MATCH STATS
Aces Double faults
down in lung-burning rallies, leaving the Austrian screaming in frustration.
Thiem found some life and threatened with a break point in the seventh game, but Nadal broke his pace with a drop shot and finished it off with a passing shot, holding for 5-2.
He bagged the second set when Thiem sent a backhand long. Thiem was still on the back foot in the third set, being forced to save four break points in the first game. He dropped serve in the third and Nadal held for 3-1 after taking a time out because of a sore hand.
He then had his forearm massaged at the changeover before resuming his demolition job. Nadal had another massage at 5-2 and he ended Thiem’s ordeal on his fifth match point when the Austrian returned long.
INCREDIBLE WIN
“It’s really just incredible. I played a great match against a great player,” Nadal said after the win.
“I had a tough moment in the third set with cramps in my hand. I was very scared but that’s sport - it was very humid. To win 11 times here
- it’s fantastic and not something I ever dreamed of. It is always my dream to win this trophy, you all know how important the tournament is to me.”
Knee injuries have taken a toll throughout his career but he has always bounced back. The victory took Nadal’s record at Roland Garros to 86 wins and just two losses.