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The jury of the Prince of Asturias Award County this morning the most important prize in the sports world

Rafa Nadal was aware that he was competing "with great athletes. And it is a prize to the trajectory so this quiet because I hope, if not this year, will be the next ". These were the words of Manacor before knowing that the Prince of Asturias Sport can move on to swell their trophy cabinets.

It is a recognition not only to this extraordinary 2008 but also has to be seen as a reward for the record, the tenacity, when, as well said his close friend Carlos Moyà, "not to lay down their arms ever" ... When any other would have stopped running, he would have forgotten the number one and would have been contented with beating another kind of records.

But it is Nadal, the Spanish athlete more relevant today. And is that Rafa reflects everything that is rewarded with the Prince of Asturias. In the first instead, their deeds sports: four consecutive Roland Garros, with the double Wimbledon this year (for the first time since 1980) after two late missed, the best streak in history on any surface (81 consecutive wins on clay), the better number two in history (160 consecutive weeks in that post) and, finally, world number one ... Without forgetting that also looks with pride and Olympic gold that was in 2004, 18, the youngest champion in Davis Cup the full story.

A second requirement is his most human side. Rafa remains the same the first day, according to media with a smile and responding to the maximum possible number of requests from fans. There is nothing strange to see him twenty minutes signing autographs at the conclusion of their training sessions. His behavior has not been altered by his ascension to the top. On the contrary.

And the third alternative: its contribution sport. The contribution of the tennis Nadal no doubt because it has become one of the most popular athletes in the world and their presence on the circuit has meant one of the greatest rivalries in history and has brought, as identifies two legends like Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe, the most that has ever seen in the final of Wimbledon.

Rafa is at a higher level. Any recognition, as highlighted his own comrades circuit, is more than deserved.

The Spanish tennis player Rafa Nadal, brand new Olympic champion, debuted in the U.S. Open with victory against the German Bjorn Phaum (7-6 (4), 6-3 and 7-6 (4)), after a rough game in which the Spanish blamed fatigue after the Olympics and the boundless enthusiasm of his rival, which entered the final table from upstream.

The first set was an exchange of blows in which Nadal was unable to impose the condition number one world premiere at Flushing Meadows. Phau lifted the four balls to break his opponent and enjoyed the partial condemned the tiebreaker as both maintained their draw. In the tiebreaker, Nadal took out his quality after a 3-3 start with three balls and closed the partial (7-4).



The second set began with fright as the Majorcan was forced to seek medical help when sent by 2-1. The doctor's Tournament applied a disinfectant and a gauze on the right foot of Nadal and the Spanish came to the stadium as a shot, without giving option to break the German after service for the first time in the encounter (6-3).

However, Phau resurfaced in the last part, thanks in part to the failures of unusual Nadal, who refused to head hampered by the confusion that often accused when he made his debut in a tournament. With 4-4 on the scoreboard, the Balearic finally succeeded in breaking the German's service and got to win the match, but he broke Phau draw for the first time and led to a new set a tiebreaker.

In the last tiebreaker Nadal said enough. He finally raised his range of strokes winners making it clear who sent the legendary track on Arthur Ashe (5-1), despite the unwavering strength of German (7-4). Sealed worked this victory, the Spanish will be measured in the second round winner of the duel between the American Ryler De Heart and Belgian Olivier Rochus.

The fate teamed up with the Manacor to enable him to launch his final assault at the All England Club in London without undue complications

If Björn Borg and gambled on Rafa Nadal as winner of Wimbledon before knowing the schedule of the tournament, the draw has ratified its expectations. And it is that of Manacor will have a relatively easy path to the finals, especially as the number 3 in the world, Russian Novak Djokovic has been framed in the upper table, the same as Roger Federer.

Nadal, No. 2 in the world and second-seeded debuts in the All England Club against the German Andreas Beck, 123 ATP ranking, as it presumes a match for the simple Manacor. The difficulty comes in Rafah in the second round, where he allegedly was measured at Latvian Ernests Gulbis (48), who already put embarrass his friend Djokovic on clay in Paris quarter-finals. After except surprise, Nadal would have to win to Kiefer (33) in third round to reach the round where, if the logic is imposed, he expected the Czech Radek Stepanek-seeded 15.

It should not have too many problems Nadal to reach the quarterfinals, as all four tournaments they have played have resulted in victory for the Balearic Islands. After the Czech, reached the French Richard Gasquet, who has a marker to 4-0 in favor personal confrontations. The move to the finals is what should play with Roddick (6) or Davydenko (4), provided that they satisfy the statistics.

And there, yes. The final match will be his great touchstone as, predictably and capitalized except surprise, the front will have five times champion of the tournament, Roger Federer or Novak Djokovic. Both surpassed them in the land of Paris, but London is always different. However, this year Nadal has won intact their chances to win after obtaining his first title in grass last week at Queen's.

