That result had pricked Nadal's aura of invincibility as it snapped an 81-match winning steak on red dirt.

Looking for revenge, Nadal had warned: "I'm going to fight and struggle like a lion to make sure I have three cups at home rather than two."

It did not take Nadal long to bare his teeth.

Prowling the baseline with sweat glistening on his bulging biceps, Nadal bludgeoned ferocious forehands to save 10 break points in the opening set.

The 21-year-old Spaniard survived five of them in a riveting 17-minute game which took the score to 3-3.

The precise Swiss timing that usually accompanies Federer's exquisite shots broke down in the next game and he dropped his serve to love.

Sensing the match was slipping away from Federer's grasp in the second set, a fan in the stands cried out: "Right now, come on". As if on cue, Federer broke his Spanish foe for the first time to go 4-3 ahead, ending 80-minutes of growing frustration.

He held on to win the set but from then on was left dumbfounded as Nadal charged towards extending his perfect Roland Garros record to 21-0.

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