Rafael Nadal celebrates after winning his 7th French Open Championship title (image credit Thomas Coex/AFP/Getty)
Paris, France (Sports Network) - For a record seventh time, Rafael Nadal has
claimed the French Open title.
Nadal also won it for a third successive year and his seven championships at
Roland Garros set an Open Era record to break a mark he shared with the great
Bjorn Borg, but on Monday the Spaniard finally defeated an opponent that had
become a Grand Slam nemesis.
Nadal earned a 6-4, 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 victory over world No. 1 Novak Djokovic in a
match that started Sunday but was completed a day later because of rain, and
claimed his 11th career Grand Slam crown. It might have been more if not for
the Serb's recent domination in the majors.
Djokovic had won the last three Grand Slam titles, all coming at Nadal's
expense in the final. He was trying to become the first man to hold all four
major championships at the same time since Rod Laver won a natural Grand Slam
in 1969.
But the French Open has been Nadal's second home. The Mallorcan has lost just
once on the famed red clay and Djokovic was appearing in the final of the
Parisian slam for the first time.
More to follow.
The Sports Network