However, some people still watching Federer unbeatable at the All England Club. Such is the case of Pete Sampras. The American cree que "is still the tennis player with a better chance of winning. He has not lost its advantage. " However, his presumed junction with Djokovic in semis could be worn for the finals, if not erasing it. Before dealing with the Serbian, Federer will have to overcome in the first round Slovak Dominik Hrbaty (272). would have to overcome the winner of Nalbandian-Baghdatis to reach the semis and the finals fighting with Federer.

The winner of the duel would rival Nadal. The bets are more open than ever. Nadal feels good physically and knows that he is deploying his best tennis. Federer has regained its confidence after the victory of Halle, but his game this season not being as effective as other years, and Djokovic remains a bone hard roer.
After could see across the network into Swedish Soderling (41), French Monfils (32), the Chilean Fernando Gonzalez (14) in eighths and David Ferrer (5) in the quarter, provided that this is due to Berdych (19) in eighths.

The race's third in discord, Djokovic, begins with their first-round duel with German Michael Berrer (83), to continue, in theory, with Marat Safin (77) and Andreas Seppi (30) before facing the Swiss Wrawrinka (10) in eighths. In quarters, (ALE), Feliciano Lopez-Brian Dabul (ARG), Guillermo Garcia-Lopez İzak Van der Merwe (SUD), Santiago Ventura-Rainer Schuettler (GER) and Carlos Alberto Montañés-BELOCQ (ARG). /> As far as the rest of Spaniards, the hype has not misbehaved with them. Only Oscar Hernandez has played one of the 32 preclasificados, Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu. David Ferrer, fifth in the ATP rankings, is presumed much higher than its first rival, Ukrainian Sergiy Stakhovsky. All other parties' navy 'son Marcel Granollers-Nicolas Almagro, Juan Carlos Ferrero-Sam Querrey (USA), Tommy Robredo-Kristof Vliegen (GER), Fernando Verdasco-Philipp Kohlschreiber

The Spanish Rafael Nadal humbled today to Swiss Roger Federer, 6-1, 6-3 and 6-0 in one hour and 48 minutes to win its fourth consecutive crown at Roland Garros.

Since 1977, when he beat Argentine Guillermo Vilas by American Brian Gottfried 6-0, 6-3 and 6-0 in one hour and 53 minutes, nobody had won the final so spectacular.



The triumph of today's tennis player from Mallorca serves to equalize the four Roland Garros titles in the Swedish Bjorn Borg achieved between 1978 and 1981, and marks the first time since 28 years ago that a champion win the title without giving a set (Bjorn Borg ).

This is the fourth title for Nadal this season, after those achieved in Monte Carlo, Barcelona and Hamburg, and 27 of his career. The reward is a check for one million euros, and the glory for the better on gravel that has been in Paris 28 consecutive games without knowing defeat.

The Mallorcan celebrates its 22 th birthday with a victory without palliatives (6-1, 6-1 and 6-1). Only Bjorn had snapped fewer games in Paris in the first five matches

"Struggles 11 days for getting into the quarter-finals, reaching Rafah and pulls you throw that ball six meters." This is the diagnosis of Nicolas Almagro, latest victim of the king of clay, in less than two hours. Rafa Nadal will play the penultimate match of Roland Garros after another exhibition (6-1, 6-1 and 6-1) and now awaits Novak Djokovic, who has given almost twice as many games in the five previous duels.

Same as before Fernando Verdasco or Jarkko Nieminen, the triple champion in Paris, where he sum 26 consecutive wins, barely had to resort to the best of his repertoire to get an easy victory. Almagro, who played for the first time the quarterfinals of a large, was never an option.

"He spent by the central track a player named Nadal much higher than me. I do not expect this result, "admitted the powerless murciano, aged 22, a friend of Rafa, who predicts that" may defend his title here many times you want. "

Everything seems in this direction, because the world's number two drag a minimum wear in the previous battles, especially compared with its two main threats. In his career immaculate just 25 games and has given no set. For his part, Roger Federer delivered 46 games and a hose and Novak before Montañés Djokovic 59 games and a partial face Gremelmayr in the first round.

To record snatched Another Borg
The tiny concessions Nadal also pose a record at Roland Garros, another in the legend of Manacorense. So far in the first five games, only Bjorn Borg had snapped fewer games (26 in 1978 and 1981). That record, with just their importance, now belongs to Nadal.

Faced Almagro was only required in the second sleeve, which overcame five breaking balls. The Murcia, perhaps by the weight of the central track, never found the freshness of his tennis, joined only get three direct (20 on average accumulated so far) and averaged a dismal 37% of first services.

The next step is assumed that more complicated for tricampeón. He hoped Novak Djokovic, candidate for second place in the ATP and executioner of Latvian Ernests Gulbis (7-5, 7-6 and 7-5), one of the sensations of the tournament. There was a easy afternoon for 'Nolan' without undue continuity in his tennis.

It was a duel between two old friends, recalling his days at school Niki Pilica in Munich, where both dreamed of playing a game like this. At the Latvian, aged 19, he weighed inexperience in this type of commitments. Its passage through Paris is screened in the ranking, but still needs something more to overthrow the Serbian.