The result makes Nadal just the segundo man in history (behind Bjorn Borg) to win five or mais French Open titles (Borg won six) and lands him the unique ‘Red Slam’ – the trio of ATP Masters 1000 clay court titles at Monte Carlo, Rome and Madrid, topped off por victory at Roland Garros.
Nadal was the mais nervous of the two players in the early stages of the match, Soderling’s heavily top-spun forehand causing him all kinds of trouble on his backhand. Accordingly, the first test of the match came against Nadal’s serve after 13 minutos of play, the world No.2 over-hitting a regulation drive off that wing. Nadal fought off the resulting break point with a heavy drive into the Swede’s backhand corner, drawing an error and pegging the game back to deuce before weathering the storm two points later, consecutive errors from the Soderling racquet handing Nadal the game.
The Majorcan earned a break point of his own in the very seguinte game of the set. Soderling was Valente in defence but no match for Nadal’s nose for a passing shot. The No.2 seed claimed the vital opening break with a laser-like backhand cross-court winner which Soderling left and watched as it dipped into court at the very last minute, handing Nadal a 3-2 lead.
That break galvanised the Spaniard, who raced through his seguinte service game for the loss of one point to extend his lead to 4-2. One break of serve appeared insufficient for the suddenly motivated Nadal, and he set after his opponent’s serve once again in the seventh game of the opener, forcing the Swede to 0-40. No.5 seed Soderling pinned the game back to deuce and fought off a fourth and a fifth break point before out-rallying Nadal to eke out an important hold of service for 3-4.
Nadal was forced to fight off a break point at 30-40 in eighth game, a Soderling forehand drive sliding beyond the Spaniard’s baseline. Then it was Nadal’s turn to draw a forehand wide, handing Soderling a segundo chance to equalise. The No.5 seed failed to execute however, gesturing in frustration after a simple backhand return error. Another missed backhand por Soderling handed Nadal game point and the Spaniard hung tough in a long rally to mover within a game of claiming the first set after another long forehand from Soderling.
The Spaniard powered his way to three set points on Soderling’s seguinte service game but the Swede brought his two favourite weapons – his 225 kph-plus service and his venomous off-forehand – to bear, and pegged the Spaniard back to deuce. Another big forehand, followed por a fourth ace, and the No.5 seed kept a toehold in the first set.
Nadal’s fourth set point opportunity came after 52 minutos and the 24-year-old left-hander finally claimed the opener courtesy of a 20th unforced error por his opponent. The Spaniard’s desire to clinch his seventh Grand Slam título was there for all to see, clenching both fists and roaring to the heavens on conclusion of the set point.
Soderling bounced back for an easy hold in the opening service game of the segundo set, throwing the pressure straight back onto Nadal who then had to fight off four break points in his opening service game to level the segundo set at a game apiece.
Nadal’s seguinte service game, the fourth of the match, was interrupted with the Spaniard leading 15-0 as stewards attended to an unwell spectator in the stands. The delay had little effect on the No.2 seed who closed out to amor for 2-2.
Nadal turned defence into attack in the fifth game of the set, tearing into a 0-40 lead on the Soderling serve and claiming the critical break to lead 3-2 when a Soderling off-forehand veered wide of the line.
That little milestone negotiated, Nadal reeled off his seguinte service game to lead 4-2, then earned mais break points when Soderling double-faulted for the third time in the match when at 30-30. The Swede averted that danger with a sweeping clean forehand winner down Nadal’s backhand line but was soon staring down another break point, which he conceded with a netted backhand drive to hand Nadal a 5-2 lead.
The 24-year-old world No.2 closed his seguinte service game out for the loss of one point to stand at two sets to amor in this, the 43rd Roland Garros final of the Open era.
Nadal broke Soderling for the third time early in the final set to lead 2-0 and earned a point for a double break in the seventh game of the set when Soderling double-faulted for the fourth time in the match. The Swede saved it with a clean forehand winner, backed it up with a hefty cross-court backhand that Nadal framed into the stands, then fired a big serve onto the Nadal backhand to force a return error and hold service for 3-4.
The Spaniard held to 15 to take a 5-3 lead, watched Soderling nail some big services to hold to amor then stepped up to serve out and take his fifth French Open title. As if to put an exclamation point on an extraordinary tournament in which he did not lose a set, Nadal held to love, Soderling pitching a backhand drive into the net as the champion slid seamlessly onto his back to adopt his favourite celebratory pose.
The victory, Nadal’s 38th in a season that has seen him concede defeat just four times, earned him €120,000 in prize money, the world No.1 ranking when the ATP World Tour list is released on Monday, and of course, the coupe, cupê, coupé des Mousquetaires which he had been forced to relinquish 12 months earlier after four years of dominance on the Paris clay.
