SPANISH teenager Rafael Nadal defeated Mariano Puerta 6-7 6-3 6-1 7-5 to win the French Open on his first attempt. It was a dramatic opening set -- Nadal went 2-0 up but, after having treatment on his thigh, Puerta broke back and clinched a thrilling tie-break. Nadal levelled the match at one-set all with a single break and strolled to the third as the Argentine visibly tired. The pair swapped breaks twice in a fascinating fourth set but Nadal broke again in the 12th game to triumph. The 19-year-old walked onto Philippe Chatrier Court as overwhelming favourite after winning three tournaments on clay in the build-up to Paris. And things seemed to be going his way when he broke Puerta in the first game of the final with his trademark thundering forehands. At 15-40 down in the fifth game, the Argentine called for the trainer and received treatment on his right thigh. The interruption turned the opening set on its head. Puerta saved the break-points and then forced Nadal into errors to break back at 3-3. The left-handed opponents matched each other for pounding groundstrokes, deft drop-shots and an inevitable tie-break ensued. Puerta clinched the tense breaker 8-6 to take a surprise one-set lead but, after such a frenetic first set, the unseeded Argentine was not able to keep up the momentum. Nadal broke to take a 3-1 lead in the second as Puerta carelessly hit the ball long and the Spaniard served out the set to level the match. The 19-year-old ran away with the third set, breaking a tiring Puerta three times to seal a 6-1 scoreline, which did not do credit to Puerta's own moments of ingenuity. As Nadal edged closer to victory in Paris, Puerta dug deep again to set up a thrilling finale. The Argentine forced Nadal into making mistakes and was rewarded with a break in the first game of the fourth set. Then Puerta's own unforced errors gifted Nadal the break straight back -- and a game of cat-and-mouse ensued much to the delight of the roaring Roland Garros crowd. The Spanish teenager recovered from triple break-point down in the seventh game, but two games later he surrendered a 30-0 lead and a resurgent Puerta broke again at 5-4. The Argentine carved out three set-points to stand on the brink of forcing a deciding fifth set. But some dazzling footwork and reactions at the net somehow saw Nadal break straight back again. At 6-5 up Nadal produced an array of pounding shots to move to a decisive break-point on Puerta's serve. And the Spaniard only had to watch as his opponent skewed his shot wide to hand him the break and the match. Nadal's victory saw him finish the clay-court season undefeated in 24 matches, becoming the first man since Mats Wilander in 1982 to win the French Open on his debut. In the women's final, Justine Henin-Hardenne strolled to her second French Open crown, ruthlessly defeating Mary Pierce 6-1 6-1. The Belgian 10th seed crushed the hopes of French fans as she battered home favourite Pierce with a flurry of forehands and driving backhands. In overcast conditions, Henin broke Pierce three times on her way to taking the first set in just 24 minutes. Pierce crumbled under the relentless pressure and handed Henin victory on her comeback from a viral condition. Henin has struggled with fatigue and back injuries on her way to the final but was at her brilliant best on Philippe Chatrier Court. The 23-year-old did not look back after Pierce held her first service-game, sweeping to nine games in a row. Henin was solid, keeping up her defences while peppering Pierce with rasping groundstrokes and even some deft play at the net. The Belgian's composure took the sting out of the match and silenced the French crowd, who were never really given a chance to get behind Pierce. The 30-year-old Frenchwoman looked a shadow of the player who had breezed her way to her first final in five years with a fierce smile and aggressive determination on court. All that confidence evaporated in the face of an unstoppable Henin. Pierce surrendered her serve to hand the Belgian a 2-0 lead in the second as she needlessly screwed an easy smash into the net. The 2000 French Open champion tried to unsettle Henin, running into the net and sending up looping high balls -- but it was too late for attacking tactics. A double-fault gifted Henin a 5-1 lead and then Pierce shoved the ball into the net to see the Belgium round off the victory in 61 minutes. Nerves were clearly a factor for Pierce who committed 29 unforced errors. Henin's Paris triumph saw her stretch her unbeaten run to 24 straight matches. A fact made all the more remarkable as Henin only returned to the tour in March after seven months out with a draining viral condition. She will now rest before turning her attention to Wimbledon, where she was a finalist in 2001
