Rafael Nadal’s unprecedented domination of the French Open continues with a 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 win over Austrian Dominic Thiem.
Thiem, playing his first major final had the toughest assignment in tennis – beating Nadal on the hallowed dirt of Roland Garros over five sets. The Austrian entered the match with 3 previous wins on clay over Nadal, and while still a heavy underdog, was regarded as the best available contender.
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The 25 year old Austrian made a valiant attempt but was ultimately second best in all departments as Nadal extended his grip on the Roland Garros to 11 wins.
Nadal leaped out to a 2-0 lead before Thiem battled back with a break of his own to level the score at 2-2. The set stayed on serve until Thiem was serving at 4-5. A poor game littered with unforced errors handed Nadal the first set. Losing the first set was not a good omen for the Austrian. Nadal has a 95-0 record when capturing the opener on clay in a best of five format.
With the first set in the bag, Nadal loosened up and won the second set fairly convincingly. The biggest test for him came early in the third set with the onset of cramp in the left thumb. A massage and a salt pill helped put him back on track to see out the match and claim another historic title. The Spaniard wrapped proceedings up in two hours and 42 minutes.
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The win meant Nadal matched Margaret Court’s record of majors at a single event but the Spaniard’s is the more impressive. Court’s major title wins took place at the Australian Open in an era where some of the top players elected not to travel Down Under.
The title gives Nadal a total of 17 majors, moving to within 3 of long-time rival Roger Federer. The Swiss elected to miss the clay court season and hostilities will be renewed at Wimbledon.
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Featured Image Photo by Marianne Bevis 