Rafael Nadal’s French Open triumph, apart from the unsettling protests during the second set, was a historic procession towards a peerless dominance on clay. For David Ferrer fans, and anyone else expecting a close match, it was a damp squib.
Nadal had won their last eight encounters and led the overall head-to-head 19-4. If Ferrer is nicknamed ‘The Everywhere Man’ by his fellow professionals, Nadal is the ‘Even More Everywhere Man’. Granted, Ferrer is the model professional and his life story to reach the top is inspiring, but his record against the current ‘Big Four’ is woeful, and he has never won a tournament when at least three of them have entered.
It was ironic that Usain Bolt was chosen to present the trophy to Nadal, for whom the last six months have been a fitness building marathon. He was left devastated after missing the US Open and then Australia in January and many of us questioned whether the great Spaniard would ever be able to catch up with the pace-setters; watching Djokovic and Murray steam ahead in the rankings must have been difficult.
Indeed, this year’s French Open produced some unforgettable moments. The home players excited the crowd as Gael Monfils returned from injury to beat fifth seed Tomas Berdych, while Jo-Wilfried Tsonga swept aside Roger Federer in the quarter-finals. Veteran Tommy Robredo won three consecutive five set matches from two sets down for the first time in the sport since 1927. Then we enjoyed the latest instalment in the Nadal-Djokovic rivalry, this time as a blockbuster drama, rather than persistently high-quality tennis.
But there were also disappointments, not least for British fans. Andy Murray’s absence demonstrated the lack of British strength in depth compared to France, Spain and others. Heather Watson, recovering from glandular fever, burdened the greatest expectations and, in truth, she did well to grab a set against Stefanie Voegele.
What’s more, the young talents in both the men’s and women’s game failed to deliver and there are serious question marks about who will succeed today’s greats. Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov, whose style of play has been dangerously compared to Federer, was easily dispatched by Djokovic in straight sets while the young Pole, Jerzy Janowicz, succumbed to Stanislas Wawrinka. By the fourth round, only one player in both the men’s and women’s draws was aged under 23.
We shouldn’t really be surprised. Only six players under the age of 21 on the men’s tour are ranked inside the world’s top 200, but there are over 50 players in their thirties. On the women’s circuit, meanwhile, there are just 11 under-21 players in the top 100 compared to 27 back in 1993. Tennis is in danger of losing a whole generation of young players for a host of reasons, notably inadequate grassroots funding and sloppy leadership from the authorities.
For now, however, our attentions must turn to the grass court season. With Ferrer reaching the French Open final, Nadal has intriguingly slipped to world number five. From a British perspective, this has made the Wimbledon draw critical for Murray’s chances. He could face Nadal as early as the quarters, followed by Federer in the semis and Djokovic in the final – a tough run. Alternatively, he could avoid the rest of the ‘Big Four’ until the final and play Ferrer in the semis. However, dark horses Tomas Berdych and Juan Martin Del Potro will be fresh and more likely to cause an upset.
These two players will be in action during the Aegon Championships at Queen’s Club this week, a line-up also including Tsonga, Dimitrov, defending champion Marin Cilic and, of course, Murray. In beginning his comeback, albeit following a much shorter spell on the sidelines, perhaps Murray can take heart from Nadal. The Spaniard has undergone careful physical management while maintaining a champion’s mentality which has served him so well. Murray must rediscover these qualities over the next few weeks.