Nadal reigns

Rafael Nadal bites the cup after defeating David Ferrer in the men’s French Open final .

PARIS – If Rafael Nadal truly was going to be challenged, if his bid for an unprecedented eighth French Open championship would be slowed even a bit, this might have been the moment.

Leading by a set and a break 70 minutes into Sunday’s final against David Ferrer, another generally indefatigable Spaniard, Nadal faced four break points in one game. The last was a 31-stroke exchange, the match’s longest, capped when Nadal absorbed Ferrer’s strong backhand approach and transformed it into a cross-court backhand passing shot.

Two questions: Is “biting the cup” a French Open tradition and do you enjoy watching tennis?