Jun 8, 2013
It was billed as the match-up of the tournament when the draw came out and it did not disappoint. It took more than four and a half hours, but Rafael Nadal finally broke past Novak Djokovic and into the semi-finals.
It was the battle of the French Open’s most successful player and the world’s best tennis player and it didn’t disappoint. It swung back and forth with both players wasting strong match-winning positions before Nadal finally sealed it breaking Djokovic in a love-game to take the final set 9-7.
Previously Djokovic had broken with Nadal serving for the match and the Spaniard as good as return the favor when he rebuffed the Serbian’s serve with the score 4-3 in the fifth. Neither player would break again in that set until Nadal won it in the 16th game of the set.
The 27-year old showed all of his resilience, toughness and concentration in this victory. Many doubted whether he could ever regain his former powers after an extended injury. However, he will now start the French Open Final against David Ferrer as a huge favorite. A win on Sunday will give Nadal a fourth straight win at Roland Garros, and an eighth championship in nine years.
He never allowed himself to get fazed in his semi-final. He faced down Djokovic’s impressive all-round game, he overcame the mental blow of failing to serve out the match in the fourth set and then getting broken early in the fifth. When Djokovic became frustrated with the condition of the court and pleaded with the umpire and referee to water it, Nadal stayed focused and took sharp advantage of the world no.1’s lapse undoubtedly caused by frustration.
However, there is one more test remaining for Nadal. He must retain the same level of competitiveness and focus in the final. He cannot afford to take his opponent lightly even if they are not a member of tennis’ “big four”. Still, Ferrer is hungry and seeking a first Grand Slam final.
Ferrer has been seeking out a Grand Slam title, has always been a strong player on the clay surface. He reached two Grand Slam semi-finals last season and also reached the same stage of the 2013 Australian Open. At 31, Ferrer has plenty of experience, but this is his first ever Grand Slam final.
As good as Ferrer is, the reality is that the outcome of the final will be more dependent on Nadal than anything else. If he is able to bring his ‘A-game’, then he will win his 12th Grand Slam title. After an epic marathon struggle to beat Djokovic, that might be easier said than done. Of course none of that means that it would be sensible to bet against him. Nadal is on the cusp of cementing his place in the history books as one of the all-time greats. Sunday is his opportunity to step up and confirm his status. The Philippe Chatrier court awaits one of its greatest players on the biggest stage yet again. Surely he will close it out once again.
