TWD Sunday First Thread/The 2011 French Open For 6/5/11: The Sixth Sense (Why Nadal Won His 6th)

Why Nadal won?

1) Because he is Rafael Nadal, simple as that. His fighting survivor instincts are second to none, and his ability to close out a match on Chartier, even after a nervy 3rd set finish, is also supreme.

2) Roger Federer just hit 11 aces. Hitting that many aces against Nadal on clay is still quite amazing, but there needed to be more for Federer to garner his biggest win ever. He needed as many cheap points that he could get, like he did against Djokovic.

3) And with that, no matter how hard he tried to improve it against the Spaniard, Federer's one handed backhand just wasn't strong enough to overcome Nadal, nor was his forehand too fierce to top Nadal's forehand on the day.

(Pre-Match Analysis, down here below):

For Federer:

1) Keep valuing your serve to the bitter end. Getting any cheap points against Rafa anywhere, especially on clay, is great.

2) Let your forehand be steady, and let your play at net be bold.

3) You've get the perfect weather conditions to dominate points, to get your finest win ever. Leave it all on the court.

For Nadal:

1) Keep Federer at bay on his serve.

2) Win the forehand battle, and show that it is the best shot on the court.

3)You have the ideal conditions to dominate him again today like you did 3 years ago. You are back to your best on clay, and most continue to stay humble, as you have done.