Although Robin Soderling has two career wins over Rafael Nadal, including last year's French Open fourth-round contest, the Spaniard is the favourite to win the final and record his seventh Grand Slam triumph
Nadal overcomes Jurgen Melzer in straight sets in the semi-final, his 21st win on clay this season, with no losses, and now has a chance to overtake Roger Federer as world number one
Soderling, though, already has the beating of Federer in this tournament and will hope the predicted Paris rain can again prove to be the leveller
The clouds clear in the first set and every seat is taken at Roland Garros with Queen Sofia of Spain and Prime Minister Francois Fillon (presumably) rooting for Nadal
Nadal isn't quite getting support from all corners of the court - disputing a couple of line calls and taking his time in serving - but is the first to break serve in the opening set and looks far more comfortable than Soderling
He's got 99 problems but the tickets ain't one: Jay-Z and Beyonce, along with actors Michelle Yeoh and Jean-Paul Belmondo and FIA president Jean Todt, watch Soderling hold serve to take the set to a 10th game
But Nadal, helped by a couple of rare aces, grabs the first set 6-4 after Soderling misses an opportunity to break back brought about by his gritty rallies
The crowd are crying Soderling's name in the hope of inspiring a close contest and the Swede is only denied a break of serve in the second game of the second set by Nadal's tenacious and athletic defence
Nadal replies with eight straight points, winning rallies that seem impossible, playing shots with lightning speed and accuracy, breaking Soderling, and earning the applause of a crowd in awe
Nadal again breaks the Swede's serve, and maybe his confidence, in a set that the Majorcan takes 6-2 and sees Soderling start missing his shots and the crowd on their feet
The darkening clouds may hang over the Philippe Chatrier Court in the French capital but, like Soderling in the third set, fail to produce a credible threat to the irresistible tennis of Nadal
Nadal wraps up the third set 6-4, winning the French Open for the fifth time in six years, his 22nd consecutive win on clay, and having not lost a single set (of the 21 played against seven opponents) in the tournament
But can this season's sterling form translate from clay to grass as Queen's, the prelude to Wimbledon, starts on Wednesday for Nadal? Could it even carry on to the US Open, his missing Grand Slam title?
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