For two weeks, things had happened in Paris, on an off the tennis court, but when it all washed up we once more had the stubbornness of possibly the greatest male player of all time to have yet another crack at the modern day owner of Court Philippe Chatrier.
Before the tournament, the widely held expectation was that the French Open 2011 vintage would be a wine produced by either Rafael Nadal or his nemesis this year Novak Djokovic. Not many expected that the grapes from one of Roger Federer's vineyards would be the season's surprise packet.
Already established as one of the two form players of the tournament before the semis, along with Nadal, Roger is now being talked seriously in terms of cover of Time for what he dished up against Djokovic on Friday. However it was defending champion Nadal who entered the match as bookies favourite, although the crowd may have been leaning just a little Roger's way.
The semi final form was fresh for the Swiss player as he took little time in racking up a 2-0 lead over the surprised yet unperturbed Spaniard. With Roger serving well Rafa needed to remain patient and where he could keep the points long - on clay this would ultimately occur.
Each player was thrilling their fans as the match began to take shape, and Roger, with a break and serving first found himself at 5-2, and even better for him with set point. Rafa could only watch helplessly and then breathe a huge sigh as Roger's drop shot slipped wide.
Rafa held for 3-5, and we all believed that Roger would continue his good serving and take the set - enter some serving problems to spoil that theory. Add to that the Spanish resolve and the break point presented was gladly accepted and we had 4-5 with Nadal to serve next. With all the running, Rafa lifted his game and made Federer play longer points which tested Roger's patience. His inability to put away winners, mainly a product of Rafa's extraordinary desperation to chase everything and be prepared at the end of the chase with racquet in perfect position to return a potential point winning stroke, made it nigh on impossible to break the Nadal serve. The causal effect was to pressure the Federer serve which had been so solid until 5-5.
Rafa exploded in this game, pouncing on every opening that appeared and taking the break opportunity to lead 6-5 and be serving inexplicably for the first set, with the final 5 games to do so. This he did with consummate ease, and the body language from the other end, which to be honest, had been anything but pumped up while doing the front running, was now downright depressing to us who had our support behind the champion.
Things became bleaker in set two with Roger simply being outplayed from the back of the court - Nadal broke straight away, led 3-1 and could almost have had a second and fatal break but for some great fight and champion qualities from Federer. Still when more serves were held and the games reached 4-3 with Rafa to come to the line again, a change was needed to the direction of a final which was steadily slipping out of the grasp of the 16 time grand slam tournament winner.
As if his brain registered that moving forward to take net position and volley occasionally may break the game apart somewhat, the body obeyed, and Roger thwarted Nadal's hitherto successful crosscourt and down the line slashing winners and error forcing blasts. Back on serve and we had ourselves a final once more.
Roger was still calm - his demeanor unchanged since the start of the match. One would not have thought that he had just brought him himself back from maybe the brink. The facial expression more befitted the result of his next service game which was anything but memorable. After asserting himself so well to come back, the ease with which Roger surrendered the break back immediately suggested that this set was all but gone the same way as the first.
Rafa had set point but at 40-30 rain began to become an issue, so much so that the players were forced to leave the court, but not before Nadal had granted one parting gesture to his opponent by committing an error and leaving the score tantalizingly at deuce.
Back from the rain break - only a short one - and it was the Swiss player who adjusted better quicker and managed to break yet again for 5-5. Roger had the ominous look for the first time since early in the final as he races to 6-5, but Nadal wanted the tie breaker and so the umpire granted his wish. This umpire by the way was an embarrassment - I will not give him too much space here, but he was impotent when the crowd needed controlling, never once requesting silence at appropriate times, out of respect for the players. All chair umpires are trained to be alert to close line calls and any disputes arising. He just announced the score and demonstrated the most inept display at a Grand Slam tournament that I have witnessed, let alone in a Men's Final which demands the best officials. There enough said.
Roger's tie break efforts against Djokovic were superb and match winning - in the second set breaker in the final Nadal was leading 4-0 in a flash. Too much to respond to, and that gap was maintained to the end which saw Nadal holding a 7-5 7-6 lead and a firm grip on French Open title number six.
Nothing early in the third changed the universal view that Roger was in deep trouble, this trouble compounded when Nadal broke service to lead 4-2. More fight in the Federer tank as he hit his straps in the very next game to break back for 3-4. On serve until as in set one we had 5-5. This time Nadal was serving, and the scoreboard pressure was all on Federer. As long as Nadal held, a slip by Roger would be the match over. So the master played his best returning game of the match to easily break the Spanish serve and have the chance to serve for his first set of the final.
To his supporters' rapture, Federer won the third set 7-5 and at last some reward for his efforts in the match had come his way. Only, the glory for him in set 4 was limited indeed. With Rafa serving first, again Roger could ill afford a slip, especially in the later stages of the set. So Roger attacked Rafa with everything at his disposal including a kitchen sink if my eyes didn't deceive me. 0-40, and surely this was the break needed to progress to a two sets all position.
The 2011 French Open was decided in the next game and a half. Rafa saved all of the break points in a stretch of 5 straight to hold serve and mentally destabilise Federer. It arose through Nadal lifting his game to another level, attacking in a Federer-like fashion where Federer had been reticent to do, and giving us an entree to the best set of shot retrieval one would ever hope to see.
Federer from this point was in a different match to Nadal who was playing in his own special universe. Nadal serving first with a break stretched the lead to 4-1, and Roger needed to hold serve to stay alive. As much as Roger tried, Rafa had already had the engravers begin their work on the silverware as he cruised through, breaking for a second time, and serving the final set out with comfort.
So number six at Roland Garros for Rafa, and yet another success over Roger in a Grand Slam tournament final. Roger will be pleased with the tournament but be regretting missed early chances in the final. Wimbledon could be the scene of another title for the Swiss star.
Rafa stays number one for a little while longer and must rate himself a fair chance of defending his Wimbledon title
Congratulations to all the players in all the matches - especially Li Na with her breakthrough and of course Rafa for equalling Bjorn Borg's record of six titles here.
Special thanks to Steve, Kathy and the gang for taking great care of us while we were in Paris - making sure we made it to matches on time and did not become lost and for generally providing wonderful hospitality.
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