Page 21 - ARUBA TODAY

A21
SPORTS Monday 10 June 2019

Nadal wins 12th French Open for 18th Slam title

By HOWARD FENDRICH ing a 12-stroke exchange
AP Tennis Writer by ripping a forehand to
PARIS (AP) — For a few, earn the first break point,
fleeting moments Sunday, then converting it with an
Rafael Nadal found his overhead on a 20-stroke
French Open supremacy exchange for a 3-2 edge.
seemingly threatened by He turned with a clenched
Dominic Thiem, a younger, right hand to face his guest
talented opponent chal- box, where his girlfriend,
lenging him in the final for women’s doubles cham-
the second consecutive pion Kristina Mladenovic,
year. was pumping her fist and
A poor game from Nadal shouting.
allowed Thiem to break Nadal immediately re-
him and even things at a sponded. He grabbed the
set apiece. That develop- next four games with elan,
ment brought fans to their using a drop shot to help
feet in Court Philippe Cha- break for a 5-3 lead, then
trier, roaring and clapping a serve-and-volley to help
and, above all, wonder- hold for the set.
ing: Was this, now, a real That must have been de-
contest? Could Thiem push moralizing for Thiem. But at
Nadal more? Could Thiem the ensuing changeover,
make this surge last? Would Spain’s Rafael Nadal celebrates his record 12th French Open tennis tournament title after winning he didn’t whack a ball to-
Nadal falter? his men’s final match against Austria’s Dominic Thiem in four sets, 6-3, 5-7, 6-1, 6-1, at the Roland ward the stands, as Feder-
That the questions arose at Garros stadium in Paris, Sunday, June 9, 2019. er memorably did during
all was significant. The an- Associated Press his semifinal loss to Nadal.
swers arrived swiftly. Nadal phy ceremony. standards, a rough sea- and winning it. Thiem casually sat in his
reasserted himself, as he Looking at the bigger pic- son, from the most lopsided This one began on a cloudy gray sideline seat, bounced
usually does at Roland Gar- ture, he is now up to 18 Grand Slam final loss of his afternoon, with the temper- his legs and chewed on an
ros, by grabbing 16 of the Grand Slam trophies, mov- career — against Djokovic ature in the low 60s (mid- energy bar, furtively glanc-
next 17 points and 12 of the ing within two of Roger Fe- at the Australian Open — teens Celsius) and only a ing at Nadal.
remaining 14 games, pull- derer’s men’s record of 20. to entering May without a slight breeze. In the initial Thiem bounced back, if
ing away to beat Thiem 6-3, Nadal, however, did not title for the first year since game — interrupted briefly only briefly. Talk about a
5-7, 6-1, 6-1 for his record- want to entertain any dis- 2004. Injuries, as often is the by a baby wailing in the stunning shift: Nadal won
extending 12th champion- cussion of a pursuit of Fe- case with Nadal, were a stands, drawing a laugh 25 of 26 points on his serve
ship at the French Open. derer. “I am not very wor- problem, including a bad from other spectators and before — with spectators
“He stepped on me,” Thiem ried about this stuff,” Nadal right knee. prompting Nadal to back trading between-point
said. “The numbers are cra- said. “You can’t be frus- “Mentally, I lost a little bit away from the baseline chants of nicknames, “Ra-
zy. He won it 12 times.” trated all the time because (of) energy, because I had between serves — three fa!” and “Do-mi!” — he got
No one in tennis ever has the neighbor has a bigger too many issues in a row,” of the five points lasted at broken to cede the second
won any major tournament house than you or a bigger Nadal said, tapping his least 11 strokes. set. That was the only set
that frequently. Then again, TV or better garden.” right fingers on his temple. And, thereby, a pattern Thiem managed to steal
no one ever has been as Thiem, a 25-year-old Aus- “When you are constantly was established: By the from Nadal in four career
suited for success on any trian who was seeded No. hit in the face,” he said in end of the 3-hour, 1-minute meetings at Roland Garros.
of the sport’s surfaces as 4 and upset No. 1 Novak Spanish, “you end up be- match, a total of 46 points Maybe this was going to be
this 33-year-old Spaniard is Djokovic in a draining, ing hurt.” He started to right went 10 strokes or more. a long one. But Thiem, put
on red clay: Nadal is 93-2 rain-interrupted semifinal himself by taking the Ital- Each man claimed half. simply, wilted. Enough to
for his career at Roland played over two days, was ian Open title on clay last From the get-go, it was create an opening Nadal
Garros, winning four in a eyeing his first major title in month. “It was very impor- such a physical grind that barged through.
row from 2005-08, five in a this rematch of the 2018 fi- tant for him to win in Rome. Nadal was soaked with By now, Nadal was creat-
row from 2010-14, and now nal in Paris. But again, he It was like he realized that sweat and changed neon ing magic at the net, and
three in a row. couldn’t solve Nadal. he was getting back on yellow shirts after just seven he won the point on 23 of
“I can’t explain my emo- “First thing that I want to the good level, on the right games, eliciting catcalls 27 times he went forward.
tions,” said the No. 2-seed- say is congrats to Dominic. path,” said Nadal’s coach, from the stands. One drop volley was spun
ed Nadal, who dropped I feel sorry, because he de- 1998 French Open champi- Early on, there were no so marvelously that it land-
to his back after the final serves it here, too,” Nadal on Carlos Moya, “and gain- signs of fatigue for Thiem, ed on Thiem’s side, then
point, getting that rust-col- said. “He has an unbeliev- ing a lot of confidence.” even though he was com- bounced back toward the
ored dirt all over his neon able intensity.” Soon enough, Nadal found peting for a fourth straight net. All Thiem could do was
yellow shirt, then wiped So, of course, does Nadal. himself in a familiar position day. Indeed, it was Thiem watch — and offer an ap-
away tears during the tro- This had been, by his lofty in Paris: playing in the final, who nosed ahead first, clos- preciative thumbs-up.q