RAFA NADAL WINS HIS 10TH FRENCH OPEN TENNIS TITLE WITH VICTORY OVER STAN WAWRINKA

Written by: Staff on 11th June 2017

French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros

RAFA NADAL WINS HIS 10TH FRENCH OPEN TENNIS TITLE WITH VICTORY OVER STAN WAWRINKA

epa06022843 Rafael Nadal of Spain poses with his trophy after winning the men?s singles final match against Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland during the French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros in Paris, France, 11 June 2017. EPA/CAROLINE BLUMBERG |

By Ricky Dimon AKA The @dimonator

Rafael Nadal captured his 10th French Open title when he overwhelmed Stan Wawrinka 6-2, 6-3, 6-1 on Sunday afternoon. Nadal improved to 79-2 lifetime at Roland Garros and lifted the trophy for the first time since 2014 after disposing of Wawrinka in just two hours and five minutes.

This one–like the Spaniard’s six matches before it during the fortnight–was never close.

Wawrinka held his first two service games but promptly ended the set on a four-game losing streak starting at 2-2. Nadal powered his way to a 3-0 lead in the second and consolidated the break with ease, without even being pushed to deuce. From there it was all over for Wawrinka, who dropped serve to begin the third and was also broken two more times after that.

“For sure I was nervous this morning about the match, about the final, about playing against him,” Wawrinka admitted. “But when I enter the court, I enjoy it and I appreciate [being] in the final of a Grand Slam here [at the] French Open. That’s always something special, and you need to see that also from the big picture.

“For sure this score wasn’t good, the match wasn’t good, but at the end of the day there’s a lot of positives to take from the last few weeks.”

Wawrinka had been riding a 10-match winning streak before he ran into Nadal. The third-ranked Swiss was coming off a title in Geneva, won his first five rounds at Roland Garros all in straight sets, and beat world No. 1 Andy Murray in a five-set semifinal.

But he was no match for Nadal, who more than doubled his unforced error count (12) with winners (27), face only one break point, and never got broken.

Rafael Nadal of Spain (R) and Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland posing with their trophies after their men’s singles final match during the French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros in Paris, France, 11June 2017. EPA/CAROLINE BLUMBERG

“I know Wawrinka is a very dangerous opponent, so my mentality was there all the time thinking that I cannot give him the chance to be back in the match,” the No. 4 seed explained. “Because then he starts to hit so strong from the baseline and he’s able to produce amazing shots.

“The only thing that I know is I am playing well now. I am happy. I am enjoying every week and I want to continue and I’m gonna try to keep working hard to try to enjoy more beautiful weeks.”

He has enjoyed plenty of them at the French Open, but never has he been more dominant than he was this time around. Nadal lost a grand total of 35 games throughout the tournament, the second fewest by any man at any major in the best-of-five-set Open Era (six 1968).