Ferrer was the first to earn a break point when Nadal netted a forehand. However, by sending a return long, Ferrer wasted that opportunity. On the other hand, when Nadal obtained double break point on a Ferrer backhand miscue, he connected with a forehand up the line winner for a 2-1 lead.

After consolidating, Nadal broke Ferrer at love to widen his advantage to 4-1. Yet, Ferrer narrowed the gap to a single break by breaking right back.

Still following a bevy of errors by Ferrer, Nadal retook a double break lead for 5-2. Then, after dismissing double break point, Nadal bedded the set.

Subsequent to flubbing a forehand, Ferrer stared at double break point to open the second set. With astute serving, Ferrer arrived at deuce. But, by pushing a forehand wide, Ferrer handed Nadal another break opportunity. The latter converted by striking a forehand down the line winner.

After Nadal went ahead 2-0, Ferrer again faced break point in his service game. This time, Ferrer guarded serve. With a series of unforced errors from Nadal, Ferrer fabricated triple break point. By provoking a mistake from his rival, Ferrer stole the game and leveled the set at 2 all.

Soon though, by dumping a forehand into the net, Ferrer was down break point. With a courageous forehand volley winner, Ferrer was at deuce. Six deuces and two additional break points later, Ferrer finally held for 3-2.

Then, with a well angled forehand, Ferrer enticed a forehand error from Nadal for double break point. With a forehand crosscourt winner, Ferrer broke for 4-2.

Yet with Nadal, no lead is ever secure. As a result of three poorly played points, Ferrer dug himself a 0-40 trap. With three well thought out strokes, Ferrer got to deuce. However, with a backhand crosscourt winner, Nadal posted another break point. He capitalized by besting Ferrer in a volley exchange.
Ferrer again had chances with three break point in the next game, but Nadal would not relent and squared the set at 4 all.

Promptly, with Ferrer’s backhand finding the net, Nadal had double break point. When Ferrer’s forehand up the line landed long, Nadal pocketed the break for 5-4.

By thumping a forehand down the line winner, Nadal set up double championship point. As Ferrer’s forehand traveled wide, Nadal collected the title, effectively his sixth consecutive at this venue.

In 2008 and 2009, Ferrer was also second best to Nadal in Barcelona. Nevertheless, Ferrer felt that he had a fantastic week.

Yesterday, Nadal obtained his 500th career win by beating Ivan Dodig in the semifinals. Today, Nadal competed in his 60th career final and improved his clay court finals record to 31-2. The “king of clay” is now third behind Guillermo Vilas with 46 titles and Thomas Muster with 40.

Always at this time of year, the sixty-four thousand dollar question is: Who can halt Nadal? This week at the Serbia Open, Novak Djokovic puts his perfect season on the line at his first clay court tournament of 2011. Perhaps, at the end of this week we will find out whether Nadal has a legitimate clay court rival going into the French Open.

For the sixth year in a row facing a fresh rival at the tournament’s ultimate dance, Federer was regarded as the overwhelming favorite. Subsequent to a love game, on his fifth break point, Federer used a forehand crosscourt winner to jump to a 2-0 lead. Then, Roger consolidated with a comfortable hold. With Del Potro’s newbie status at the final of a major, he had difficulty encountering his footing the opening set. But, Juan Martin finally got on the board with ease for 1-3.  While Federer never dealt with a break point, Del Potro’s treacherous adventure on serve continued.  Serving at 2-5, Juan Martin’s forehand error gave Roger three set points.  However, with his big serve, Del Potro salvaged the game. Nevertheless, Federer went on to close out the set.

Del Potro started the second with four unforced errors, including two double faults, to hand Federer a break.  By maintaining his near perfect play at net, Federer connected on a forehand volley for 2-0.  After an untroubled hold by his opponent, Federer’s forehand miscues resulted in Del Potro’s initial break opportunities.  With Juan Martin unable to capitalize, Roger stretched his lead to 3-1. Consequently, Roger appeared to be securing a choke hold on another title. Yet, despite multiple chances, Federer failed to capture a potential insurance break.  After Del Potro kept the set alive with a love hold at 4-5, in front 30-0, Federer made a couple of errors for 30-30.  The next point, Del Potro called on the tech review after a forehand up the line was presumed out. By a hair, Juan Martin was found to be correct. Now, an incredulous Federer stared at break point.  Immediately, Juan Martin passed Roger at net with a forehand up the line to square the set at 5-5. Roger’s failure at sealing the set preyed on his mind into a tiebreaker. A forehand error was all Del Potro required for a mini-break and to finish off the set.

