Tennis/French Open: In the immediate aftermath of every final there is always a sense of lost opportunity on one side. The chances that slipped away, the break points not converted . . . The final act yesterday here was more despairing than most when Roger Federer let slip the chance to hold all four Grand Slam titles simultaneously.
Federer failed to open the door into a club that has only two members, Don Budge and Rod Laver, and it ultimately overshadowed Rafael Nadal's 6-1, 1-6, 6-4, 7-6, victory, his second in two attempts.
Failure more than disappointment, because the magisterial Federer searched long and hard for a game that he knew was there but simply couldn't find.
Yesterday statistics damned him, although they are not usually the points of interest that fully describe his play. You search for other things, for the effortlessness, the poise and the manufactured shots.
You look for a game that has been put together without the seams showing, the one that had brought him to seven previous Grand Slam finals and seven titles.
Yesterday it wasn't always there, and against an opponent like the 20-year-old Nadal, who has been charging like a bull through the sport since his winning streak on clay began an outrageous 60 matches ago in Monte Carlo in April 2005, Federer needed it to be close to him.
What the statistics showed was what we all knew as we watched in a sweltering, 32 degree, humid Paris: Federer was making too many errors. The backhand, a Swiss national treasure, was hitting balls two feet out. The volley, that critical point-killer that has helped bring three Wimbledon titles, occasionally plotted against him.
And while Federer was slowly melting down, the Spaniard Nadal was busying himself with the impossible retrievals, passing Federer at the net and staying in every pressurised exchange to challenge the world number one on every point.
Federer hit nearly twice as many unforced errors to Nadal, 51 to 28. What might unsettle his equanimity, when he has the courage to take a closer look, is that he hit more forehand winners, more backhand winners, more volley winners and more overhead winners. Overall he hit more winners. It was his generosity of giving that undid him.
"Maybe I did make a few (errors) too many. I was less consistent than in Rome," said Federer. "It's a pity I didn't play as well as I did in the last two matches, but once again he was solid.
"I have no other choice now but to accept the moment. I'm at a different stage of my career now. Once every loss was the end of the world. That's not the case any more. Obviously it's a pity. It goes on, right?"
For all that, Nadal's €940,000 winner's cheque was deserved and not unexpected. His record against Federer now stands at six wins in seven meetings. John McEnroe, Boris Becker and Pete Sampras all had someone to block their paths and couldn't win on the crushed brick, so too is Nadal proving to be an effective nemesis to Federer.
The top seed began as though Roland Garros was his favoured Wimbledon Centre Court and raced to a 5-0 lead. By that stage, the set had been surrendered; the only question being what Nadal's response would be in the second. It was spectacular.
Breaking Federer in all but one game, for 6-1, Nadal established the challenge, levelling with the match with attitude.
"I definitely felt that second set was a big turning point," said Federer dolefully. "Just giving away the second set was the key. He did great to come back and it was an incredible effort from him, I think."
In the third set Nadal broke serve in the fifth game, with Federer missing a high put-away volley for 15-40. The younger player snapped up the invitation, taking the serve and the set 6-4.
That momentum carried the Spaniard into the fourth set and Federer immediately offered up his serve in the first game.
Each feral blow of Nadal's was sent on its way with a loud moan, and the countering of Federer, with just the sound of sliding tennis shoes and the ping of his strings, was broken only by loud sighs from the stands after another mishit backhand from the would-be Grand Slam-maker.
But when Federer broke back for 5-5 in the fourth set, a ripple of hope broke around Court Philippe Chatrier. All neutrals were for Federer and the witnessing of a slice of history.
The tie-break finally exposed the world number one and framed Nadal's fight and nerve as he again played the big points better. Thankfully it wasn't a Swiss error that closed the match but a drive volley after Nadal had worked the point, his final touch claiming the title, his emotions sending him flat on his back staring at the heavens.
"I admire him," said Nadal of Federer. "Since I was born I have never seen such a complete player. But he was playing good but nothing special. I felt nervous, not very good in the legs at the beginning, and when I got the break in the second set, it helped my confidence."
Nadal now travels to the Queen's tournament, Federer to Holland. The two may not meet at Wimbledon, but don't bet against Federer starting another incredible run.
French Open: Final details
MEN'S SINGLES
Final: (2) Rafael Nadal (Spa) bt (1) Roger Federer (Swi) 1-6 6-1 6-4 7-6 (7-4).
WOMEN'S SINGLES
Final: (5) Justine Henin-Hardenne (Bel) bt (8) Svetlana Kuznetsova (Rus) 6-4 6-4.
WOMEN'S DOUBLES
Final: (1) Lisa Raymond (US), Samantha Stosur (Aus) bt (5) Daniela Hantuchova (Svk), Ai Sugiyama (Jpn) 6-3 6-2.
MEN'S DOUBLES
Final: (2) Jonas Bjorkman (Swe), Max Mirnyi (Blr) bt (1) Bob Bryan (US), Mike Bryan (US) 6-7 (5-7) 6-4 7-5.
