History weighed heavily on both rackets on Court Philippe Chatrier yesterday and, for the 23rd time in 42 matches against Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal was left to drink in the applause, relieved and elated to win his ninth French Open title, his fifth in a row.

For much of a skin-burning afternoon that ended under cloud cover the final fell below expectations. But there were enough golden moments to augment snatches of drama and controversy to make Nadal’s 3-6, 7-5, 6-2, 6-4 victory a commendable one, if not quite the wondrous spectacle the women’s final provided 24 hours earlier.

Djokovic fought hard

Nadal only intermittently hit the pitch of near-perfection he reached in thrashing Andy Murray in straight sets on Friday but he found enough to do the job. After three and a half hours he had drained Djokovic of his last reserves and the Serb pushed his final serve long to bring the patrons to their feet yet again in Nadal’s honour.

Djokovic, as ever, fought hard but he too failed to find his best game and looked mentally and physically gone at the end.

Perhaps the days of their five-hour finals are gone forever. Is the age of brute force winding down? More players search for the quick kill these days, especially those young contenders seeking to break the hold the elite players still have on the big tournaments.

“In matches like this every moment is crucial,” said Nadal, who has drawn alongside Pete Sampras on 14 majors, only three behind Federer and eight in front of Djokovic. Nadal keeps his world No 1 ranking safe, too. “Playing against Novak is always a big challenge for me,” added the Spaniard. “Every time I beat him, I have to play to my limit. Today tennis gave me back what happened in Australia [where a back injury struck during the final against Stanislas Wawrinka].”

Not full throttle

Djokovic said: “That trophy is out of reach this year but I will come back again, and again, and again and again until I win it.” Nadal replied: “I am sure you will win this tournament in the future.”

Those sort of certainties, however, do not exist as they once did. If Djokovic does win here, it will more than likely be without Nadal across the net – or against one of the young contenders.

Djokovic very nearly blew his chance to take the first set but saved two break points then forced Nadal to overhit. From that position, 1-0 up in 35 career finals, he had never lost – and he had made Nadal suffer eight such times.

The last time Nadal lost the first set here, however – against Roger Federer in 2006 – he went on to win 1-6, 6-1, 6-4, 7-6. So history again intruded on the fortunes of both men.

As against Federer eight years ago, Nadal found what he likes to call his “inside power” and, through struggle and fleeting genius, he worked his way through the second set, growing more determined by the stroke, if still not revving at full throttle.

The sixth game was pivotal. Djokovic double-faulted to give Nadal a small look and the Spaniard got his first break point after an hour and 12 minutes – but he had to scrap for the breakthrough. The crowd rose in indignation when Djokovic challenged a no-call, well beaten on the backhand side, and the umpire saw in his favour for deuce. Nadal scorched the line on the opposite side, turned to his fans and threw a phantom uppercut to remind his opponent they were now in a fight. When he forced Djokovic to slice a return into the net for 4-2, the stadium was filled with chants of “Rafa! Rafa!” But within 10 minutes of his first break point Nadal handed the advantage back, then closed out the set with a vigorous thump to punish Djokovic’s short reply.

The standard had still not risen to familiar heights, although both players peppered the rallies with winners of frightening power. Djokovic down a break, cursed himself when he failed to capitalise on a get-square chance in the fifth game, and Nadal stretched his lead with a vicious cross-court forehand.

Trailing by two games, with the crowd against him and Nadal on fire, Djokovic found a fifth ace and, although his ground strokes were still not grooved to the highest order, he held for 2-4. But frustration gnawed at him and he indulged in his second racket-smash of the tournament when a forehand inched wide in the seventh game.

Stubborn defence

He took it to Nadal for 12 minutes on the Spaniard’s serve but could not crack his stubborn defence and found himself serving to stay in the third set after two and a half hours.

Djokovic hit his final shot lazily long and looked woebegone as both players wandered into the locker room to gather their thoughts and resources.

The only cloud on the horizon for Nadal was . . . a cloud on the horizon. Or rather, several of them, rain-laden and mildly threatening. The prospect of a repeat of their 2012 final, when the weather forced play into a second day, seemed to invest the champion’s work with added urgency. Guardian service