Sunday, June 5, 2011

Live: Nadal-Federer in French Open final






Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer have owned Roland Garros in recent years, combining to win each of the last six titles there. They'll make it seven after today as they meet in the final once again. Follow all the great action with our live game-by-game blog and add your comments on the match below.
Game 10: Federer survives a set point at 40-30 to push us to deuce. Then the rain starts falling. They'll suspend play, but word is it shouldn't last too long. We'll keep you posted.

Game 9: But just like that, Nadal takes the first two points on Federer's serve, then takes the fourth for a 15-40 edge and two break point chances. Federer saves one with a heavy serve wide, then the next with a nice volley off a Nadal passing shot attempt. At deuce, though, Federer misses the volley to give Nadal another look. Federer then misses a backhand try up the line. Nadal gets the break and can still serve for the set after all.

Game 8: At 30-30, a brilliant point. Federer stripes a backhand up the line after a long rally to get his first break chance in quite some time. Nadal bombs a serve to save it and take us to deuce. A backhand long for Nadal gives Federer another shot at a break. Federer squanders that with a backhand error. Another long rally ends with Nadal missing a forehand long. Third break chance for Federer. Nadal then mishits on the next point to hand the break to Federer. We're back on serve at 4-4.
Game 7: Federer shows a sign of life as he holds at love for the first time in the match. He'll still need a break to get back in this set. 4-3, Nadal.

Game 6: Nadal charges to a 40-0 lead before Federer claws his way back to deuce. Nadal, though, shakes off the challenge and holds for 4-2.

Game 5: The Federer that looked so sharp through the first 6.1 matches of this tournament has completely disappeared as he falls behind 15-40 here thanks to more sloppy hitting. Nadal doesn't even have to come up with winners right now. A pair of aces up the middle save the break points and bring us to deuce. Yet another backhand error gives Nadal a third break chance. A big serve helps Federer salt that one away too. A service winner and backhand winner save Federer from complete desolation here in the second. 3-2, Nadal.

Game 4: Federer digs his way to 30-30, which practically qualifies as a break chance with the way he's been playing lately. He returns Nadal's serve into the tape on the next point and then does the same with an easy backhand in close. Nadal holds for 3-1.

Game 3: All the buzz that was in the crowd as Federer was playing so brilliantly in the first set has been sucked out as Federer shoots another errant backhand to start this game. Federer bounces back for the hold, ending Nadal's streak of seven straight games won. Nadal still up a break in the second.
Game 2: It's all Federer can do just to not get run off the court right now. Nadal is crushing shots, pushing Federer way behind the baseline. Nadal holds at love for 2-0.

Game 1: It might all be coming unraveled for Federer here. Three errors put him 0-40 down on his first service game of the set. He saves the first break point when Nadal flicks a forehand long. But Nadal wins the next extended rally to secure the break. He has won six straight games and is suddenly in total control of this match.

FIRST SET
Game 12: A few Federer errors give Nadal a set point at 40-30. Nadal curls a forehand out of Federer's reach to take the first set. The five-time champion looks every bit the part right now.

Game 11: Nadal is really flying around the court now, pumping his fist and displaying the trademark energy that has carried him to nine Slam titles of his own. He wins a point at 30-30 after a rally for another break chance. Federer saves it by a fraction of an inch as he nearly sends a forehand wide. Nadal then wins another break chance. Federer's first serve misses by a hair and Nadal takes advantage, winning the next point to secure the break. What a shocking swing in momentum as Nadal will now serve for the first set.

Game 10: There's no player more mentally tough than Federer, but will he be able to regroup after that most discouraging of breaks? He jumps out to a 15-30 edge on Nadal's serve, but the Spaniard quickly shuts the door. 5-5 in the first.
Game 9: At 30-30, Federer rips a backhand into the tape to give Nadal his first break point opportunity of the match. And he gets it after chasing down a Federer cross-court backhand and sending back a shot too tough for the Swiss to handle. We're back on serve in the first at 5-4, Federer.

Game 8: Nadal may be a little mentally affected by what's going on. He had a strange, brief conversation with the chair umpire during the last game and delayed the start of this game while adjusting the tape on his feet. Nadal races out to a 40-15 lead, but Federer fights back to deuce. Nadal misses long on the next rally and suddenly Federer has a set point. He then misses — barely — with a drop shot attempt on the next rally, then slaps a second-serve return into the net and then Nadal smacks a brilliant cross-court passing shot to secure the hold. 5-3, Federer.

Game 7: A near jinx there as Federer stumbles to a 15-30 deficit on his serve. But an ace out wide, another big serve out wide that ends in a point for Federer, and another serve-and-volley combo get Federer out of trouble and put him one game away from the first set.

Game 6: Nadal scores a relatively easy hold, but he's still a break down and Federer's serve continues to look sharp.

Game 5: After a few long rallies bring us to 30-30, Federer hits another strong serve and secures a key point with a forehand winner. Nadal sends a shot long on the next rally to make it 4-1 Federer in the first. He has already won as many games in this match as he did in the entire match the last time these two met at Roland Garros, in the 2008 final — a 6-1, 6-3, 6-0 Nadal win.
Game 4: At 30-30, Federer hits a forehand up the line at nearly clips the line, but an overrule from chair umpire Pascal Maria gives the point to Nadal. He wins the next to hold and the five-time French Open champion is finally on the board.

Game 3: Three gorgeous serves from Federer to start the game — out wide for an ace, up the T for a winner, up the T again for an ace. Nadal manages to salvage one point, then Federer finishes off the easy hold with a serve-and-volley. Federer — who's 0-4 all-time against Nadal at Roland Garros — is in total control early on.

Game 2: It doesn't take long for Federer to get a look at an early break, as he jumps out to a 15-40 lead on Nadal's serve. A tricky serve into the body saves the first break point for Nadal, then Federer sprays a forehand long after a rally to bring us to deuce. Nadal hits the tape after another rally on the next point, giving Federer a third break chance, but another errant forehand from the Swiss on the next point takes us again to deuce. Nadal then misses wide and long with a forehand. A fourth break opportunity for Federer. Nadal comes in for what should be an easy short forehand on the next point, but he hits it into the tape and Federer secures the early advantage.

Game 1: Federer starts with the serve, a tool that helped him out so much against Novak Djokovic in the semifinals. He starts off strong here, notching an easy hold for 1-0. We're off and running in Paris.

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