French Open champion Rafael Nadal has admitted that last night's break in play helped him more than it did Novak Djokovic.
The Spaniard had fought his way into a two-set lead in Paris on Sunday before conditions started to deteriorate at the end of the day.
The world number one had reduced the deficit in the third set and broke Nadal's serve in the fourth to give him hope of leveling the score as the players left the court last night.
However, Nadal roared back today to secure his seventh title at Roland Garros, overtaking the record set by Bjorn Borg.
The 26-year-old revealed that he was not feeling confident until just moments before stepping onto Philippe Chatrier Court today.
"Winning the last game before we stopped last night was very important," Nadal told a press conference. "I think the stop last night was very positive for me, especially because the conditions of the court were not normal.
"For me this was a very emotional day. Today I really felt tired and nervous before the match. I did not feel ready or confident until 3 minutes before.
"I feel very lucky to have achieved all that I've achieved. I work hard every day and wake up every day with motivation and passion to practice. I will play until that doesn't happen any more."
The win was Nadal's 11th Grand Slam title.
Michael Penkman
