French Open

Federer could do nothing to stop Nadal winning a fourth title

Rafael Nadal thrashed world number one Roger Federer to win a fourth successive French Open title on Sunday.
The Spaniard, 22, won 6-1 6-3 6-0 in one hour 48 minutes to become the first man since Bjorn Borg in 1981 to win four Roland Garros titles in a row.
Federer had lost the previous two finals to Nadal, and was broken at the start of each set this time as he fell well below his best form.

Nadal becomes the seventh man to win a GraFederer had gone into the final insisting that he believed he could win, despite a 1-8 record against Nadal on clay and having seen the Spaniard demolish all comers on his way through the draw.
And any belief that Federer did have began to disappear almost immediately, as he made four unforced errors to give away a break of serve in game one.
The top seed appeared to be using a more attacking strategy than in past years and the high-risk tactics almost got him back on level terms in game two, but he could not convert a break point and the set ran away from him.
When Federer dropped serve at the start of the second with his 15th unforced error of the match he looked a beaten man, but a superb angled backhand helped him recover the break in the following game.
And as the set progressed, Federer began to suggest he could threaten the champion.
The key moment came at 3-3 when the Swiss earned a break point and a chance to finally move ahead, but Nadal drew him into the net and Federer caught the tape as he went for too much with a low backhand.
With the chance gone, Nadal inevitably made him pay in the next game, taking his third break point by punching a backhand pass down the line with Federer stranded at the net.
Things got even worse for the Wimbledon champion in the third, who lost his first love set at a Grand Slam since facing Pat Rafter at the French Open in 1999.
In the closing stages, Nadal was picking him apart, with one stunning lob in game four a particular highlight and evidence that the Mallorcan's game has come on in leaps and bounds.
He sealed victory when the world number one made his 35th unforced error of the match - to Nadal's seven - and left an embarrassed Federer to pay tribute as the trophy was handed over for a fourth time.
"Rafa is very, very strong and he dominates this tournament like never before," said Federer. "Congratulations Rafa." nd Slam without dropping a set.
The last man to do so was Federer himself, at the Australian Open last year, but the aura of invincibility has well and truly left the Swiss now.
It was the heaviest defeat of Federer's career in Grand Slam tournaments and suggested he is as far as ever from fulfilling his dream of winning all four major titles.

Invincible is exactly the description that applies to Nadal at Roland Garros. He has won all 28 matches he has played there and lost just eight sets in four years.

French Open - Ana Ivanovic won greate record

Ana Ivanovic confirmed her status as the new world number one with her first Grand Slam title at the French Open.
The 20-year-old second seed beat Russia's Dinara Safina 6-4 6-3 to become the first Serbian woman to win a Grand Slam singles title.
In a tense opening set, Ivanovic got the better of five breaks of serve.
And two breaks in the second were enough for Ivanovic to make up for her heavy defeat by the now retired Justine Henin in last year's final.
Henin was on hand to give Ivanovic the trophy after she sealed victory.
"I'm just so happy I kept my composure until the end," said Ivanovic. "Last year's final was a great learning experience."
The Serbian also had the experience of playing in the Australian Open final in January, losing to Maria Sharapova, while 13th seed Safina was playing her first Grand Slam singles final. With both players looking for a first major title it was understandable that they began in nervous fashion, but it was Ivanovic who looked the calmer as she soon moved a double-break clear.
The fear for Ivanovic supporters before the match had been whether her nerve would hold, and when she let a 40-0 lead slip in game eight to be pegged back to 4-4, it looked a reasonable question.
However, just when Safina needed to heap on the pressure she faltered and a series of errors handed the break straight back, and then helped Ivanovic come through an edgy service game to take the set.

The new world number one - who replaces Sharapova at the top of the rankings on Monday - needed no further encouragement and broke again in game three of the second set with a thumping forehand winner down the line.
And despite lengthy scraps in games six and seven, Safina could not get back on terms before, at 4-3 down, her resolve finally broke.
The Russian had saved match points on her way to beating Sharapova and Elena Dementieva in earlier rounds but there was to be no miracle comeback this time.
"I didn't have any more the fire that I had those matches," said Safina afterwards. "I was tired."
Three unforced errors put Ivanovic 5-3 ahead and Safina then failed to put the second seed under any pressure as she served for the title.
Victory was wrapped up in one hour 38 minutes and Ivanovic immediately headed into the stands to celebrate with her supporters.
"This was amazing," she said. "I still don't realise what happened. As a kid, when I used to go by bike to practice, I used to dream of this."