French Open Finals: Dominance

There is really no other word that sums up Nadal’s performance over the course of the entire tournament, let alone his 6-1, 6-3, 6-0 victory over Roger Federer in the final. It is not often you see lopsided scores such as that in the final of a Grand Slam, and when you do, it is usually because you have one player who has made it through with a bit of luck, but crumbles on the big stage against a proven champion. It is extremely rare that you see someone of Federer’s experience go down as hard as he did. I don’t want to claim clairvoyance, however after seeing the Men’s Semifinals live (unfortunately I had to travel back to the U.S. on the day of the final and watch my recording), I could have predicted a relatively easy Nadal victory. However, by “easy” I was figuring another four set win, or a tighter straight set victory. Never would I have guessed that the greatest player ever to wield a tennis racquet would only manage to win four games over three sets. Read more

Nadal Gains Advantage in French Open Final

The men’s singles final is in full swing at Roland Garros, Paris, between the two best players in the world - Roger Federer, and Rafael Nadal.

With the match half way through the second set, it’s Nadal who has taken the early advantage, after winning the first set 6-1 - an astonishingly one-sided set, and unexpected.

As I write, Nadal has now just won the second set 6-3, and surely there is no comeback for Federer now. The Swiss number 1 looks dejected and out of sorts - although partly down to the fact Nadal looks unstoppable. As things stand I can only see this match finishing one way, it’s now a matter of pride for Federer - and avoiding a whitewash.

Updates will be added when possible. Or you can see BBC’s live updates by clicking here.

French Open: Final 6 Preview

Since the next couple of days will be somewhat hectic, and I’m not sure when I’ll have the opportunity to post again, I figured I’d give you some predictions on the last couple quarter-final matches and the rest of the tournament; instead of the typical final four preview. Bear in mind while reading, I am the person who wrote earlier in the week that Nicolas Almagro had the best chance of beating Nadal, and he was promptly dispatched in straight sets by Nadal, winning only three games. Read more

French Open Ramblings

- I watched James Blake lose to Ernestis Gulbis yesterday in four sets. Blake tried more of a “clay court approach,” not going for his shots and trying to keep the ball in play longer. I think in the long run this is a good way for Blake to play, especially on clay. However, it was not the right approach against Gulbis, a huge hitter who got into a rhythm because Blake allowed him to. Read more

French Open Round-Up: American Male Success

For the first time since 2006, an American man advanced past the first round at the French Open. Even better for the USA, it has happened more than once. On Sunday, the opening day of the tournament, James Blake took on former top 10 and Australian Open finalist Rainer Schuettler 6-4, 6-1, 7-6 (3). Read more

Early French Open Preview

As I leave for Paris tomorrow, and the first few days I am there are always hectic, I figured I’d throw out my thoughts on this years favourite for the 2008 French Open.

I know I’m going out on a huge limb here, but until someone actually beats Rafael Nadal at Roland Garros, how can anyone pick against him. Although, everyone in the United States kept saying that about the New England Patriots this year, only to see them lose to the New York Giants in the Super Bowl, so I guess you never know… Read more