In their two meetings in French Open finals, Rafael Nadal has sealed victory off the back of a double-fault from his Serbian opponent Novak Djokovic. Today, Nadal finished a torrid birthday meeting with Djokovic by double faulting, signifying a total 180 degree turn in the fortunes of these two tennis titans.

Djokovic’s win was not really surprising. He had not lost in fourteen clay court outings in 2015, or on any surface since February. Nadal had failed to claim a European clay court title all year, losing the most matches in a single clay court season. Had it not been for his history at Roland Garros and nine titles, this match would have been considered a full gone conclusion before either man had walked on the court.

But this was not just a meeting between the world number one and world number six. This was an unstoppable force careering into…