PETE ZIEBRON
World # 1 Rafael Nadal Charles Gabrean Photography
Rafael Nadal withstood fierce determination from his biggest rival, Roger Federer and won the 2011 Roland Garros Final 7-5 7-6(3) 5-7 6-1 today in Paris. It was the 6th Roland Garros title for Nadal in the last 7 years and 10th career Major title.
Federer will rue the fact that he had chances in each and every set of the match and did not convert on the majority of his opportunities. In the first set, Federer finally solved Nadal on his 4th break point opportunity in Nadal's first service game to take a 2-0 lead. Later in the set, Federer held a set point on Nadal's serve but just missed hitting the line on a carved drop shot. Nadal would dig out of trouble, even the set and break Federer on his final 2 service games of the first set to steal the opening stanza.
Deep in the second set, Federer staved off a set point before the rain appeared, causing a 9 minute delay. When play resumed with Nadal serving at 6-5, deuce, Federer would again earn a break point and then convert it, pushing the 2nd set to a tiebreak. Nadal would prove to be the steadier player, raced to a 4-0 lead and won the the breaker 7-3 to take a 2 sets to love lead.
Late in the 3rd set, with Nadal 2 games from victory, Federer would get a key break, level the set and then break yet again to win the set 7-5. Momentum was clearly on Federer's side now, for the first time since midway through the 1st set.
At this point, trailing 2 sets to 1, Federer converted 5 of 12 break point opportunities in the match, including breaking Nadal on 3 consecutive break point chances. Historically, Federer was a cumulative 5 of 31 in break point conversions against Nadal in the previous 3 Roland Garros Finals, all won by Nadal.
Nadal served to begin the 4th set and quickly got behind 0-40. Despite Federer's more successful break point conversion rate on the day, he would fail to break Nadal in the opening game of the set, proceed to get broken and win only 1 more game in the match.
With the victory, Rafael Nadal will remain the #1 player in the world, holding a slim points lead over Novak Djokovic.
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