PARIS -- A gathering of tennis spectators felt sorry for Roger Federer on Sunday, a downright weird sensation believed to be a global first.
Every so often they tried to urge him on as if he were some hopeless, helpless, hapless straggler who had leaked into the draw from the qualifying, as they watched his ingenious game shrink to unrecognizable rubble opposite a Spanish Godzilla.
To a five-year Federer era decorated with witnesses' admiration, appreciation and awe, down the pike came a palpable alien visitor called pity, which found its way even to the conscience of one of sports' great and budding dynasties, Rafael Nadal at Roland Garros.
As Nadal finished his inconceivable 6-1, 6-3, 6-0 victory over Federer in the French Open men's final, the champion did not crumple joyously to the ground. He did not roll around in the clay as he had upon his three previous titles.
He merely raised his arms briefly, then jogged to the net for the handshake, perfectly aware of the warped disfigurement he had brought upon Federer's game.
"Today it was tough for Roger, I think, and I have to be respectful with one very good guy," Nadal said. "I have very good relationship with him, no? . . . . I mean, given the way things occurred and given the relationship I have to Roger, I just didn't want to celebrate too much."
So although Nadal's numbers compel -- four consecutive titles, a 28-0 lifetime record at Roland Garros, an 83-7 record in sets, a 21-0 record in sets this year, the loss of only 41 games (lowest since Bjorn Borg's 32 in 1978), the matching of Borg's record four straight titles, the fact they ought to give Novak Djokovic some sort of trophy for even holding a set point and getting to a tiebreaker against Nadal -- even those faded Sunday against what his might did to a Swiss 26-year-old some consider the best player ever.
It was the unimaginable look of the thing.
While Nadal continued improving from mere domination of the French Open toward some sort of barely visited stratosphere, Federer took the worst Grand Slam loss ever for a No. 1 player. He took the worst in a Grand Slam final since John McEnroe beat Jimmy Connors, 6-1, 6-1, 6-2, in 1984 at Wimbledon, the worst in a final here since Guillermo Vilas beat Brian Gottfried, 6-0, 6-3, 6-0, in 1977. It was his worst loss in 173 Grand Slam matches and his first 6-0 loss in a set since the first of those 173, in the first round of the 1999 French Open against Patrick Rafter.
