World number one Rafael Nadal won a record-equalling sixth French Open title when he beat Roger Federer 7-5 7-6(3) 5-7 6-1 in a pulsating final at Roland Garros. Nadal, who turned 25 on Friday, joins Bjorn Borg in getting his name on the Coupe des Mousquetaires for a sixth time, just one day older than the Swede when he achieved the feat in 1981. The victory also means that the Spaniard will retain the number one spot when the new world rankings are released on Monday morning, holding off Novak Djokovic, who had threatened to overtake him. Federer had been attempting to win his 17th Grand Slam title and beat Nadal on clay in Paris for the first time in five attempts. But despite enjoying a 5-2 lead in the opening set and fighting back to take the third set, Nadal was too strong for the world number three as he stormed back on every occasion before securing his 10th major title when Federer netted a forehand after three hours and 40 minutes."It's fantastic to win this final against the player who's certainly the best in the world, the best in history," said Nadal, who has beaten Federer in six of their eight meetings in Grand Slam finals, four of them in Paris. "It's a very special, outstanding tournament for me. It's one of my wildest dreams come true." Federer came storming out of the blocks, outplaying Nadal for the first seven games and racing to a confident 5-2 lead that threatened an upset on a humid day in Paris. The world number three broke in just the second game, albeit at the fourth attempt, when Nadal hit a running forehand into the net, before comfortably holding with two booming aces.
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