Rafael Nadal lifted the Coupe des Mousquetaires for the first time back in 2005. It’s now 2018, and he is still out here winning French Opens.
In fact, “winning” is hardly accurate; “dominating” is more like it.
Nadal captured a second straight title at Roland Garros and his 11th overall on the red clay of Paris when he trounced Dominic Thiem 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 on Sunday afternoon. The 32-year-old, who surrendered just one set throughout the entire tournament, triumphed after two hours and 42 minutes.
Playing in his first career Grand Slam final, Thiem managed to be competitive only through nine games. The eighth-ranked Austrian recovered from an immediate service donation to break back for 1-2 in the first set before holding en route to 4-4. Following a Nadal hold in the ninth game, Thiem cracked under the pressure of serving to stay in the opener. Nadal broke at love to wrap things up and was off to the races.
The world No. 1 committed a mere 12 unforced errors throughout the remainder of the match–the same number he had made in the first set alone. He faced just one break point in the second and none in the third, stumbling only when he reached triple-championship point at 5-2. Nadal squandered four championship points in total before converting his fifth when Thiem sent a backhand return slightly over the baseline.
Highlights:
“I don’t think he was out of the match (at any point),” Nadal said of Thiem. “Maybe at the end when I had a break against him (in the third set)…. [It was] at the end of the third set when I was able to get a 5-2 that I really overcame him, but I believe that tactically he was good and [tennis-wise] he played well. I went to the court with a clear idea of what I wanted to do; I applied it well. I don’t know; I don’t know if you saw it in any other way, but I felt the match was good throughout.
“It means, first of all, adding one more title of the most important tournament for me during the year,” he continued. “It also means knowing that for the rest of the year you know that whatever happens, the year is going to be good; and you feel a bit [relaxed].”
“It’s really a great thing that I made my way (to the final) and that I was competing in a final against [Nadal],” Thiem commented. “It’s a really great thing, but still I’m disappointed. It was a final; I really wanted to win.
“It’s a big goal for me to play soon (in) another slam finals. Of course it’s going to be easier then, because it’s not going to be the first time anymore. Then hopefully I can do it better than today.”
Thiem is definitely right about one thing: it can’t possibly be any tougher than Nadal at Roland Garros.
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Sanju has always erred on the side of pessimism. I guess it’s her way of anti-jinxing.
I recall years ago on TennisTalk begging her to lay off the running negative commentary because I was already nervous and she was making it worse.
ed,
I did not intend to come across quite that strongly. You are right about Sanju being a bitbuf a pessimist and a worrier. I get it. I know he is not rude or mean. I understand some of the pessimism at times. With all that Rafa has gone through, all the injuries and downs, it can stress out his fans.
I just don’t think that anyone was making too much out of the emotion at the trophy ceremony. We all know what is joking on with Rafa. We all want to see him playing more and enjoying it. But it’s not possible to completely forget that time is not on his side. He’s suffered a lot with injuries and there have been more of them and not the knees. He is remarkable for fighting back over and over.
I try so hard to savor every minute of his victories.
We all know WHAT is going on with Rafa! *
I thought Sanju was a masculine name.
Hey I am a he not a she. I think I have clarified this before..
Secondly I am not lecturing anyone here.. whats with people misconstruing everything on this site and that too so rudely …I even accepted in my posts that we all worried way too much during RG n maybe I was more hyper thinking he will lose but at the end of it, it was worth nothing because he won..we stressed about his matches , his serving , the weather…if one reads my post again.. my point is exactly that..let’s not worry too much as it’s pointless..what has to happen will happen..there is no point trying to second guess why he cried and read more into it as it is speculative n pointless…
On live blogging during his matches…this was way back in 2013 uso final…I don’t even watch 95 percent of his matches live anymore except maybe semis n finals so live blogging will never happen
Sanju, dont mind, what do you do, Are you a software engineer who is kept busy most of the time .
I’m in IT field yes but not a developer now..I manage projects delivery…its not that I don’t watch because am pressed for time..I don’t watch as I get nervous haha..n I am not in control of the nervous state as I am not the one playing 🙂 sport is exhilarating but when you root for a person n like a person maybe bigger than the sport..it can get too stressful
Sanju, you’re more a paranoid than anything else! You’re also a pessimist, thank goodness Rafa won his no.11th FO; or else you would be truly upset!
Anyway, if Rafa is fit and healthy, Im sure he’ll do well at the USO where he’s the defending champion. Just learn not to be do pessimistic, Rafa should be fine.
While I don’t have high hopes for Wimby – if Rafa participates – I also hope he will be fine for the USO, which is probably from the three non-clay slams the one where his chances are the best for doing well, if he is healthy.
I also expect him to defend his clay court titles next year – again, if he is healthy. I cnnot imagine that a healthy Rafa abstains from defending his titles. But maybe, he will shorten his clay court season eventually. He probably doesn’t need to play all three masters events plus Barcelona for getting into RG form.
My impression right now is, that Rafa’s body is his most dangerous opponent at this time of his career.
Sanju, I like all your comments. Everybody here should be free to express his/her feelings without being lectured and criticized, as long as it’s done respectfully. You are alway respectful.
We all have different personalities, and there are many forms of tennis fandom.
Something about Rafa’s demeanor after the win and what he said, as well as the way he played this year at RG, has raised a few red flags in my brain. But I could be completely wrong about my hunches.
Mira Andi JUNE 19, 2018 AT 12:09 AM,
I’m not intersted in imaginary stories about Rafa (Including diagnoses from the armchair doctor), I’m interested in facts.
It doesn’t matter how long posts you write, they have no influence on me. 🙂