Clay King Nadal humbles Federer in straight sets to win fourth French Open

Nadal eased to his 28th unbeaten match at Roland Garros as he humbled the
top-seeded Swiss 6-1 6-3 6-0 after one hour and 48 minutes on Philippe Chatrier
Court.

The 22-year-old Spaniard's dominant victory secures him his fourth French Open
title in succession to equal the Open era record set by Swedish legend Bjorn
Borg almost 30 years ago.

The King of clay: Nadal celebrates his fourth consecutive title at Roland Garros

World number one Federer quickly became aware who was top dog on clay as the Spaniard stormed to victory in the opening set of today's French Open final

Three unforced errors from the top-seeded Swiss in the first game of the match gifted Nadal a quick break, but Federer showed better in the next game, forcing two break points before the reigning champion held.

Federer began to come to the net more in the third game, which Nadal responded to with a crisp winner down the line for 0-30. But Federer rallied and two aces indicated that there was some fight emerging in the 12-time grand slam winner.

Respect: Federer (left) congratulates Nadal at the net

But the unforced errors and mistimed shots that have been as much a feature of Federer's run to the final as his winners were there for all to see in the next game, Nadal holding to love to move 3-1 ahead.

A break of Federer to love in the next game meant the writing was on the wall for the first set, and Nadal rattled off the next two games with comparative ease to take the first set 6-1 after just 32 minutes.

Nadal held his opening service game of the second set and immediately set about
dismantling the Federer serve in the next.

Federer, who committed 12 unforced errors in the first set and failed to win a point on his second serve, simply had no answer to the 22-year-old at this stage of the match, and another break saw the Swiss drop 2-0 down.

Eye on the ball: Nadal concentrates to strike another stinging backhand

Some chinks in the Nadal armour started to emerge in the next game as Federer began to up the tempo, the 26-year- old going toe-to-toe with Nadal on the baseline slogs, forcing the errors and bringing up two break points with an
angled backhand cross- court winner.

The break chance was taken - for the first time in the match - and the set was back on service.

Another break-point opportunity arrived for Nadal as Federer fired long in the next game, but the Swiss batted it away with his first point won on second serve.

Federer levelled at 2-2 as he drew Nadal to the net with a drop-shot before tucking away an easy winner.

Nadal held the in the next even though Federer was now into his stride, finding some delicious angled winners.

But Nadal still had a few textbook strokes up his sleeve, and held with a forehand winner that landed plumb on the angle of sideline and baseline.

Federer held for 3-3 in the next, the Swiss beginning to mix up the baseline
winners with some perfectly judged net play as he started to consistently take
the fight to Nadal.

Powerful return: But Federer was outclassed by Nadal

Federer enjoyed a break-point chance in the next game after two uncustomary
errors from Nadal, but the champion batted the danger away with a timely drop- shot to force a mistake from Federer before the Swiss netted twice more to
concede the game.

The relentless pressing of Nadal began to become more apparent in the next game
as he encouraged error after error from his opponent with a tireless display on the baseline.

Three times Federer survived break-point opportunities, but a fourth could not be repelled as Nadal moved 5-3 ahead with an off-balance two-handed backhand
winner that left his opponent stranded.

A half-hearted drop-shot attempt by Federer brought up double set point for Nadal at 15-40 in the next, and the inconsistency of Federer's play was there again for all to see as he fired long on the next point as Nadal closed out 6-3 to move to within a set of his fourth French Open title in succession.

Gritty: Nadal gave another dominant display for his 28th consecutive victory at Roland Garros

Nadal had Federer on the rack again early in the third set, enjoying an early break of service as Federer again failed to find the mark with his forehand, a shot which would cost him more points than any other in the match.

Federer's backhand was firing, however, and a sublime cross-court winner from the Swiss illuminated the next game but it could not prevent Nadal holding once again.

The match started to look beyond Federer by the end of the next game, Nadal turning on the style with some emphatic groundstrokes to unravel his opponent's
serve yet again and move into a 3-0 lead.

Nadal held to love in the next, and when another break of the Federer serve arrived in the fifth game with an explosive backhand winner, the Spaniard was suddenly 5-0 ahead and serving for the championship.

Match point arrived after just one hour and 47 minutes on Philippe Chatrier Court, and when Federer fired long the title was again Nadal's, who joins Bjorn Borg as the only man to win the French Open on four consecutive occasions in the open era.