Rafael Nadal is really good
Rafael Nadal has achieved something that hasn’t been done since Bjorn Borg did it in 1981. I wasn’t even alive when Borg won his fourth straight French Open title, but I am alive now and can bare witness, along with many others to the dominance of Rafael Nadal at Roland Garros.
Nadal so thoroughly, so untheatrically, outplayed Federer in every possible facet Sunday, beating him 6-1, 6-3, 6-0 to win a fourth consecutive title at Roland Garros.
During the trophy ceremony following the most lopsided men’s final at the French Open since 1977, and at any Grand Slam since 1984, Nadal felt compelled to say: “Roger, I’m sorry.”
“He dominated from the first point until the end,” said Federer, who hadn’t lost a 6-0 set since 1999, and hadn’t won fewer than five games in a match since 2002. “It’s the strongest Rafa that I’ve ever seen. He was more dominant than the previous years.”
Now I’m far from an expert on tennis but I can’t remember a time in Tennis, or any other sport for that matter, when the number one player in the world was so completly dominated. Not only did Nadal beat Federer in straight sets but he shut him out in the final set 6-0. The best player in the world didn’t win a single game in the final set of a Finals match. The score almost doesn’t even make any sense. But Nadal has proven time and again just how much he owns the World’s clay courts.
A few other notes about Nadal’s successes at the French Open -
• 28-0 for his career at the French Open.
• 115-2 on clay since April 2005.
• 22-1 in clay-court finals.
Oh and to make things even crazier Nadal is only 22 years old right now and began his run when he was only 18! When I was 18 the only streak I went on was four nights in a row I was able to get beer, and I thought that was a great accomplishment.
