Roland Garros 2019: Men’s Singles Semi-Final

We move to the last four of the Roland Garros, 2019 and this tournament as always has lived up to the expectation. After some excruciating long matches, mind-boggling last sets, here are those who are within a clinching distance of glory.

Semi-Final 1:

Federer(left) vs Nadal(right)

FEDAL- FEderer vs NaDAL. Out of the 38 matches they have played between themselves, Nadal leads 23 to 15. This has been the greatest rivalry the tennis world had ever seen until Djokovic broke into the scene in 2011. Federer has never defeated the King of Clay in their five earlier meetings at Roland Garros. This will be their first grand slam meeting since the 2017 Australian Open Final.

1. Rafael Nadal: The world number 2, the defending champion, en route towards his 12th La Coupe des Mousquetaires, is a force of nature on clay. There have not been many who have been able to the dethrone the King on his favorite tennis surface. In Roland Garros, Nadal has only lost twice over 14 years and 93 matches. Yes, you can read the previous line again; that is how ruthless Nadal is on this red clay. In this year’s edition, he has lost only 1 set and has been on a 10 match winning streak in French Open.
2. Roger Federer: Perhaps the greatest player ever to grace the sport, he has returned to play on clay after 3 long years and this might well be his last French Open. He has won the tournament only once in 2009, the year when Robin Soderling was able to upset Nadal. Throughout the tournament, he has also lost only one set to his Swiz compatriot Wawrinka in a mouth-watering quarter-final. Though this has been his least successful grand slam, you cannot rule out Federer.

Verdict: It will be a spectacle to watch the single hand backhand vs the heavy topspin lasso forehand, the serve and volley vs aggressive baseline, the flair and composure vs the grit and aggression. Expect Nadal to win in 4 sets, although the bigger racket head used by Federer since 2017 might cause a difference. Moreover, Federer has not lost to Nadal since 2013 and has won the last 2 meetings in 2017. With nothing to lose, Nadal might face tough resistance from Federer.

Semi-Final 2:

Thiem(left) vs Djokovic(right)

Thiem vs Djokovic. Out of the 8 matches they have played between themselves, Djokovic leads 6 to 2. Thiem was the runner up in this tournament last year and has been in the semi-finals for four consecutive seasons; that is how dominant Thiem is on clay. Djokovic, on the other hand, has been tremendous in this tournament after struggling with ATP issues in the past few months. Djokovic won their last meeting in the clay tournament, Madrid Open,2019.

1. Novak Djokovic: The current world number 1 on the verge of being the second person to hold all the grand slams simultaneously for the second time after Rod Laver, provided he is able to win the Roland Garros. He is the only player who is yet to drop a set in this tournament and has been ruthless the entire tournament. Djokovic has not lost a grand slam match since the Wimbledon of last year; this is how amazing Djokovic is en route to winning his 16th grand slam.
2. Dominic Thiem: The Austrian is as good a player can be on clay with his solid shots on both wings, the heavy forehand as well as the improved powerful one-hand backhand. The current world number 4, has already won a title on clay this year in Barcelona by defeating Nadal; this being his 4th clay victory over Nadal. He was the runner up last year and is in search for his maiden Grand Slam.

Verdict: Expect Thiem to give Djokovic a run for his money in this tournament, but the way Djokovic has been playing in this tournament, he will go through in 4 sets. Thiem has to be on the offensive from the word GO because if Djokovic is to win the first set, it will be an uphill battle for Thiem fighting odds against the fittest player on tour.

Some key highlights for the tournament:

1. 10 of the 11 occasions that the Big Three have all reached the semi-finals of the same Grand Slam championship, one of them has lifted the trophy. The only exception is Del Potro in the US Open,2009.
2. The semi-finals will not only feature the top four seeds for the first time since the 2012 Australian Open(Djokovic, Nadal, Federer, Murray), but the Paris major’s finale will feature Djokovic, Nadal, and Federer together in the final four of a Grand Slam championship for the first time since 2012 Roland Garros.
3. Thiem will be the tennis equivalent of Ringo Starr replacing Murray if Djokovic, Nadal, and Federer are considered to be John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and George Harrison. Thiem is facing opponents each of whom at least 15 grand slams.
4. Nadal, the two-time defending champion, will hold the record of the most singles title at a single tournament, with 12, if he wins the French Open.
5. Djokovic and Federer have the opportunity of winning the first double Carrer Grand Slam in tennis. (Winning all the grand slams at least twice)
6. Djokovic could complete his non-calendar Career Grand Slam for the second time if he wins the tournament, joining Rod Laver as the second player to do so.

Final Verdict: Nadal and Djokovic to play in the finals for the prestigious La Coupe des Mousquetaires. This will be their 55th meeting, with Djokovic currently leading 28 to 26.