10 Jun 2013

8th win for Nadal at French Open

4:51 am on 10 June 2013

Rafa Nadal made light work of David Ferrer to win a protest-interrupted French Open final 6-3 6-2 6-3 in Paris on Sunday and become the first man to win eight singles titles at the same tournament.

The Spaniard collapsed on to the red clay at Roland Garros after ending the contest.

The match was briefly interrupted in the second set when a bare-chested protester ran onto the court after letting off a flare. He was dragged out by security.

The incident failed to derail Nadal, 27, who prevailed after two hours 16 minutes.

Ferrer, 31, pushed his compatriot harder than the score might suggest, but never threatened an upset.

The BBC reports Nadal reaffirmed his dominance on clay, and further elevate himself among the greats of the sport. His 12th major title moves him above Bjorn Borg and Rod Laver on the all-time list.