French Open 2014: Rafael Nadal soars into cloud nine with victory over Novak Djokovic in the final

Rafael Nadal vanquishes Novak Djokovic

An already formidable legend received yet another glorious chapter today. The emperor of clay continued his inexorable conquest with a fluid victory over Novak Djokovic to gain a ninth title in Roland Garros. The Spaniard proved too good for his opponent as he rallied from losing the first set to claim a dominant 4-6, 7-5, 6-2, 6-4 victory in three and half hours inside a packed Phillippe Chatrier to successfully defend the French Open title for a fourth straight year. Nadal's victory left Djokovic's hopes for a career grand slam up in fumes even as the Spaniard walked away with his fourteenth career grand slam title, just three short of the seventeen held by Roger Federer.

The heat was causing discomfort even in the shade, so it was easy to believe Nadal had the edge with the conditions favouring the enormous top spin on his ball – allowing it skid and jump like a venomous serpent. The Serbian had complained of fatigue after his semifinal and needed to manage his physical and emotional balance under the warm skies this afternoon to stand any chance.

As is customary for him, Nadal chose to receive, soon as he won the toss. Djokovic though seemed willing to break away from pattern. Djokovic followed a backhand crosscourt wide in the Adcourt with another to draw a forehand error from Nadal on his way to 2-1 in the first set. And he was showing a happy propensity to strike at Nadal’s forehand without any fear.

The seventh game was a tight affair. Nadal worked Djokovic across with his forehand before taking the point with a steaming down the line winner to put the Serbian under pressure. Djokovic responded well, surviving the deuce game when Nadal pushed a backhand crosscourt wide, but the Spaniard was clearly pumped.

A relieved Djokovic sensed opportunity knock his door, when Nadal made a pair of forehand errors to fall to 0-30. The Serbian struck a brilliant backhand cross court winner to gain two break points. Nadal saved them both to force deuce, but a third followed. The break came when Nadal sent a forehand crosscourt wide.

Serving for the set at 5-3, Djokovic fumbled, dropping to 0-30 in the ninth game. Seeming strangely unsettled, Djokovic was missing the first serve and flew a backhand too far to offer two break points to Nadal. But Djokovic played with conviction then varying pace and striking deep to win four points in a row and snatch the set.

Djokovic may have beaten Nadal four times in a row, but the incredible Spaniard was yet to lose a clay court match over five sets since his shock defeat to Robin Soderling five years ago. In fact Nadal has an 89-1 record on clay for five set matches. So Djokovic was clearly operating with the odds stacked against him on a court that Nadal owned. The first set was vital for the Serbian, less so for the Spaniard.

The fifth game of the second set was an important one, in that Nadal had played his best game yet to spur himself forward. And tension mounted in the next game, when Djokovic sailed a backhand long to gift break point. Nadal thought he had a winner, but Pascal Maria, down from his perch confirmed that it was just long.

An unperturbed Nadal produced a pair of ferocious forehand winners to gain another break point. The break was his soon as Djokovic sank a slice in the net on the next point. Surprisingly Nadal followed that with a slack game – a double fault gave Djokovic two break points and he took the second of those, when the defending champion floated a forehand long to bring it back on serve at 3-4.

Djokovic survived deuce and a break point in the next game to get back to even terms at 4-4. A little later though, Djokovic, serving to force a tie-break, let his nerve slip a little. He let it be known with a double fault and Nadal tore into him with his forehand to take the second set 7-5. Like an aroused lion, he shook violently as he let out a guttural scream that might perhaps have been heard from anywhere in the 16th Arrondissement.

Nadal broke Djokovic for a second straight time, in the second game of the third set to a 2-0 lead. By now Nadal found the means to consistently draw Djokovic more and more on to his forehand – driving Djokovic wide off the Adcourt before milking a winner with a forehand into open spaces. As the match entered its third hour, Nadal was in control again at 3-0.

In the fifth, Djokovic had an opportunity to break when Nadal failed to control a forehand but a backhand error from the Serbian spent it quickly. A pair of explosive forehand winners took him to 4-1. The duo indulged each other in an attritional tussle in the seventh game, with the Serbian making a desperate effort to force a break.

But despite stretching Nadal to five deuces and a break point in a twelve minute game, the Serbian just could not breach the resilient defenses of the Spaniard. And perhaps dispirited by that, he made a series of forehand errors to surrender another break and the set to Nadal. The Spaniard could almost sense the kill, it was difficult to imagine his opponent taking the final two sets.

Djokovic missed an easy backhand volley on game point in the sixth game. And a pair of backhand errors were enough to hand Nadal what appeared to be a decisive break. But an uncharacteristically nervy game to follow that left Nadal vulnerable. The set was back on serve again, when Nadal sailed a forehand wide on the second break point.

The ninth game was intense, with Djokovic seeking a way past Nadal. The Serbian dragged his forehand wide at deuce and a big serve from Nadal forced a stretch return on the next point to leave Nadal just one game from a fifth consecutive French Open title. Djokovic appeared comfortable at 30-15 in the tenth game, but a brilliant backhand pass from Nadal put the stress back into the game at 30-30.

Djokovic pulled a forehand wide to gift match point to Nadal. And as the crowd started to make a raucous noise, Djokovic let it affect him, throwing in a double fault to hand victory to the great Spaniard. Nadal was beside himself in tears as he received the trophy and the Spanish national anthem rang out inside Phillippe Chatrier.

The victory here on Sunday only goes to embellish an already mighty legend. Even the great Bjorn Borg could not manage five successive titles in Paris. No other man has ever won eight titles at a single event, let alone nine as Nadal accomplished today.

Overall, it was a telling performance from Nadal, who managed to get the ball back on his forehand to dictate terms. Djokovic was on the defensive far too often and lacked in consistency and quality to mount a serious threat to the king of clay.

Only time will tell how far Nadal can reach in his quest for grand slam silver, but on Monday he will retain his position as the world No. 1 and head to the grass as one of the favourites for Wimbledon.