An abominable first serve percentage, a rival unwilling to capitulate, a perceived flawed challenge system contributed to Federer’s petulant mood the rest of the way. Roger even had an acerbic exchange with the chair umpire in the third set. To the contrary, Del Potro settled into a comfortable service rhythm.  At 3 all and 30 all, Federer floated two straight forehands long to give Del Potro his first lead.  But, the next game, Federer blotted out his mistake by making it 4 all.  After dismissing another break point and holding, Federer ticked off that Del Potro took a little long to dispute a call utilized his displeasure to get to 0-30. As a result of Del Potro double faulting twice, Federer carried the set 6-4.

In the fourth, at 0-1, in trouble double break point, Del Potro fired a couple of good serves and forehand winners to stay in touch with Federer. Then at 1-2, looking at break point, Juan Martin prescribed the same remedy to hold.  Soon, Del Potro baited Federer into three mistakes and grabbed a 3-2 advantage when Roger’s forehand went wide. Serving to consolidate, Del Potro tracked down Federer’s volley and produced a sensational up the line winner. Juan Martin celebrated with high fives to some fans. Even though the crowd respected and loved Roger, the young Argentine’s resiliency had garnered him some new supporters . After all, it was clearly evident that the kernel of belief was germinating in Del Potro’s psyche. But at 3-4, Federer stepped it up with a backhand volley winner. With Del Potro netting a forehand, the players were locked at 4 a piece.  Gutsy serving by Del Potro and a forehand up the line winner earned the youngster a standing ovation as the set was again tied. Ultimately, the fourth was decided in a tiebreaker. Federer opened that up with a double fault and never caught up as a result of several forehand errors.  So, for the first time since 1999, the championship was settled with a fifth set.

Del Potro forbade Federer from finding the accelerator. Following an easy serving game, Juan Martin benefited from two forehand errors from Roger to obtain double break point. The Argentine blew a forehand crosscourt pass by Federer to take a 2-0 edge.  After Roger squandered a break point by spraying a backhand long, Juan Martin was three game away from the most colossal win of his career. Now, despite holding serve, unable to clean up the errors, Federer made no impression on Del Potro’s serve.  Under the gun at 2-5, after wiping two break points, Federer double faulted to hand Del Potro his third championship point.  With a backhand mistake by Federer, Del Potro took his first major.

Today, Del Potro made history in two ways.  Not only did the Argentine halt Federer from matching Bill Tilden’s record of six straight championship, he distinguished himself as the first person since countryman David Nalbandian in 2003 to defeat Federer in NY. After Del Potro’s semifinal lost to Federer in Paris, it was hard to envisage that he would have selected this grand stage for his maiden win in seven attempts over the world number one.  Yet, Del Potro’s victory seems a culmination of the promise that he exhibited last summer in claiming four straight titles.  Del Potro became the first Argentine since Guillermo Vilas in 1977 to conquer the U.S. Open. Currently ranked sixth, Del Potro will move up one notch.

No need to sugar coat it, this was the emphatic message that Rafael Nadal related to Roger Federer with his shellacking of the world number in French Open final 6-1, 6-3, 6-0.

Federer could not have dreamt of a worse start, he was broken in his very first service game. Although this was the commencement, Roger’s body language reflected the opposite. It was as if the match were a mere formality and the trophy had already been handed to Rafa in the locker room. On Nadal’s serve, Federer had the opportunity to level the set at 1 all, but it was eradicated right away. Despite Roger hitting first serves, Rafa ‘s returns were deep and on the money leading to multiple break chances. Thirty-two minutes was all it took for Nadal to break three times and wrap up the first set.

Roger’s dilemma persisted in the second set. Working from the baseline was not bearing fruit, coming to net was ineffective with Nadal was passing him at will. Roger’s first service game was a duplicate of the initial set with Nadal gaining the advantage. But, Federer came back in the subsequent game and equalized things 1-1. A pivotal stage in the match might have been when Roger had a break point for 4-3, his first opportunity to lead, but went on to net the volley. Nadal won the next three games to take a two set to none lead.

In the third set, Roger encountered no means to counteract his opponent’s brilliant play. Nadal kept coming up with ridiculous angles for winners while Federer could only shake his head. In short, the set was a Nadal highlight reel 6-0. The last time Federer lost a set at love was June 1999.

It is hard to embarrass Federer on any surface, least of all in the finals. But, this was exactly what Nadal managed to do. It took Rafa only 1hour and 48 minutes and 35 unforced errors from Roger to maintain his spotless record at Roland Garros. In winning his fourth straight title, Nadal wrote himself into the history books. Lamentably, so did Federer. This represented the fewest number of games won by a competitor in the finals since 1977 when Guillermo Vilas defeated American Bob Gottfried 6-0, 6-3, 6-0.

This was Federer’s third French final in a row.  Regrettably, there is an expiration date attached to his ultimate bite at this apple. With so many players improving and incredibly Nadal getting even better on the clay, Roger’s wish of holding the ‘Coupe des Mousquetaires’ may be wanting his entire career. Indeed, today may have been Roger’s last stand.