Tennis/ French Open, Men's Singles, final: The boy in Rafael Nadal showed only once after he had swept Mariano Puerta aside to win the French Open yesterday. Wide-eyed, the 19-year-old leapt up past the king of Spain, Juan Carlos, through the rows of VIP boxes to embrace his mother, father, coach and uncle, the former Spanish international footballer Miguel Angel.
It was only then that the teenage champion looked forlorn and momentarily vulnerable, with no more serves to face, no raking forehands to chase down, no more passing shots to let rip.
Nadal in his sleeveless, sweat-soaked, green shirt appeared for all the world like a lost boy who had been asked to understand something he could not comprehend, assimilate emotions he had never been coached to deal with. It is always that way when dreams are fulfilled.
While his semi-final win against the world number one, Roger Federer, examined Nadal, the manner of his winning the toughest tournament in the world against Puerta has defined him. The boy from Mallorca is a fighter, a champion heavyweight as much as a tennis player. And he has proved he can punch at the top of his division.
"I think I fight for every ball. When I have problems in the match I fight, I fight, I fight," he said after the final.
"I don't know where it comes from. It is a little bit natural, I think. My family always say to fight, fight and never give up."
Freighted with the tag of invincibility, Nadal's broad shoulders easily bore the weight of the Roland Garros final and the concentrated effort of Puerta. With his long, jet-black hair and white bandana sweeping around Court Centrale, the fourth seed sought for three hours and 24 minutes to impose his game on his unco-operative opponent, showing few signs of his youth or the fact that this is was his first ever visit to Roland Garros. The 6-7 (6-8), 6-3, 6-1, 7-5 win makes him the first player since Sweden's Mats Wilander in 1982 to win the tournament on his debut.
Emptied from the same mould as the brawling Australian Lleyton Hewitt, but bigger and more physically impressive, Nadal has now lost only six matches from 48 played this year.
"I think we are talking about someone who is going to write a page in the history of tennis," said Puerta afterwards. "I think he will do beautiful things in tennis. He is going to become a legend.
"What surprised me today was the strength he showed when I had a set point and could have gone to a fifth set. Also the strength in his legs, the way he explodes in to hit a shot.
"He is calm. He is cool. I think he has the mental strength to make records."
Nadal flirted with taking the match to a fifth set when asked to save three set points late in the fourth, but he comfortably dominated the match. Despite losing the first set on a tie-break, during which Puerta was forced to strap a troublesome right thigh, the Spaniard quickly took charge, wrapping up the second set 6-3 with one break of serve.
The third set lasted only 29 minutes as Nadal threatened to overwhelm Puerta, breaking his serve in the first game and driving on for 6-1. But the left-hander, who returned from a nine-month drug suspension last summer, brought the game to his opponent, playing more aggressively, particularly on his forehand side, as he and his opponent adorned the fourth set with classic swinging rallies, Nadal particularly hitting some astonishing winners off balls he had no right to even reach.
"Today I had difficult moments in the first set. I was a bit nervous and I played too often defensively," said Nadal. "You just try to be positive as much as you can."
At 0-40 down on his serve Nadal held for 4-3 but Puerta again attacked and broke him for 5-4 to serve for the set.
Again Nadal's mental strength showed. Saving three set points on Puerta's serve, he broke back, held serve and broke Puerta's final service game for the match.
From here Nadal moves to the Halle tournament, where he will try to polish his grass-court game for Wimbledon. Traditionally Spanish clay-court masters fall short on technique when grass deadens the bounce and speed increases. But over the years players have adapted to grass.
"I think on grass I can't challenge this time around. I want to improve," said Nadal. "For that I go to play in Halle. I like it a lot playing on grass. I know it is not my surface, a little bit fast. I want to improve my serve and volley. My objective is to improve day after day on all surfaces."
Win it or not, he arrives as a champion, his rites of passage completed.
RESULTS
Men's Singles final: (4) Rafael Nadal (Spn) bt Mariano Puerta (Arg) 6-7 (6-8) 6-3 6-1 7-5.
Women's Singles final: (10) Justine Henin-Hardenne (Bel) bt (21) Mary Pierce (Fra) 6-1 6-1.
Men's Doubles final: (2) Jonas Bjorkman (Swe) and Max Mirnyi (Blr) bt (3) Bob Bryan (USA) an d Michael Bryan (USA) 2-6 6-1 6-4.
Women's Doubles final: (1) Virginia Ruano Pascual (Spn) and Paola Suarez (Arg) bt (2) Cara Black (Zim) and Liezel Huber (Rsa) 4-6 6-3 6-3.
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