So, some blowout, wasn't it?  I confess I almost didn't even bother to watch to beginning of the match, figuring I could just catch the last set or two of Nadal waxing Puerta and not miss anything much.  Boy, was I wrong and am I ever glad I changed my mind and watched from the beginning.

Overall, I came away so impressed with Nadal.  How does a just barely 19-year-old handle all of that?  For goodness sake, the King of Spain was watching in the front row! 

Nadal knew he was a huge favorite going in, and following the script jumped out to a quick lead in the first set.  Then Puerta has to take an injury time-out and Nadal had to think his day had just gotten even easier. 

But from there on out, nothing was easy as Puerta played some fabulous clay-court tennis.  I though he was going to hit Nadal off the court at times.  Many older and more experienced players than Nadal would have panicked, but Nadal never did.  He just kept at it, point in and point out.  There were bad points here and there, but he never went into a swoon for long enough to allow Puerta to gain a real advantage. 

And then at the end of the fourth set, something in Puerta finally remembered that he wasn't supposed to win this thing and he played a poor game to get broken and cost himself the match.

Afterwards, Nadal somehow had the presence of mind to go over to the King of Spain before even his family to celebrate his victory.  At 19! 

I'm a big fan of trophy ceremonies in tennis.  They're one of the rare unscripted moments left in sports (you can't even be entirely sure what language the speeches will be in) and yet you hardly ever see them mentioned in the media.  Want to know what the players said after-the-fact?  Forget it - no one records it. 

The French tried to put a little "cute" into today's ceremony by having both players accompanied to the trophy stand by little ballkids who were obviously instructed to hold their respective players' hands.  Puerta totally missed his cue and left his player awkwardly sticking her hand in the air.  But not Nadal - he not only remembered to take her hand but also patted her on the head as she departed.  And I suspect he had other things on his mind at the time. 

I'm sure Puerta is disappointed, but it's hard to feel too badly for him.  Before the match he couldn't have really thought he was going to win.  But he had his memorable moment and earned everyone's respect.  (Did I really call him the "sacrificial lamb" the other day? - oops)

A little sad that it's all over now, but Wimbledon is just around the corner.

Obviously, a ton of good articles available on the match so here's a sampling:

From the AP: King of Clay

Rafael Nadal, the new king of clay, put on a show worthy of the royalty watching him.

Red dust caked Nadal from his hair to his sneakers after his French Open triumph Sunday, the charismatic teen who plays with a pugnacious smirk holding both dirty hands up to a beaming King Juan Carlos of Spain in the box above.

From the AP: Puerta loses final but wins over fans

Rafael Nadal is a Spanish sensation and teen idol, winning raves from royalty and comparisons to such past Grand Slam champions as Boris Becker and Bjorn Borg.

On Sunday, journeyman Mariano Puerta was almost as good.

From the International Herald Tribune: Nadal triumphs at first attempt

In the end, nothing could stop Rafael Nadal from winning the French Open on his very first attempt.

From Tennis Week: Clay-Court King Nadal Wins Roland Garros

Rafael Nadal bounced out onto Chatrier court holding his racquet high, carrying the confidence that comes with a 23-match winning streak and ready to rule the red clay before the first point was even played. This French Open final felt like a formality at the outset: an anti-climactic clash that would serve as a coronation of the unquestioned clay-court king.

Unseeded Mariano Puerta crashed the procession party and played with the unrelenting passion of a man completely committed to laying claim to the crown.

From The Times: Beginner's pluck helps Nadal to a place in history

HE ARRIVED at Roland Garros on the back seat of a minivan, as unpretentious a mode of transport as the 19-year-old Rafael Nadal is as a person. As a tennis player, however, Nadal is quite simply a shimmering Ferrari. Not since 1982 has a player making his debut won the French Open.

From Tennis Life Magazine: Nadal shows Puerta the Door (by far my favorite headline - why didn't anyone else think of that?)

Pressure is a strange thing. It can turn some men to jelly and turn others into world beaters. Rafael Nadal falls into the latter category. Coming to Roland Garros, he was the odds-on favorite to win his first grand slam title on his debut here and he was the man who had not been beaten in 23 clay court matches. Surely no one could stop him lifting the Coupe des Mousquetaires? No, pressure, then.

It took Nadal nearly 3 ½ hours to do it, but somehow the 19 year old from Majorca overcame his nerves, the crowd's expectations and a stupendous effort from Mariano Puerta to win the French Open title 6-7, 6-3, 6-1, 7-5.

From The Guardian: Battling Nadal brings the king to his feet

Juan Carlos, the King of Spain, reached down from the front of the President's Box and clasped the new Spanish "King of Clay". Rafael Nadal, who celebrated his 19th birthday on Friday when he defeated the world No1 Roger Federer to reach the French Open final, yesterday won the title at his first attempt, defeating the Argentinian Mariano Puerta 6-7, 6-3, 6-1, 7-5. It may have been expected but it certainly did not come easy.

From The Telegraph: Resilient Nadal becomes new king of clay court (subscription)

Rafael Nadal has captivated all season with his celebrations, the scissor-kicks and the pumps of the fist, but he certainly bettered them all after winning the French Open for the first time yesterday and becoming the new king of clay. Waiting behind him was a real king, Juan Carlos of Spain, who was hanging over the backdrop with his hand already outstretched.

From The Independent: Nadal resists Puerta to win first Slam title in clay classic

Nobody told Mariano Puerta that Rafael Nadal's semi-final match against Roger Federer was, to all intents, supposed to be the French Open final.

And this one's not exactly match-related but still a good read in the Houston Chronicle: It's all sunshine and finals for the new prince

The kid we call Rafa doesn't fit in this crowd. His perfect young life has heretofore been all smiles and sunshine, which splashed down on him pretty much daily when he was a child growing up in Mallorca.

And of course the player press conferences are always worth a read, or a look if you prefer the video versions.  Mariano Puerta's interview is here and Rafael Nadal's is here.