PARIS, June 10: Rafael Nadal clinched a record 11th French Open title with a straight sets win over Dominic Thiem.
The Spaniard was in complete control for most of the match but struggled with an injury to his left wrist during the third set. However, after treatment from his trainer, he went on to win the third set 6-2.
Nadal took the first set 6-4 and the early signs were ominous for the Austrian seventh seed, who won just one of the first nine points as Nadal immediately broke for 2-0.
But Thiem, standing up to Nadal�s first serve closer to the baseline than usual, forced two break points in the next game and nailed the second with a flashing forehand into the right corner. Thiem withstood a barrage of break points to hold in a marathon sixth game, which he thought he had won at 40-30 when he left a wide ball, only for the umpire to overrule the line judge. But at 4-5 Thiem�s serve let him down, handing Nadal three set points � the first of which he converted.
The first set took 57 minutes, in stiflingly humid conditions, but there was to be no let-up for Thiem in the second.
He saved three break points in his first service game but a wayward backhand ensured Nadal took the fourth.
A hold to love showed Thiem had not given up the ghost, however unlikely a repeat of Simona Halep�s heroics from the same position a day earlier seemed.
Still he occasionally inconvenienced the reigning champion, not least when a deft drop shot brought up a point to break back at 2-4.
That was swatted away with the Nadal double-handed backhand, though, and the second set duly went the way of the favourite 6-3. � Agencies
