Nadal still the 'King of Clay'

Just as Robin Soderling had exposed Roger Federer's vulnerability on clay, his match against Rafael Nadal similarly proved the Spaniard's invincibility on the orange surface. The new world number two, Federer, will have the first chance to equal Pete Sampras' record number of Wimbledon titles, but this time next year, barring injuries the 'King of Clay' will take aim at Bjorn Borg's six French Open crowns.

It was not a faultless performance by Nadal, who beat the Swede 6-4, 6-2, 6-4; but at times his play was imperious as he cruised to another clay court title, finishing the season having lost just two sets on the surface in 2010, one to Ernest Gulbis at Rome, the other to Nicholas Almagro at Madrid.

On Sunday Soderling was aiming for something that only one other player has achieved, to beat both Nadal and Federer in the same Grand Slam tournament. The only other player to have achieved it was Juan Martin Del Potro, who beat them both on the way to victory in the U.S. Open last year. He may not have pulled it off, but he joined a select group of players, that have, along with Nadal, beaten Federer in a Grand Slam since 2003; only Marat Safin, David Nalbandian (twice), Novak Djokovic, Luis Horna, Gustavo Kuerten and Del Potro have managed it. He was close to another piece of history, aiming to be the eighth player in the Open Era to beat both number one and two seeds in the same Grand Slam. The last time player to do it was Sergi Bruguera, who beat both Sampras and Jim Courier in the 1993 French Open.

The Swede can be proud of his performances leading up to the final at Roland Garros, and his play was brilliant at times, but Nadal is a brilliant player, and herein lies the difference between the two players. After the Spaniard withstood the initial barrage, and took the first set, there was only going to be one winner. Soderling wilted in the second, after fluffing a handful of break point opportunities. From that point on his body language suggested even he did not see a way back against the man-mountain that Nadal has become on clay. Every time he would manufacture an opportunity, he would see it snuffed out by Nadal's brilliance. From tight angles, often on the run, off balance, or mid-slide Uncle Toni's favourite nephew would pull out seemingly impossible winners, much to the dismay of the Soderling, who saw eleven break point chances come and go.

Seven of these were in the first set, and after Nadal had squeaked home, and started the second with a break of serve, Soderling had a chance to break straight back. Having left the door open, Nadal shut it with imperceptible coolness, depriving his opponent any momentum to build a comeback on.

The fifth seed used his forehand to good effect early on, but the problem was that hitting it cross-court sent it straight to the left-handed Nadal's strength. His first serve had been a great asset for him all tournament long, but it deserted him in the second set, and a forty-one percentage on first serves is not good enough against adversaries of the Spaniard's quality. As good as Nadal is, he gave his opponent very few cheap points. Mixing up his game, in particular using his slice to great effect, Soderling was kept off balance for most of the match, and looked ill at-ease when drawn into the net.

To beat Nadal at anywhere near his best, you have to be at your best for five sets, and Soderling reached the heights on occasion, he could not sustain it. Aggressive from the start, he strove not to let the new world number one dictate rallies, and sought to end rallies as quickly as possible (getting sucked into long and brutal rallies with the Spaniard is not a winning tactic, especially on clay). While this aggressive approach was the only feasible tactic, it meant that errors were an ever present feature of his game, as many balls flew long or ended up in the net. Still, he can take solace in the fact that he remains the only man to have beaten Nadal on the clay courts of Roland Garros, but this match lends credence to the arguments that the Spaniard was far below optimum fitness this time last year. Having achieved his fifth title, and regained his crown as French Open Champion, Nadal seemed overwhelmed, covering his face before receiving his prize.

He has still to encounter his equal at Roland Garros, but later this month will find Federer a more challenging proposition on the grass of Wimbledon as the Swiss eyes Sampras' seven titles. Borg will have to wait.

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They just will not go away: the French Open and Rafael Nadal

Even as every time Roger Federer steps onto a tennis court he enshrines himself further and further into tennis immortality, at the same he becomes less and less legendary. This may be a strange observation to make of a player who until today had gone six years without losing before the semi-final stage in a Grand Slam. Before this years' French he had reached eight straight Grand Slam finals, dating back to his defeat at the hands of Novak Djokovic in the 2008 Australian Open.

Soderling beat the world number one for the first time in his career, having been defeated in their twelve previous meetings, including a comprehensive beating in last year's final in Paris. After his victory, he said 'As soon as I got here, immediately I felt confidence. I've played better and better every match and today I played really well. It cannot be much better. It's great to play on this court and it's for sure my favourite grand slam. To play the world number one on this court, it couldn't be better.' He will play Tomas Berdych, Andy Murray's conqueror, for a place in the final.

Soderling's performance was all the greater as it was delivered in front of a rather hostile Parisian crowd that has not seen a French Open final without Federer in it since 2005, when he was knocked out in the semis by, you guessed it, Rafael Nadal. This was their third meeting, and first of eight meetings in Grand Slam events. And the last time Federer was knocked out of a grand slam before the semi-final stage was in 2004, when Brazilian and champion grunter Gustavo Kuerton beat him in straight sets in the third round of the French, a run of twenty-three straight semi-finals. Even in defeat, the size of the Swiss' achievement looks even greater.

If there are any blots on Federer's copy book, it seems clear what they are, Rafael Nadal, and Roland Garros. Sometimes even both at once. If not for them, we might be calling him the best, rather than one of the best. Nadal has been a perennial thorn in Federer's side, as the Swiss has lost fourteen of their twenty-one meetings, losing the latest in this year's Madrid Open final. Five of those have come in Grand Slam finals. Nadal has won twelve of their seventeen meetings in finals, six out of eight in Grand Slams, five out of seven in Grand Slam finals, and ten out of twelve on clay.

This would mean that Federer has the edge when the two play on a surface other than clay, with five wins out of nine on hard courts and grass. In the Open Era Federer holds the record for most consecutive wins on grass (65) and hard courts (56), with Nadal having the record on clay (81). Perhaps Federer has simply had the misfortune to play at the same time as one of the greatest players on clay, ever.

This mode of reasoning punishes Federer for not winning his title by beating Nadal, and at the same praises the Spaniard's achievement, even when his record looks a lot more ordinary if we ignore his four French Open victories. But the fact is Nadal was superior on clay, Federer on grass. After Nadal lost two straight Wimbledon finals to the Swiss, he worked on his game until he emerged victorious in the final to beat all finals, emerging from a five-set thriller as the 2008 Wimbledon Champion. Federer might have finally captured the elusive French Open title, and done what only Andre Agassi and Rod Laver have done in the Open Era, but he did it without going through Nadal, who had been knocked out by Soderling, in part down to tendinitis in both knees, a problem that kept him from defending his Wimbledon title a month later.

Some will say this is far too harsh on the man who has won sixteen Grand Slam titles in the space of six and a half years. His struggles at Roland Garros look tiny compared to those of Pete Samprasa titan in is own era, but still a man who struggled whilst playing on clay. Sampras managed to get past the third round just four times, and never made a final. He is still one of only three players to win all four slams in the Open Era along with Laver and Agassi.

Until Federer does indeed beat Nadal at the French, a chance he may never get again, questions will remain unanswered.