Nadal survives Puerta to win title
Sunday, June 5, 2005
Spanish teen Rafael Nadal capped an amazing fortnight by overcoming a game Mariano Puerta 6-7 (6), 6-3, 6-1, 7-5 to win the his first Roland Garros men's title. "Its' always been my dream to win this tournament," said Nadal, who became the first man to win in his debut since Mats Wilander in 1982. "It was such a tough match and a great final."
In a highly competitive and entertaining match between two talented left-handers, Nadal put up a defensive wall against the streaky Argentine, pulling off amazing shots on the run when it looked like he was totally out of points.
The 19-year-old Spaniard and the 26-year-old Argentine wowed the sold-out crowd on Court Philippe Chatrier, going end to end chasing down each other heavily top-spinned blows. But in the end, it was Nada's ability to exhaust Puerta that keyed his victory, as he mixed in deft drop shots, slapping backhands and heavy forehand to every part of the court.
Puerta had won two heroic matches against Guillermo Canas and Nicolay Davydenko coming into the final, but couldn't muster up enough magic in the fourth set.
The Argentine held three sets points serving at 5-4 in the fourth set, but the Spaniard wouldn't quit, running wide and punching a backhand passing shot; taking a rapid exchange at the net where Puerta dove for a forehand volley and was unable to lift it over the tape; and then watching the Argentine dump a forehand into the net.
"I wonder how he was able to get that ball," Puerta said. "He has very strong legs. He moves so well. He runs so fast. He surprised me a lot."
After holding to 6-5, a pumped up Nadal seized the moment, ripping a backhand down the line, rifling a forehand winner that Puerta could only stare at and then winning the match when the Argentine erred on a forehand.
Nadal then slid on his back, threw his headband into the audience and pumped his fists. He then shook the hand of Spain's King Juan Carlos, who was seated behind the baseline, and went up into the Friend's Box to embrace his parents, his sister and his coach/uncle Toni.
"The way I played today, if it had been another player, I could have won," Puerta said. "But I played the best player in the world, and he played at a maximum level. I am surprised that he's able to play so well so young. He's able to face very difficult situations. He reacts in a very natural way. Today he never doubted his game. Agassi started the 1999 final being very nervous. Gaston Gaudio last year started very poorly the first two sets. He was very nervous. Well, today Rafael was very calm from the start. It's admirable."
Just before the trophy ceremony, the 19-year-old from Mallorca wept tears of joy into his towel.
"These moments are very strong," Nadal said. "These are moments when everything comes upon you. All the work you've been doing during all those years, the sacrifices. When you reach your goal, it's an extraordinary. For the first time I cried after winning a match. It never happened to me before. I believe it's perfectly normal."
Nadal, who's the first left-handed champion since Thomas Muster in 1995, is the tournament's fourth-youngest champion.
Nadal had a remarkable run to the title, taking down France's Richard Gasquet and Sebastian Grosjean, the tough Spaniard David Ferrer, top-ranked Roger Federer and Puerta, who was playing his best tournament of his life.
"I think we are talking about someone who is going to write a page in the history of tennis," said Puerta. "He already wrote that page in the history of tennis. Personally, I think he's going to do beautiful things in tennis, like [Michael] Chang did in his own time, or [Andre] Agassi. He's going to become a legend of tennis."
Nadal will go to a career high number three when the rankings are released on Monday behind Federer and Andy Roddick. He's won six tournaments on the season, equal to that of Federer.
"What surprised me most today is the strength he showed, specifically in passing shots," Puerta said. "There were several passing shots in the tiebreaker in the first set, and he also hit passing shots when I had a set point, and it could have gone to a fifth set. He impressed me a lot then. The strength he has in his legs, the way he explodes when he steps into the court to hit a passing shot. He obliges you to volley, and you have to pass him twice. Also, he's very calm. He's cool. I think he has the mental strength to beat records."
Last year, Nadal was unable to play the tournament because of a stress fracture. During this fortnight, he lapped the field by a significant margin became the sixth Spanish male to win Roland Garros in the Open era.
"It means that I am now at the same level as other great players having won Roland Garros the ones I watched on television," he said. "To be on the same list as they are is a dream."
