I already stated that Rafa had started to look like the good old days here, but little did I know the level of flashback feeling I got when he rushed off to a 3-1 lead with both his forehand and movement looking like it was 2008. I thought the match would be over within the hour. But the real surprise of the final wasn’t Nadal’s retro level of playing, but Monfils soaring to heights I don’t think I’ve ever seen before. He was battling Rafa eye-to-eye from the baseline with massive top-spin, great side-to-side movement and some spectacular forehand winners. It felt …
