Rafael Nadal – Undisputed King of Clay – By: Cheryl Jones

Written by: Staff on 9th June 2013

French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros

Rafael Nadal - Undisputed King of Clay - By: Cheryl Jones

epa03737853 Rafael Nadal of Spain poses with the trophy after winning the men's final match against his compatriot David Ferrer at the French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros in Paris, France, 09 June 2013. EPA/IAN LANGSDON |

Rafael Nadal must feel that a big chunk of his life has been spent taking a bite out of the Coupe de Mousquetaire, surrounded by the terre battue of Roland Garros. Sunday in Paris, he added another taste of greatness to his list of accomplishments on that red clay. In a match that threatened rain from the onset, he triumphed once again.

What felt like an instant was actually 2 hours and 16 minutes. In that time, he vanquished countryman David Ferrer who went home with a runner-up prize worth nearly $1 million US, (750,000 Euros). (Just as Serena Williams had done Saturday, Nadal added 1.5 million Euros, to his bank account, which depending on the exchange rate is close to $2 million US.) From day one of the French tournament, it has felt like this match was merely a formality. After it was complete, Rafa lay on the court for the eighth time.

Finally standing, just shy of the baseline, it appeared he had wings outlined on his white Nike shirt. It was fitting, and beside all that symbolism, the terre battue dust matched his orange shorts. He had conveniently dressed appropriately in anticipation of the occasion.

Nadal became the first man in the Open Era to take away 8 titles from the same Major venue. He passed everyone, even long forgotten champs who played the game in the 19th century. When the final ball was struck, the history of tennis was revised and he will be included at the top of a long list of stellar players from days gone by. The only other player on that roster who is still in the running to equal his accomplishment today is Roger Federer who has 7 wins at Wimbledon. A win there by Federer will give the two extraordinary men a dual slot in the chronicles of tennis. What an accomplishment for them.

The match was as exciting as it was quick, with rain merely beckoning on several occasions, Nadal chalked up 5 aces to Ferrer’s one. The 6-3, 6-2, 6-3 score was oddly symmetrical in a manner that must have pleased Rafa’s sense of order. (Since he began his professional career, he has always carefully lined his water bottles and seemed to have quirks that became almost comical as he tugged at his shorts and adjusted his socks. Of late, there has been a dramatic downturn in his fine tuning, but it hasn’t been eradicated yet.)

There was some excitement on the court that had nothing to do with tennis, or so it seems. It was near an underground corridor on the corner of the court, just behind Rafa, during the second set. What appeared to be a barrage of exploding flares gave a start to everyone in the vicinity, including Nadal. It was evidently some sort of protest by a group that was opposed to gay marriage. What it had to do with the tennis remains unclear. But, play resumed as the smoke cleared and balls were soon being propelled across the net.

Ferrer said that it had startled him, but odd things have happened when he has been on-court, including a hole that appeared in Doha. There were no streakers bold enough to even think of strutting their stuff. It was cold. The 31-year-old Ferrer moved up in the rankings, as he traded places with Nadal. In addressing the oddity, he said, “Yeah, it’s strange, no? I lost the final against Rafael, but tomorrow I am going to be Number 4 and he will be Number 5. But anyway, I change, I prefer to win here and to stay Number 5. (Nadal’s knee injury kept him out of the game for a while and his ranking suffered. If he stays healthy, his ranking will move further up the ladder once again.)

When Nadal reached his 17th Grand Slam final, he entered into a fourth place tie with Rod Laver. (Federer has a lock on that stat right now, with 24, where he is 5 higher than Ivan Lendl and 6 in front of Pete Sampras.) Another milestone that has catapulted Nadal into the record books is that he is the second youngest 12-time Grand Slam winner at 27 years and 6 days. (Federer holds that record, too, when he was 26 years and 32 days, winning the US Open in 2007.)

Nadal has pulled out of the Gerry Weber Open, indicating that he is exhausted and is still having issues with his knee. Today, it appeared to be performing as intended, as he seemed to be sliding as well as he ever had. Even though he had spent a tick over six hours on court, more than his opponent, he had an edgy energy that propelled him toward the task at hand. After the match, he said, “What really makes me happy is arriving on a tournament feeling I’m ready to fight against any opponent and that I’m in a good position to win the tournament.” Mission accomplished.

Usain Bolt, the lightening fast Olympic sprinter, presented Nadal with the Coupe de Mousquetaires and the tournament was finished. Rafael Nadal is indeed the King of Clay – no question about it.

Topics: Cheryl Jones, David Ferrer, French Open, French tennis news, Rafael Nadal, Roland Garros, Spanish tennis news, Sports, Tennis

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10sBalls.com says:

June 9, 2013 at 2:17 pm

Rafael Nadal – Undisputed King of Clay – By: Cheryl Jones – https://archive.10sballs.com/?p=88037
SeabirdT says:

June 10, 2013 at 8:08 am

RT @10sBalls_com: Rafael Nadal – Undisputed King of Clay – By: Cheryl Jones – http://t.co/zzap8f0Xu6 @rolandgarros @RafaelNadal #tennis