Columnists
Tennis, anyone?
Last Monday morning, Rafael Nadal defeated Novak Djokovic to win his seventh French open title, the most held by any one man in the history of the game. Both he and Bjorn Borg had been tied with six titles.
The match had been suspended on Sunday, due to rain. Conditions were not perfect when the match resumed; however, within a matter of minutes, the sun was out and all was well in Paris at the Rolland Garros Stadium.
Djokovic was trying to become the first player in 43 years to hold the four main tennis titles:
U.S. Open, Australian Open, the French Open, and Wimbledon. Australian Rod Laver is the only living person today to hold all four titles. The French Open is played on a clay-like surface. It is made up of fine particles of red brick, and dries much more quickly than hard surface or grass courts. It is a surface that suits Nadal’s game perfectly. He moves from side to side, behind the baseline, with catlike instincts. He likes to “run around” his backhand, unleashing his ferocious topspin forehand.
Nadal and Djokovic know each other’s game very well. They have faced each other 33 times, and Nadal has a 19-14 advantage in the series. In 2011, Djokovic beat Nadal at Wimbledon and in the U.S. Open. Earlier this year, Nadal lost in the Autralian final to Djokovic.
Nadal won the first two sets to take command of the match on Sunday. Djokovic, the lanky Serbian, fought back to win the third set 6-2, and seemed to be gaining momentum. He stumbled slightly in the final set, and Nadal took full advantage. Quite uncharacteristically, Djokovic double faulted on the final point of the match. Nadal fell to his knees in an emotional collapse.
As he has done in his other French victories, the diminutive Spaniard from the Balearic Islands climbed into the stands to share the victory with his family. He accepted the trophy again, for the seventh time. He attempted to raise it in triumph, but whacked himself on the side of his face, beside his left eye. One would have thought that he would know the heft of that piece of silver after six other victories!
Djokovic acknowledged Nadal’s greatness, in several languages. Because of the international nature of tennis today, both players slipped from French to English, and to Spanish, easily in the post-game interviews. They both have working knowledge of other languages as well.
“He was better in the deciding moments,” Djokovic said after the match. “I am blessed simply to be in the position to win a fourth major tournament.” It was the first time he had reached the finals in the French Open.
For his part, Nadal thanked the fans. Never a bad idea since they pay some of the freight. “I hope to come back and play even better next year,” he told the faithful. Djokovic smiled.
Nadal has little time to rest on his laurels. His bags are packed, and he is headed off to another tournament beginning Thursday in Germany. To be followed by Wimbledon, then the U.S. Open. He knows he will face Djokovic many more times in the next few years.
Titanic struggles, to be sure. Time to push those hockey nets off to courtside, and hit a few serves!