Rafael Nadal matched Bjorn Borg's record of four Roland Garros titles yesterday with a surprisingly easy 6-1, 6-3, 6-0 victory against Roger Federer in a match lasting less than two hours.

In doing so, the 22 year old Mallorcan also became only the seventh player in the modern era to win a Grand Slam title without dropping a set.

"I did not expect a match like this," admitted Nadal after the match, adding: "I think I played an almost perfect match. Roger made more mistakes than usual. He did not play very well, otherwise this result would not have been possible. Today it was tough for Roger."

The victory bodes well for the young Mallorcan ahead of Wimbledon (June 23rd-July 6th), where he has lost in the final to the Swiss number one for the past two years.

Nadal breezes past Djokovic to book fourth final berth
By: thinkSPAIN
Friday, June 6, 2008

Rafael Nadal has reached the final of the French Open for the fourth consecutive year after a straight sets 6-4, 6-2, 7-6 victory against third seed Novak Djokovic.

The main excitement of the match came in the third set when the Serbian recovered two service breaks to set up a tie-break, but Nadal held his nerve to clinch the set, and the match.

The victory keeps Nadal on course to match Bjorn Borg's record of four back-to-back Roland Garros titles, and preserves the Spaniard's world number two ranking, which he would have lost had Djokovic beaten him.

Should Roger Federer come through his semi-final against local favourite Gael Monfils, it will set up a repeat of the 2006 and 2007 finals, both of which went to four sets.

Nadal also needed four sets to win the first of his titles - against Argentina's Mariano Puerta in 2005.
 
Ferrer falls to French outsider
By: thinkSPAIN
Thursday, June 5, 2008

With the home crowd very much behind him, Gael Monfils, ranked 59th in the world, beat Spanish fifth seed, David Ferrer, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-1 yesterday to reach the semi-finals of the French Open.

There, he will face top seed, Roger Federer, who dropped the first set on his way to an eventual 2-6, 6-2, 6-3, 6-4 victory against Chile's Fernando Verdasco.

The 21 year old, who won the junior title in 2004, is already the first local player to reach the last four since Sebastien Grosjean in 2001, and is bidding to become the first Frenchman to win the title since Yannick Noah's 1983 triumph.

Speaking after his defeat, Ferrer reflected philosophically on missing out on a victory that would have elevated him to fourth in the ATP world rankings: "Being fifth in the world is sufficient, it's a lot, I must learn to value it and appreciate it for what it is," he said.

Rafa Nadal storms through to fourth French Open semi
By: thinkSPAIN
Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Rafael Nadal celebrated his 22nd birthday in style yesterday, thrashing in-form, fellow clay-court specialist, Nicolás Almagro, 6-1, 6-1, 6-1 to extend his unbeaten run in the competition to 26 matches.

The world number two next faces the dangerous Djokovic - who sealed his passage with a nervy 7-5, 7-6, 7-5 win against the unfancied Latvian teenager Ernests Gulbis - in a repeat of last year's semi-final.

After the match, Almagro (photo) was generous in his praise for his Davis Cup team-mate, saying: "Nadal played at a very high level throughout the match, and I wasn't at my best. When Rafa's in that kind of mood, the only thing you can do is say happy birthday and wish him the very best of luck."

In the quarter finals of Women's competition, world number three Jelena Jankovic beat Spain's Carla Suárez 6-3, 6-2.

Ferrer joins Spanish trio in French Open quarters
By: thinkSPAIN
Tuesday, June 3, 2008

After his marathon five-set, third-round victory against Lleyton Hewitt last Saturday, David Ferrer had to dig deep again yesterday against Rome Masters semi-finalist, Radek Stepanek, but battled back for an eventual 4-6, 6-2, 1-6, 6-3, 6-3 win to join Rafael Nadal, Nicolás Almagro and Carla Suárez in the quarter finals of the French Open.

The fifth seed's next match will be his first against Gael Monfils, who thrilled the partisan Parisian crowd with a 7-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 win against Ivan Ljubicic.

