From a tournament that I got very few things right, I’ll take the fact that I got the 4/9 favourite spot on. I said just don’t remortgage. I didn’t say anything about you not putting it on the overdrafts and credit cards. Ei Ei!

The biggest racing cert in history once again landed, as Rafa Nadal won his eleventh French Open. Nothing was going to stop him on the way. Diego Schwartzman was the only player to take a set off him. A few others came close, especially Simone Bolelli but it was only Schwartzman at a set and break that had Rafa sweating (a little). The rain ensured there was to be no upset as Nadal regrouped and the match totally changed. It was pretty comfortable as per usual for the fortnight.

Dominic Thiem gave as much he could today. The first nine games of the match were at a very high level. Thiem then came out at *4/5 and threw in a few errors and that was the set gone. As you felt at the time, the match pretty much went with it. Rafa cruised from there on in. It just becomes an impossible task as Nadal goes for the kill once he has hit the front in Paris.

There was a slight concern when he called for the trainer for hand cramps. You think that is going to stop Rafa in his tracks though? No. 6/4 6/3 6/2. I wouldn’t say that Thiem played poorly at all. Nadal has just eased his foot effortlessly onto the gas and pulled clear of everyone. My only criticism is that I don’t think Thiem needed to play the week before still. He has proved me pretty much wrong to an extent. It could still be an extra bit of juice in the tank that he would have though, he just didn’t get close enough today for that to matter. It has been a good fortnight for the Austrian having said that. He really stepped it up from the last 16.

How will Rafa bounce back for Wimbledon now? It has not been great since reaching the final in 2011. Nadal has not gone past the fourth round in the last six years at SW19. Injuries have played their part in that in fairness. Let us see if he can do a little better this time.

Any which way, who will be betting against him winning again in Paris in 2019? It would appear from the early prices that he is a shade of odds-on. Number twelve here we go!

Andy Del Potro