TENNIS/French Open: At 18 years old they are both a little young to define their careers with just one match, but Rafael Nadal, yesterday, stepped onto Court Philippe Chatrier the man, his opponent Richard Gasquet still the boy.
It was a significant leap for Nadal as yesterday's three-set win set apart his career path as the one taking the steeper trajectory. His hope is that he can match the achievement of Mats Wilander and become the first player since 1982 to win Roland Garros on his debut.
Both are considered the players of their age group, but it was the more forceful and consistent play of the Spaniard that allowed him seize the moment and place himself in the fourth round, where he meet's another French player, the more experienced Sebastien Grosjean.
Much has been made of Nadal's connection with soccer. The former Barcelona and Spanish football player Miguel-Angel is his uncle, but this teenager will be, if he is not already, more famous than his celebrated relative.
At 12 years old he abandoned the bigger ball for tennis, and while he is still in possession of the physique of a modern-day centre back, Nadal's left arm is something more than a bludgeoning instrument.
The Mallorcan has come into the tournament with stunning form. He has not lost a game of tennis since April, when he beat Guillermo Coria in the Monte Carlo final. He beat Juan Carlos Ferrero in Barcelona and Coria again earlier this month in the Italian Open final. That run took him to number five in the world, the youngest player to achieve that ranking since Michael Chang in 1989. He had previously been the first 16-year-old to break into the top 100 since Chang in 1988.
As much as his current form, Nadal's mental maturity, his accurate forehand and his consistency are far ahead of all of his contemporaries and significantly better than the rest of the field.
Though his coach and uncle, Toni Nadal, hinted he hadn't yet found his top form, his dismantling of Gasquet's game plan as well as a total physical domination that gave him a straightforward 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 win, point to a player who could be simmering nicely for a run at next week.
A service break in the first game of the match gave Nadal his initial advantage. Holding that to take the first set against the hard-hitting Frenchman, he then shared service breaks with his opponent before again breaking in the fifth game of the second set to go 2-0 ahead.
While the doctor was called to speak to Gasquet before the third set, it was purely because the less robust of the teenagers was fading physically. He knew then that to win he needed three sets and that simply was not in his body. The airless heat, the speed of the ball and Nadal's virtuosity were simply overwhelming.
The two players again exchanged service games but Gasquet was spent, the Spaniard taking the final four games for 6-2.
"I think the weather is better for me because the ball bounces, it goes up, and that is important for me," said Nadal, whose topspin had Gasquet trying to return balls at shoulder height.
"I was feeling quite strong on court. I think it was very difficult for him to make the points. We had very high shots and a lot of people have problems with that. That might have helped me dominate this match, make him run around."
But Gasquet fronted up, despite his physical inferiority and despite the heat.
"We are the same age and I feel like a junior player," he said.
"And he's like a senior player. He's there 100 per cent physically, which is not my case. I am not ready for such a situation.
"You have the feeling that he is never tired. He's always there. He's running all over the place. It's very hard for the opponent. What really bothered me is that he is physically stronger than I am. He resisted the heat and the long rallies much better than I did."
Tournament favourite Roger Federer won his third match of the week, again without dropping a set.
Beating Fernando Gonzalez 7-6, 7-5, 6-2, the world number one continued to stamp his authority on the competition.
"Today was dangerous. I knew that," he said. "It was all about handling his pace and his forehand.
"You have to weather the storm against this guy. Once you're through it (the storm) it gets easier. That's how it was in the third set."
In the next round Federer meets 1988 winner Carlos Moya. If the favourite progresses and Nadal can win his next two games, the two will meet in the semi-final.
When asked which opponent he fears most, the Swiss player's attitude was bring them on. "No one (to fear). I'm number one. I've beaten everyone," he said. "Why should I fear anyone?"
MEN'S SINGLES
(1) Roger Federer (Swi) bt (25) Fernando Gonzalez (Chi) 7-6 (11-9) 7-5 6-2, (14) Carlos Moya (Spa) bt Fernando Vicente (Spa) 6-4 7-6 (7-4) 6-7 (3-7) 0-6 6-4, (10) David Nalbandian (Arg) bt (18) Mario Ancic (Cro) 6-4 7-6 (7-4) 6-3, Victor Hanescu (Rom) bt Luis Horna (Per) 6-3 6-4 6-4, (4) Rafael Nadal (Spa) bt (30) Richard Gasquet (Fra) 6-4 6-3 6-2, (23) Sebastien Grosjean (Fra) bt (16) Radek Stepanek (Cze) 6-1 4-6 3-6 6-3 6-4, (20) David Ferrer (Spa) bt Hyung Taik Lee (Kor) 6-3 6-1 7-5, (5) Gaston Gaudio (Arg) bt Felix Mantilla (Spa) 6-4 6-4 6-3.
WOMEN'S SINGLES
(1) Lindsay Davenport (USA) bt Virginie Razzano (Fra) 7-5 4-6 6-4, (14) Kim Clijsters (Bel) bt (20) Daniela Hantuchova (Svk) 6-4 6-2, (21) Mary Pierce (Fra) bt (9) Vera Zvonareva (Rus) 7-6 (7-2) 7-5, (8) Patty Schnyder (Swi) bt (32) Flavia Pennetta (Ita) 4-6 6-0 6-1, (4) Elena Dementieva (Rus) bt Akiko Morigami (Jpn) 6-3 4-6 6-3, (16) Elena Likhovtseva (Rus) bt (18) Silvia Farina Elia (Ita) 7-5 7-6 (7-2), Sesil Karatancheva (Bul) bt (11) Venus Williams (USA) 6-3 1-6 6-1, Emilie Loit (Fra) is tied with Emmanuelle Gagliardi (Swi) 6-4 3-6.
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