Nadal clinches 11th French Open title
Paris, June 10: Rafael Nadal of Spain powered past Austrian Dominic Thiem in straight sets to clinch his record-extending 11th men's singles title at the French Open tennis championships here on Sunday.
Following his 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 victory, Nadal became the second player in history to have won 11 singles titles at any Grand Slam event after Margaret Court, who won 11 Australian Open titles, reported Xinhua news agency.
He also became the first player in the Open Era to have won 11 titles at three different Tour-level events, as he had done at ATP Monte-Carlo Masters and Barcelona Open.
Nadal, who led 6-3 in previous head-to-heads, broke Thiem's service in the second game, before the Austrian had his own response to tie at 2-all through a break.
Thiem was the only player to have defeated Nadal on clay prior to Roland Garros for the second straight year, and his quarterfinal victory over Nadal at the Madrid Masters snapped the Spaniard's 50-set winning streak on clay.
He displayed his lethal weapon of single-handed backhand, while being troubled by unfavorable performance on his first serves, conceding the first set 6-4.
Thiem already suffered four double faults despite four aces at the start of the second set, while Nadal maintained all of his serves in the second set to move a step further at 6-3.
Thiem save three break points to hold his service into the third set, but the "King of Clay" responded by fully exhibiting his powerful forehand for astute winners.
The Austrian was hampered by his many unforced errors after long rallies. Nadal finished another break in the third game to move in front, while injuring his left middle finger midway through the fourth game.
He continued his momentum following the medical timeout, and managed to convert his fifth match point on Thiem's poor backhand in the eighth game.
After claiming his 17th career Grand Slam title, Nadal is set to retain his top position at the latest ATP rankings ahead of arch rival Roger Federer.
"It's amazing, I can't describe my feelings because it's not even a dream to win here 11 times. It's impossible to think something like this," he said after the win.
"(The final) It was the best match tournament of me. It was important because Dominic is a very aggressive player. I had a tough moment in the third set when I got cramp in my hand. I was very scared."
Thiem, who had already recorded his best result at Grand Slams with a final appearance in Paris, will rise to No. 7 on world rankings.
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Insensitive towards Tamil Nadu: DMK MP Kanimozhi urges rescheduling of UGC NET exam
Chennai: DMK MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi has written to Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, urging an immediate change in the dates of the UGC NET exam, scheduled for January 15 and 16, which coincides with Pongal.
In her letter, Kanimozhi criticised the decision, calling it insensitive to the cultural sentiments of Tamil Nadu. She also pointed out that this is not the first instance, citing a similar clash with CA exams earlier. "This lack of consideration is becoming a pattern," she remarked.
Kanimozhi took to X (formerly Twitter) to share her letter, stating that Pongal is more than a festival, it represents Tamil pride and identity. She accused the Union Government of neglecting Tamil Nadu's cultural values and demanded an immediate rescheduling of the exam.
She further wrote, "Once again, the Union Government has exposed its blatant disregard for our state and its people. Students should not be forced to choose between their education and tradition."
தமிழ்நாட்டின் பாரம்பரியத் திருவிழாவான பொங்கல் (ஜன 15,16) நாளில் பல்கலைக்கழக மானியக் குழுவின் (UGC) - பேராசிரியர் தகுதித் தேர்வு (NET) நடத்துவதற்கான முடிவைத் திரும்பப் பெற வேண்டும் என்று ஒன்றிய கல்வித்துறை அமைச்சர் @dpradhanbjp அவர்களுக்குக் கடிதம் எழுதியுள்ளேன்.
— Kanimozhi (கனிமொழி) (@KanimozhiDMK) December 22, 2024
சமீபத்தில்தான்,… pic.twitter.com/SxMwpasXXp
