Rafael Nadal's first Roland Garros triumph - Legend begins

In the last 16 years, Rafael Nadal has won 13 Roland Garros titles and scored 100 wins from 102 encounters to dominate a single Major like no one before him! The Spaniard made a name for himself in 2003 at 16, reaching the third round at the Masters 1000 events in Monte Carlo and Hamburg and preparing the Parisian debut. Still, the youngster had to skip Roland Garros due to an injury, with a similar outcome a year later. Nadal needed just over two years (he had a couple of injuries) to move from outside the top-100 into the top-5, become a multiple Masters 1000 champion and a contender for Major trophies, still before turning 19. In 2005, Rafa had won two titles on clay before reaching the final in Miami, standing two points away from beating world no. 1 Roger Federer in straight sets and still losing after a thriller. In Monte Carlo, Nadal toppled the defending champion Guillermo Coria to lift the trophy and become the second-youngest Masters 1000 champion after Michael Chang.

Rafa was the player to beat in Barcelona, heading to Rome as the favorite and ousting Roger Federer in one of the best matches of all time for the second Masters 1000 crown, entering the top-5 and preparing for his first Roland Garros. The pressure was on the youngster all the time, leading the field despite never competing in Paris again. After those triumphs in Monte Carlo and Rome, Nadal was ready to embrace the best-of-five encounters and fight for the title, defeating David Ferrer, Roger Federer and Mariano Puerta to become the champion in his first appearance, standing as the last teenager with a Major crown. Nadal kicked off his glorious Roland Garros journey with a 6-1, 7-6, 6-1 victory over Lars Burgsmuller in an hour and 45 minutes. It was a strong debut for an 18-year-old in front of the Parisian crowd, dropping 16 points in 14 service games and never facing a break point to mount the pressure on the other side of the net.

Rafael Nadal scored his first Roland Garros victory over Lars Burgsmuller in 2005.

World no. 96 couldn't match that pace behind his initial shot, staying in touch in set number two but getting broken four times in sets one and three to propel the youngster over the finish line. Rafa completed his first game in Paris with a forehand crosscourt winner and earned a break in game four to forge the advantage he cemented with an ace down the T line. Burgsmuller suffered another break in game six and allowed Nadal to clinch the opener with a service winner a few moments later after 31 minutes. The German found his shots in set number two, playing aggressive tennis and keeping his service games safe until the tie break that the Spaniard claimed 7-4 to extend his lead and gather an even more significant boost ahead of set number three.

Rafa forced an error from Lars in the second game thanks to a deep return and landed a backhand down the line winner to move 3-0 up and closer to the finish line. The German sprayed another backhand error in the fourth game to give serve away, and Nadal served at 5-1 for his first Roland Garros win. Eager to seal the deal before heavy rain, Rafael Nadal fired three winners in that seventh game to find himself over the top, introducing himself to the crowd in Paris and forging a path towards the first Roland Garros crown. 

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/3c3Uto9