Rafael Nadal wins record 7th French Open

Spain\'s Rafael Nadal Rafael Nadal has denied Novak Djokovic a piece of history and grabbed a slice of his own by claiming a record seventh French Open crown.  After a dramatic and rain-affected men\'s final, suspended overnight, Nadal returned at his best as the king of clay to win 6-4, 6-3, 2-6, 7-5.
\"For me, it\'s a real honour (to win seven),\" Nadal said.
\"But for me the most important thing is this tournament. For me this is the most important tournament in the world. I\'m really, really emotional and it\'s probably one of the more special moments of my career.\"
Asked if he still had room at his house for more silverware, the 11-time Grand Slam champion said: \"Sure there is space. There is always space for a Roland Garros trophy.\"
Only Chris Evert, who won seven women\'s titles at Roland Garros, has matched his feat and the victory pulled Nadal one clear of the men\'s record six he shared with Bjorn Borg.
Djokovic threatened to become the first man in 43 years and only the third man in history to hold all four Grand Slam titles at once when he had the momentum going into the overnight stoppage.
But Nadal, who had been furious play was allowed to continue in the rain for some time the previous day, put his frustration behind him and began Monday as he had started the match some 22 hours earlier.
Trailing 1-2 in the fourth set when play resumed under cool and overcast skies, the Spaniard\'s spitting forehand - weakened earlier by the wet conditions - was back on display.
When Djokovic netted a forehand to give Nadal the chance to break back in the opening game of the day, the Serb smacked himself on the head with his racquet.
Nadal pounced on a Djokovic drop shot, snapping a backhand winner past him to break back.
But Djokovic lived up to his reputation as the most stubborn of opponents, and he stuck with Nadal.
With the Spaniard 5-4 up on serve, the rain came down, but it was just a passing shower and the match went on.
In the final game, Nadal\'s forehand was again at work, setting up championship point.
It was a Djokovic double fault that handed Nadal the crown after a match played for three hours on the first day and completed in 49 minutes the next day.
Djokovic said he felt privileged to have played his first French Open final.
\"I enjoyed this match very much,\" he added.
\"Rafa was the better player. I hope to come back next year and play even better.\"
Nadal\'s triumph fuelled his rivalry with Djokovic, who won an epic Australian Open final lasting nearly six hours in January.