Flawless Nadal matches Federer record with ease

RAFAEL Nadal swept Novak Djokovic aside to win the French Open for the 13th time and equal Roger Federer’s record of 20 grand slam titles.

The two great rivals now sit atop the men’s all-time standings after Nadal’s quite brilliant 6-0 6-2 7-5 victory over world number one Djokovic.

The Spaniard has been dominant for so long at Roland Garros that it seemed nothing he did could surprise, but to produce such a performance against a man who had not lost a completed match all season was breathtaking.

Nadal hit 31 winners and made only 14 unforced errors, leaving Djokovic, who had been hoping to become the first man in the Open era to lift every slam trophy at least twice, unable to find any answers.

The third set was at least competitive, and ensured Djokovic avoided his worst ever slam defeat, but this was unquestionably Nadal’s day.

Having started the tournament by saying the cool and damp autumnal conditions, coupled with heavier balls, would make this the most difficult French Open to win for him, Nadal has ended it without losing a set.

The conditions had been expected to favour Djokovic, particularly when rain just before the start prompted organisers to shut the roof, and all the indications were this would be one of their lung-busting, play-to-a-standstill epics.

But, rather like last year’s Australian Open final, when Djokovic crushed Nadal, this was a virtuoso performance by a man on the stage he has made his own.

The tone was set in the opening game of the match when Nadal broke from 40-15, Djokovic immediately turning to the drop shot and paying the price.

But the Serbian’s biggest Achilles heel was his serve, and his failure to land more than 42 per cent of his first delivery contributed to the love set he was forced to digest.

Djokovic finally got on the board in the first game of the second set after saving three more break points but he could do nothing to change the momentum of the match.

By the time he won another game, Nadal was on the brink of taking a two-set lead, which he duly did at the next opportunity.

But there were signs early in the third set that Nadal was dropping slightly from the stratosphere he had been occupying and, although Djokovic played a poor game to be broken for 3-2, he finally landed a blow against his opponent’s serve in the next game.

The break was the chink of light he needed, and there was more fire about Djokovic as he set about trying to turn the match around.

He saved a break point at 4-4 but a double fault on another one at 5-5 left Nadal serving for the title, and he clinched it with an ace.

In the women’s event, Iga Swiatek completed a sensational fortnight at Roland Garros by beating Sofia Kenin to become the first Polish player to win a grand slam singles title.

She swept to the trophy without dropping a set, the 6-4 6-1 victory over Australian Open champion Kenin the icing on the cake.