Rafa and Novak yet again produced some of the best men's tennis in a match truly worthy of the 2014 Roland Garros final. Far and away the two finest exponents of the game began in style, having little difficulty holding respective serves through the first seven games. However this did not prevent some delightful rallies from being created featuring the precision timing and placement and deft touch that we have come to expect, but are still amazed, as it is repeated so often and from out of seemingly any adverse situation.
It was the challenger from Serbia who struck the initial statistical blow when in the eighth game he capitalised on some relatively clumsy work from the clay court king, earning the third of three break opportunities with a sizzling down the line winner, and converting it on the back of a crosscourt mistake from the reigning champ.
Always difficult to serve out a set, and Djokovic stayed true to this adage, and in an instant, Rafa had break back points. Novak absorbed the immense pressure and pushed back hard to take the game and the first set throwing out a serious challenge to the player who had won eight from eight finals on this court.
The second set, not wishing to be a poor relative to the first, was responsible for more champagne tennis, and the most expensive drop too. The winners were flowing swiftly and any mistakes were mostly derived from the pressure exerted from both players either playing shots or just moving in preparation for the shot.
Nadal, whose accuracy in finding corners and lines underscored his intimate knowledge of every centimetre of this court, broke the Djokovic serve for the first time in the sixth game, and his sense of relief lasted only moments before he surrendered the break in the very next game.
Paris was heating up but would not reach the temperature of this contest. At 5-6, Novak became victim to some vintage Nadal racquet work. A most unfortunate Serbian double fault assisted, but Nadal's winning shot on set point, following a magical rally, deserved all the applause it received. 7-5 to Rafa and one set all.
Taking full advantage of the momentum swing, Nadal upped the ante and raced to a 3-0 lead in the third set, the second game containing more highlights than many complete matches from earlier in the tournament. The exchanges were extraordinary, possibly even for these two, and the Spanish skills won the battle and the break. The third game was classic consolidation of a break and Novak was clearly showing the pressure for perhaps the first time in the match.
Unable to fracture the Nadal serve, Djokovic was having to do everything just to avoid losing his for a second time. He evaded the double break until 2-5 and then Nadal crushed the third set spirit from the second seed, and asserted absolute authority on the match 4-6 7-5 6-2.
Requiring something special, the worst thing Djokovic could experience early in the fourth set was another successful break of his serve. Despite the ease with which Nadal was now holding serve compared with more hard work methods employed by Djokovic, the score reached 2-3 before the dam burst. Finally Novak's tremendous determination, desire and basic instinct had apparently rid him of the energy and mental strength to do what is natural to him, and his error plagued effort to draw level at 3-3 fell in a screaming heap. Nadal had him on the ropes 2 sets to one and 4-2 with an increasingly reliable serve to come.
Another twist to the tale with the real Novak awakening to contest the next game and outplay a stunned Rafa, who with all the Parisians and those watching worldwide believed quite logically that this was done and dusted. 3-4 quickly became 4-4 and a fifth set back in the frame as a huge possibility.
Nadal fought hard to keep the reinvigorated Serb at bay in the ninth game, and played some of the most ingenious shots when required, and 30-30 and deuce did need serious addressing. A key moment was holding his serve because now Rafa could afford to attack Djokovic knowing that any lapse would be the match.
At 30-0, things looked comfortable for Novak, but at 30-15 Nadal won probably the most significant point of the match with a blistering crosscourt winner, and 30-30 was a balancing act that even the poised Djokovic could not complete successfully, sadly handing victory to Nadal with a double fault on match point.
We will not remember the final,point, nor should we, because that did not define the match which was indeed another ripper between these two warriors. Rafa Nadal proved - no that is wrong, he already has proven several times over that he is the best ever on clay. Nine times a finalist, nine times a winner here - six of those wins over Federer and Djokovic.
Djokovic for his part leaves Paris with reputation intact - the second best on clay and with Nadal forming the upper class of male tennis players on the planet.
They may well contest the next Grand Slam tournament final on grass as they did in 2011, they are in such exhilarating form.
Nadal joins Sampras as a 14 time Grand Slam title winner, second now only to Roger Federer. After the 2010 Australian Open, Roger had 16 and Rafa had 6 - now it's 17 to 14. Tell me now that Roger's record is safe!
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