That is the question Roger Federer must be asking tonight after being handed a thrashing by Rafael Nadal in the French Open final at Roland Garros.
The world number one had been nowhere near his vintage best throughout the fortnight but many still felt that with the input of his new coach anything was possible as Federer possessed more variety in his shot-making on clay than ever before. How wrong those predictions were. If anything Nadal was further ahead of the Swiss than ever as he cruised to a fourth successive French Open title.
It never looked good for Federer from the very moment they entered the court. Nadal raced onto what is, to all intents and purposes, his home away from home with a spring his step and determination all over his face. While Federer strolled slowly into the arena - it may have looked almost majestic from afar but his face showed signs of nerves never associated with the man.
Nadal's trademark burst from his chair before the opening game seemed to set the tone for a performance that may come to define the man from Mallorca's career. Nadal broke his arch-rival in game one and then held his own serve to take the early advantage. Federer reached deep into his box of tricks and expertise and despite his best efforts it was just not good enough. Nadal had all the answers as well as all the aces!
The first set lasted just 32 minutes - when u consider hte first two service games accounted for half of that it shows just how dominating the Spaniard was as he took it 6-1.
The break between sets couldn't disrupt Nadal's rhythm as he turned on the style as the start of the second set - until Federer mustered a break from nowhere. Commentators wondered if this was the turning point, they need not have wondered...
Nadal broke back almost immediately and went on to take the set 6-3 to clinch a two set lead. There appeared to be no way back for the world number one and so it proved.
By the time the third set began Nadal was riding the crest of a wave and hitting winner after winner after winner from the baseline while Federer looked deflated. Predictably, and rather unbelievably so, Nadal steamrolled his way to the third set and a fourth successive win at Roland Garros 6-0.
Nadal didn't even drop a set throughout the entire tournament - not even Federer has managed that at Wimbledon - and it just the seventh man to achieve such a feat. So the question must be asked now, how do you beat Rafael Nadal on clay?
What do you think? Will anyone ever beat Nadal at Roland Garros? No one has managed it yet...
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