Spanish teenager Rafael Nadal leapt onto the center of the world tennis stage when the fourth seed pulled off a dream French Open final victory 6-7 (6-8), 6-3, 6-1, 7-5 over unseeded Mariano Puerta of Argentina on Sunday.
"It's one of the best moments in my career. I am very happy. I can't say my feelings because that's unbelievable for me. It's a dream for me to win here," said Nadal, who turned 19 on Friday when he sent world number one Roger Federer packing home in the semifinal.
"For me it means that I am now at the same level as other great players having won the French Open, the ones I watched on television. To be on the same list as they are is a dream," he said, who became the first man to win here in his debut since Mats Wilander in 1982.
On clinching the match point, Nadal slid on his back, threw his headband into the audience and pumped his fists. He then shook the hand of Spain's King Juan Carlos, who was seated behind the baseline and went up into the Friend's Box to embrace his parents, his sister and his coach/uncle Toni.
Just before the trophy ceremony, the young Mallorcan wept tears of joy into his towel.
"These are important moments. I didn't think I was going to cry but my whole family was very emotional. For the first time I cried after winning a match," he said, adding that Toni was the first person he thought of after the match.
"I thought of a lot of people but especially my uncle and coach because without him, I can never play here," he said.
Threatened by a forecasted rain, the final was kicked off at Court Phillipe Chatrier under overcast sky.
In the highly competitive and entertaining match between two talented left-handers, Nadal put up a defensive wall against the streaky Argentine, pulling off amazing shots on the run when it looked like he was totally out of points.
The 19-year-old Spaniard and the 26-year-old Argentine wowed the sold-out crowd on Court Philippe Chatrier, going end to end chasing down each other heavily top-spinned blows. But in the end, it was Nada's ability to exhaust Puerta that keyed his victory, as he mixed in deft drop shots, slapping backhands and heavy forehand to every part of the court.
Puerta had won two heroic matches against Guillermo Canas and Nicolay Davydenko coming into the final, but couldn't muster up enough magic in the fourth set.
The Argentine held three sets points serving at 5-4 in the fourth set, but the Spaniard wouldn't quit, running wide and punching a backhand passing shot; taking a rapid exchange at the net where Puerta dove for a forehand volley and was unable to lift it over the tape; and then watching the Argentine dump a forehand into the net.
"I wonder how he was able to get that ball," Puerta said. "He has very strong legs. He moves so well. He runs so fast. He surprised me a lot."
After holding to 6-5, a pumped up Nadal seized the moment, ripping a backhand down the line, rifling a forehand winner that Puerta could only stare at and then winning the match when the Argentine erred on a forehand.
"The way I played today, if it had been another player, I could have won," Puerta said. "But I played the best player in the world, and he played at a maximum level. I am surprised that he's able to play so well so young. He's able to face very difficult situations. He reacts in a very natural way. Today he never doubted his game. Agassi started the 1999 final being very nervous. Gaston Gaudio last year started very poorly the first two sets. He was very nervous. Well, today Rafael was very calm from the start. It's admirable."
Nadal, who's the first left-handed champion since Thomas Muster in 1995, is the tournament's fourth-youngest champion.
Nadal had a remarkable run to the title, taking down France's Richard Gasquet and Sebastian Grosjean, the tough Spaniard David Ferrer, top-ranked Roger Federer and Puerta, who was playing his best tournament of his life.
Nadal will go to a career high number three behind Federer and Andy Roddick when the rankings are released on Monday. He's won six tournaments on the season, equal to that of Federer.
(Xinhua News Agency June 6, 2005)
