Nadal wins 9th French Open, tops Djokovic in final
Spain\’s Rafael Nadal returns the ball during the final of the French Open tennis tournament against Serbia\’s Novak Djokovic at the Roland Garros stadium, in Paris, France.
The top-ranked Nadal dropped the first set on a warm Sunday in Paris, but rebounded for a 3-6, 7-5, 6-2, 6-4 victory.
The win pushed his all-time record at the French Open to 66-1 with nine titles. His 14 career Grand Slam victories trail only Switzerland\’s Roger Federer.
Djokovic, the number two player in the world, has won five Grand Slam titles of his own, but has never won the French Open. He also lost to Nadal in the 2012 final.
In the women\’s draw, Russian Maria Sharapova outlasted Romanian Simona Halep Saturday to win her second French Open championship in three years.
The 22-year-old Halep, who had never advanced to the quarterfinals in a major tournament, evened the match at four games all in the final set but never won another point as Sharapova finished off her 6-4, 6-7, 6-4 victory.
The three-hour match was the first women\’s French Open final to go to a third set since 2001.
Sharapova, who has won five major titles, called Saturday\’s match the toughest grand slam final she has ever played.
Source – VOA and agencies
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