Nadal on a Hot Streak

I was so thrilled to watch 20-year-old Rafael Nadal take home his second consecutive (and second in as many tries) Roland Garros championship trophy today after an impressive victory over the seemingly unstoppable Roger Federer. Granted, Federer was not at his best -- committing a whopping 51 unforced errors and never looking quite comfortable, but Nadal himself was tough and deserving of the win.

I'm glad to see at least one player rising to the challenge of playing Federer, who despite utter domination over the men's game in the past two years, has yet to win a French and has shown that he is indeed mortal. I'm sure Federer will end up using his runner-up tray to serve lunches, since -- until today -- he had yet to lose a Grand Slam final and is probably is unsure what to do with his consolation prize.

As for Nadal, I absolutely adore him... his bright, white capris ("pirate pants"), how intense and emotional he is, and all his bizarre superstitious/OCD behavior. The way he so meticulously places his water bottles on the ground during the changeover is borderline crazy, but I can definitely appreciate it and in fact like him more for that strange show of humanness.

Anyway, looking forward to more of Nadal and the possibility of seeing some more great matches at Flushing Meadows later this summer. It's about time we had a new rivalry to get excited about, particularly because American tennis is not looking so hot on its own these days!