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SPORTS Monday 12 June 2017

Perfect 10: Nadal routs Wawrinka for record 10th French Open

HOWARD FENDRICH
AP Tennis Writer
PARIS (AP) — As he sat in
front of a TV to watch last
year’s French Open final,
sidelined by an injured left
wrist, Rafael Nadal had
no way to know for sure,
of course, that he would
return to the height of his
powers.
For the second time in a
row, the most important
match at the most impor-
tant clay-court tourna-
ment was being contested
without him. As the 2017
edition at Roland Garros
began, Nadal’s drought
without a Grand Slam title
was stretching to three full
years.
“It was difficult,” said Nad-
al’s uncle and coach, Toni.
“We were asking ourselves
whether he would be able
achieve this one more
time.”
Turned out he could, and
he did, as masterful as at
any time. Overwhelmingly
good from start to finish in
Sunday’s final, and for the
entire two weeks, Nadal
won his record 10th French
Open title with a 6-2, 6-3,
6-1 victory over 2015 cham-
pion Stan Wawrinka.
Or as the Nadals preferred:
La Decima, Spanish for
“The Tenth.”
“I play my best at all events,
but the feeling here is im-
possible to describe. It’s
impossible to compare it
to another place,” Nad-
al said. “The nerves, the
adrenaline, I feel on the
court are impossible to
compare to another feel-
ing. This is the most impor-
tant event in my career.”
Not only did Nadal win
every set he played in the
tournament, he dropped a
total of only 35 games, the
second fewest by any man
on the way to any title at Spain’s Rafael Nadal poses
a major tournament with with the men’s winner cup after
all matches being best-of- the final match of the French
five-sets in the Open era, Open tennis tournament at the
which dates to 1968. Roland Garros stadium, Sun-
day, June 11, 2017 in Paris.
Associated Press
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