Nadal leads Djokovic 6-4 6-3 at French
Model Adriana Karembeu and actor Pierre Richard a picture of concentration between Nadal and Djokovic. — Reuters picPARIS, June 10 — Rafa Nadal stood just one step away from winning a record seventh French Open title by taking the opening two sets of today’s final against Novak Djokovic 6-4 6-3.
The Spaniard raced into a 3-0 lead in the opening set with two breaks of serve as his forehand pierced holes in Djokovic’s defensive armour.
Nadal had the opportunity to go 4-0 up, but missed a forehand wide allowing the Serb, who is bidding to win his fourth straight major, to force his way back into the tie.
He cleverly dragged Nadal out of court and then finished him off with crunching winners to draw level with a double break of his own.
After putting in the effort to get himself back in the set, he allowed Nadal to edge ahead again with a double fault at break point in the seventh game and he finished it off three games later with a forehand across court.
The second set began in a similar vein to the first with Djokovic losing his opening service game with a double fault on break point and then fighting back from 2-0 down to lead 3-2 as the drizzle began to fall on Court Philippe Chatrier.
The Serb tossed his racquet down in a show of petulance in the fifth game before exhibiting extraordinary sportsmanship to gift Nadal a point following a late and incorrect line call when the rules called for it to be replayed.
Nadal broke in the seventh game with a rasping forehand winner, which again brought the worst out in the frustrated Serb who smashed a hole in his courtside chair.
The second seed moved to within one game of the set when rain suspended play for 35 minutes and he was quick out of the blocks on the restart, breaking to take the second set with a scorching backhand winner on the run. — Reuters
