Fearless and ferocious throughout, Rafael Nadal [Images] floored tough Argentine Mariano Puerta on Sunday to become the first man in 23 years to win the French Open on his debut.

The 19-year-old, sporting a sleeveless top and three-quarter-length breeches like some baseline buccaneer, downed Puerta 6-7, 6-3, 6-1, 7-5 to emulate Mats Wilander's 1982 feat.

Sunday's victory was the Spaniard's 24th straight win -- the longest streak for a teenager since tennis turned professional in 1968.

Overwhelmed with emotion at the end, Nadal knelt on court and raised his arms to the skies before running to King Juan Carlos of Spain and clambering over to embrace his tearful family in the stands.

"It's unbelievable," he said, his eyes glistening. "It's a dream come true. It is one of the best moments in my career, no?

"These are important moments. I didn't think I was going to cry, but my whole family was very emotional. In the end, I started crying also."

Nadal felled his solid Argentine opponent with three hours and 24 minutes of withering groundstrokes to become the youngest Grand Slam champion since Michael Chang won here 16 years ago.

Throughout the match the youngster leapt into the air with the exertion of imparting his crackling top spin, hammering the ball relentlessly into the corners, stretching his opponent to the limit.

It proved too much for Puerta.

The Argentine had still been serving a nine-month doping ban this time last year, and despite losing his first Grand Slam final, his performance over the last two weeks in Paris will do much to help wipe away the memories of those dark days.

TEENAGE TORMENTOR

He pushed Nadal as hard as anyone has been able to at Roland Garros although he could not halt his teenage tormentor's charge to the title.

"I gave it everything I had," said the 26-year-old, who was banned for having taken the banned substance clenbuterol for an asthma attack in 2003.

"Physically, he was better than I was. I lost to an excellent player, the best player in the world on clay."

Puerta did as much as anyone to derail Nadal. He took the first set of their match, something no other player managed in the tournament, in a nerve-jangling tiebreak.

But Nadal punched straight back. He has been virtually unbeatable on clay this year, collecting five pre-Roland Garros titles on the punishing surface this season -- more than anyone since Thomas Muster nine years ago.

Those statistics attest to his determination and Nadal showed it on Sunday. He grabbed a break in the fourth game of the second set and romped through it 6-3 to level the match.

The Spaniard's retrieving was phenomenal. He slid from side to side to hack back the most viciously-spun shots, groaning and panting with the effort, only one thing on his mind.

A break in the opening game of the third set spelled danger for Puerta and he managed just one game as Nadal ran through it.

Puerta was forced to go for too much on each point and he began to miss. It was only by millimetres but it was enough to hand Nadal the momentum.

The Argentine double-faulted to give Nadal the third set and trudged back to his seat.

"BE HAPPY"

Puerta had trailed by two-sets-to-one before winning both his semi-final and quarter-final, however, and was not finished.

The pair traded breaks of serve early on in the fourth set and little could separate them as they matched each other from the baseline.

An impromptu Mexican wave by the crowd at 4-4 seemed to inspire the Latin player and he broke for a 5-4 lead with a jabbed backhand volley.

Again, though, Nadal saved his best for the emergency, saving three set points, the second after a rat-a-tat exchange at the net which ended with Puerta diving full length across the clay.

The Spaniard then seized on a poor drop volley attempt to break back.

Nadal's fightback seemed to knock the stuffing out of Puerta and, two games later, the teenager earned his first match point and Puerta pushed a forehand wide to concede the title.

"When I went off the court, I knew I had lost against the best player in the world on clay. What could I do?" Puerta said.

"He moves so well...he runs so fast.

"I'm very happy and very proud of what I did during those past two weeks. I believe that in a certain way I was resuscitated.

"I didn't win the match, but I won a fight against myself which was very difficult. I have to be objective...I must be happy."

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