Nadal overwhelms Federer to win French Open
(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-06-09 09:21

That might be. But had Federer figured out a way to win, it would have been considered an upset. Sound silly? The top-ranked player wins a match, and it's an upset?

Well, yes. Do not forget how invincible Nadal is on clay, and at this tournament. He's the first man since Bjorn Borg in 1980 to win the French Open without dropping a set, the first since Borg from 1978-81 to win the tournament four years in a row.

Sunday's victory also makes Nadal:

_ 28-0 for his career at the French Open;

_ 115-2 on clay since April 2005;

_ 22-1 in clay-court finals.

"I am humble," Nadal said, "but the numbers are the numbers."

His match statistics against Federer were stunning, the sort that make you want to go back and reread them.

Nadal held break points in 10 of Federer's 11 service games, converting eight times. He won the point 24 of the 42 times Federer went to the net. He won 16 of the 24 points that lasted 10 or more strokes, according to an unofficial tally compiled by The Associated Press.

Most tellingly, Federer finished with 35 unforced errors, Nadal with seven. Yes, seven.

"When I was playing," Nadal said, "I didn't believe the match is like this."

There were times it seemed that Federer couldn't figure out how to play. Try serve-and-volley? Nadal picked the perfect place for a passing shot. Try to hang behind the baseline and trade groundstrokes? Nadal scrambled around, playing defense, until the opportunity arose to switch to offense, and with a grunt and an uppercut of a forehand, the 22-year-old Spaniard would flick a winner.

Unlike, for example, the 2007 Wimbledon final _ filled with artistry and grit from both players until Federer won in five sets _ only Nadal played with elan Sunday.

"To lose the way I did today _ it's obviously hard and it's a rough loss, but it's OK," Federer said, a blue baseball cap pulled low over his eyes. "I'll move forward from here, and I'll try again."

Nadal recognized it was not Federer's finest day.

"If I am playing my best tennis ever, I'm never going to win 6-1, 6-3, 6-0 against Roger Federer, no? For sure, it's impossible," the second-ranked Nadal said. "He didn't play very well. Everybody knows that."

For one fleeting moment, Federer appeared to have a chance to make things interesting. After breaking Nadal for the only time, and later holding serve without facing a break point for the only time, Federer pulled even in the second set at 3-3. The match was an hour old, and finally the tiniest hint of drama broke through the gray clouds.

In the next game, Nadal _ gasp! _ frittered away two forehands, allowing Federer to get within one point of a 4-3 lead. Nadal, however, brought it back to deuce, ending an 18-stroke point with a drop shot that Federer reached but slapped into the net.

Federer lost the following two points by missing forehands. And that, essentially, was that. The man who stands two Grand Slam titles shy of Pete Sampras' record would not win another game, losing the last nine.

"I don't know whether he didn't have a good feel for his shots or if he was over-thinking," said Nadal's coach and uncle, Toni. "What I see is that he's missing a bit of self-confidence. He never looked comfortable. Maybe it's a mental block."

Could be.