Elsewhere, Roger Federer, who has only dropped one set since the competition began - against Spain's Albert Montañés in the second round - also progressed, beating local favourite Julien Benneteau 6-4, 7-5, 7-5. 

Nadal, Almagro and Suárez reach French Open quarters
By: thinkSPAIN
Monday, June 2, 2008

Rafael Nadal cruised to a comfortable 6-1, 6-0, 6-2 victory against an injured Fernando Verdasco yesterday in a match lasting six minutes shy of two hours.

His next opponent, Murcia's Nicolás Almagro, had a tougher time against French qualifier Jeremy Chardy, but also came through in straight sets - 7-6, 7-6, 7-5, guaranteeing at least one Spaniard in this year's semi-finals.

David Ferrer will be aiming to join the pair in the quarter finals as he gets ready to face 21st seed Radek Stepanek later today.

In the Women's competition, Carla Suárez's incredible run continued yesterday as she became the first Spanish quarter finalist since Conchita Martínez in 2003 with a 6-3, 6-2 win yesterday against Italian 26th seed, Flavia Pennetta.

Next up for the 19 year old revelation from Gran Canaria, who started the tournament ranked 132nd in the world: Serbian third seed, Jelena Jankovic.

Five Spaniards survive to French Open fourth round
By: thinkSPAIN
Sunday, June 1, 2008

Tommy Robredo is out of the French Open after losing 3-6, 2-6, 1-6 yesterday to Radek Stepanek, who next faces David Ferrer, who overcame Australia's Lleyton Hewitt 6-2, 3-6, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 after a titanic struggle to book his place in the fourth round.

Today, Rafael Nadal and Fernando Verdasco face each other in an all-Spanish affair while Nicolás Almagro will take on France's Jeremy Chardy.

In the Women's competition, Spain's Carla Suárez, who has already secured Olympic Games qualification, will be up against Italian 26th seed, Flavia Pennetta.

Nadal shrugs off blister to reach last 16
By: thinkSPAIN
Friday, May 30, 2008

Rafael Nadal remains on course to become the first man since Bjorn Borg to win the French Open for the fourth time in a row after his 6-1, 6-3, 6-1 win earlier today against Finland's Jarkko Nieminen.

In the next round he will be up against either 15th seed Mikhail Youzhny or compatriot Fernando Verdasco, who is seeded 22nd.

Elsewhere, Spain's Nicolás Almagro beat Scotland's Andy Murray 6-3, 6-7, 6-3, 7-5, and next faces either French wildcard, Jeremy Chardy, or Russia's Dmitry Tursunov for a place in the quarter-finals.

Nadal cruises into third round
By: thinkSPAIN
Thursday, May 29, 2008

Rafael Nadal has beaten world number 148, French qualifier, Nicolas Devilder, in a rain-affected second-round match at the French Open in Paris this afternoon 6-4, 6-0, 6-1.

A short sharp shower forced the players off court for nearly an hour and a half as the young Spaniard was leading 6-4, 5-0, but he went on to seal his 23rd consecutive Roland Garros victory in a match lasting just under two hours.

Next up, Finland's 26th seeded Jarkko Niemine, who beat Argentina's Martín Vasallo Arguello, 7-5, 6-1, 3-6, 7-6.

Nadal finally reaches French Open second round
By: thinkSPAIN
Thursday, May 29, 2008

Rafael Nadal will be back out on court today, less than 24 hours after finally completing his first round match against Brazilian qualifier, Thomaz Bellucci, whom the defending champion comfortably beat 7-5, 6-3, 6-1.

Nadal's next opponent, French wildcard Nicolas Devilder, by contrast, has had two days' complete rest having finished his first round match before the skies opened last Monday.

2003 champion, Juan Carlos Ferrero, however, was forced to retire with a leg injury midway through his first-round match against Brazil's Marcos Daniel, ruling out the Valencian former world number one from this summer's Peking Olympic Games.

There was better news, however, for David Ferrer, who progressed to the second round by beating Belgium's Steve Darcis and next faces veteran local favourite, Fabrice Santoro, who is competing in his 63rd Grand Slam at the ripe old age of 35.