nadal had a blister powdered by the trainer during the changeover at 5-2 down.
Record 16-time Grand Slam champion Federer came out all guns blazing in the eighth game, eking out a set point on Nadal's serve which the Spaniard saved after a Federer drop shot floated marginally into the tramlines.
It proved crucial as Nadal suddenly found his range. Federer's first serve let him down when he served for the set at 5-3 and Nadal pounced to break back when Federer netted a volley when his opponent unleashed a forehand on the stretch.
Hitting deeper and deeper, Nadal broke again in the 11th game as Federer's level dipped and he sealed the first set with a huge crosscourt forehand winner after 62 minutes.
Nadal continued his momentum into the second set to break in the first game and then holding serve to love to move 2-0 up — a seven-game winning streak that threatened to turn the final into something of an anti-climax. Federer broke back for 4-4 when Nadal netted but the Swiss immediately dropped serve when a backhand went wide.
With Nadal on set point rain began to fall for the first time in two weeks and after Federer won the point to bring the score to deuce the rain grew harder and the players went off to the locker room.
After a 10-minute break Nadal came out to earn a second set point but Federer saved it and then broke for 5-5.
Federer held with ease but Nadal responded to set up a tiebreak. With his hopes on the line Federer played a subdued series of points to lose the tiebreaker 7-3.
The 29-year-old Federer clung on in the third set, battling back from 4-2 down and gained the key break for 6-5 as the spark returned to his play and his backhand and drop shots whipped the crowd into raptures.
When he had 0-40 on the Nadal serve at the start of the fourth set it seemed that an improbable comeback could be possible but Nadal dug deep and refused to allow the Swiss back into the match.
Federer looked jaded as he dropped serve to love in the fourth game with some wafted errors and Nadal showed his ruthless streak to roar to victory.
The Spaniard looked emotional as he carved out match points and when Federer blazed a forehand over the baseline the 25-year-old fell to his knees with his sweat-drenched forehead pressed to his beloved red clay.


Clic here to read the story from its source.