Spain's Nadal rules French
By Steve Wilstein
Associated Press
PARIS — Rafael Nadal, the new king of clay, put on a show worthy of the royalty watching him.
Michel Euler • Associated Press
Red dust caked Nadal from his hair to his sneakers after his French Open triumph yesterday, the charismatic teen who plays with a pugnacious smirk holding both dirty hands up to a beaming King Juan Carlos of Spain in the box above.
"For the first time I cried after winning a match," Rafael Nadal said after topping Mariano Puerta, 6-7 (6), 6-3, 6-1, 7-5, to capture the French Open.
On this day, the scruffy Spanish kid with tears in his eyes assumed his own moment of majesty.
"All the work you've been doing during all those years, the sacrifices, when you reach your goal, it's an extraordinary moment," Nadal said. "For the first time I cried after winning a match."
In a match as enthralling as it was brilliantly played, Nadal overcame an inspired performance by unseeded Argentine Mariano Puerta, 6-7 (6), 6-3, 6-1, 7-5, to become the youngest men's Grand Slam champion since Michael Chang won the French at 17 in 1989.
Two days after celebrating his 19th birthday by beating No. 1 Roger Federer in four sets, Nadal survived an even tougher test against the surprisingly tenacious Puerta, a fellow left-hander who had come back from a nine-month doping suspension and No. 440 ranking to reach his first major final.
Nadal and Puerta each were artful, feathering drop shots between thundering groundstrokes, lifting lobs that were unexpected. Their full-court scampers to scoop up balls seemingly out of reach drew gasps. Their reflex volleys brought roaring fans to their feet.
The differences between them were few but significant in the 3-hour, 24-minute duel, especially when Puerta broke Nadal and served for the fourth set with a 5-4 lead.
Nadal faced three set points and saved them all: the first on a stunning crosscourt pass after Puerta caught up to a drop shot; the second after a rapid exchange at the net that left Puerta lunging futilely for a volley; the third, two points later, a forehand that Puerta charged and netted. Nadal finally won the game after one more incredible exchange of reflex volleys at the net.
"I wonder how he was able to get that ball," the 26-year-old Puerta said of the break point. "He has very strong legs. He moves so well. He runs so fast. I was surprised that he was able to get that volley on the set point."
That lost opportunity momentarily wore down Puerta, who had gotten a boost throughout the set when the crowd repeatedly chanted his name, and gave Nadal the lift he needed. With the set now tied 5-5, and the leaden clouds threatening rain, Nadal held serve, then delivered one final break when he reached 30-40 with a forehand into an open court and watched Puerta push a forehand wide on match point.
"He must be given credit because there were three points where he really went to get the ball," Puerta said. "I could have been a bit more lucky.
"But it was a beautiful match all the same. When I went off the court, I knew I had lost against the best player in the world on clay. What could I do?"
