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Preview: Will Tsitsipas Or Zverev Break New Ground In Paris?

  • Posted: Jun 10, 2021

Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alexander Zverev have both lifted some of the biggest trophies in tennis, from the Nitto ATP Finals crown to ATP Masters 1000 glory. But they’ve never reached a final at Roland Garros, and have yet to win a Grand Slam title.

When these two meet on Friday on Court Philippe-Chatrier, who will break new ground and challenge Novak Djokovic or Rafael Nadal for the title in Paris?

For sixth seed Zverev, experience might hold the key in the youngest Grand Slam semi-final in over a decade. The clash between 24-year-old Zverev and 22-year-old Tsitsipas will feature the youngest combined age between semi-finalists since Andy Murray, 22, defeated Marin Cilic, 21, at the Australian Open in 2010. It is also the youngest Roland Garros semi-final since 22-year-old Nadal defeated 21-year-old Djokovic here in 2008.

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The German has also been knocking on the door of a major breakthrough for a while now, and he has the mental edge of having been to a Grand Slam final last year at the US Open (l. Thiem). Zverev owns a 1-1 win-loss record in Grand Slam semi-finals, while Tsitsipas has yet to go past this stage on three occasions. 

Zverev also has more experience in fighting for – and clinching victory in – the biggest matches on the ATP Tour than his opponent, evidenced by his 17 tour-level titles, including four ATP Masters 1000s. Three of those have come on clay: at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in 2017 and the Mutua Madrid Open in 2018 and 2021. Zverev knows what it takes to make a breakthrough at the highest level.

“For a long period of time I was winning [ATP Masters 1000s], the Nitto ATP Finals, but I couldn’t get quite deep in Grand Slams,” Zverev reflected after his quarter-final victory over Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. “I was putting bricks on myself. In a way, I was not performing to the level that I was in other tournaments. I was not playing the same level. I was very [impatient] with myself. 

“In the Grand Slams, they’re still a different animal. Two-week-long tournament, you play every other day, you play five sets. It’s very different. You got to learn how to play them… Hopefully I can say that slowly but surely I’m starting to get the hang of it.”

Zverev won his first meeting against Tsitsipas in Washington, D.C. in 2018, as well as his most recent on his way to the title in Acapulco this year. But in the interim, Tsitsipas recorded five wins in a row to dominate their 5-2 ATP Head2Head (1-0 on clay courts). 

Tsitsipas, the FedEx ATP Race To Turin leader, made his Masters 1000 breakthrough two months ago at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters to set himself apart as one of the players to beat in the clay-court swing. He added a seventh tour-level trophy to his collection in Lyon before arriving in Paris. 

The Greek has amassed a tour-leading 38 match wins on the season, including 21 on clay courts, another tour-leading figure. 

“I’m playing good. That will show by itself,” Tsitsipas assured after his straight-sets win over Daniil Medvedev in the quarter-finals. “I don’t think there’s a player out there [in the draw] that thinks they can’t win the tournament. I’m pretty sure they all know they can play well. 

“Of course I’m playing [well], and I think if I keep repeating the process, keep repeating the everyday hustle that I put [in], for sure there’s going to be a reward. And why not?”

He has also been thoroughly tested throughout the fortnight in Paris, but has come out on top each time at the expense of just one set in matches against Jeremy Chardy, Pedro Martinez, 31st seed John Isner, 12th seed Pablo Carreno Busta and World No. 2 Medvedev. 

In fact, the average ranking of Tsitsipas’ opponents across his previous five matches is 42, while Zverev’s is 97 after playing qualifier Oscar Otte, qualifier Roman Safiullin, Laslo Djere, Kei Nishikori, and Davidovich Fokina on his way to the semi-finals. Zverev will be facing his first seeded opponent in Tsitsipas. 

In a match that could come down to the finest of margins, will it be battle-tested Tsitsipas or zoned-in Zverev who claims the victory – and moves to within one match of a Grand Slam breakthrough at Roland Garros?

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Andy Murray Receives Wild Card Into Queen's Club

  • Posted: Jun 10, 2021

Five-time cinch Championships winner Andy Murray has accepted a wild card into the ATP 500 tournament, which will be played from 14-20 June.

“The tournament at Queen’s has always meant a lot to me,” Murray said according to a release. “It’s where I won my first ATP match. I’ve won the singles at Queen’s more than any other [tournament] in my career, and I’ll never forget our doubles title in 2019. I can’t wait to get back out there.”

Murray has a 30-7 singles record at the grass-court tournament, where he has lifted the trophy in 2009, 2011-13 and 2015-16. In 2019, in his first tournament after undergoing hip surgery following the Australian Open, Murray won the doubles title at this event alongside Feliciano Lopez.

The World No. 123 last played singles in Rotterdam this March. Murray competed in doubles at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome, where he also trained with the likes of World No. 1 Novak Djokovic.

Liam Broady also received a wild card into the main draw of the cinch Championships. The British lefty will pursue his first win at the tournament, where he competed in 2012 and 2017.

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Djokovic On Facing Nadal At Roland Garros: 'It's Not Like Any Other Match'

  • Posted: Jun 10, 2021

Beating Matteo Berrettini was one thing. World No. 1 Novak Djokovic knows that ousting 13-time Roland Garros champion Rafael Nadal on Friday in the semi-finals will be an entirely different monster.

“It’s not like any other match. Let’s face it, it’s the biggest challenge that you can have: playing on clay against Nadal, on this court on which he has had so much success in his career, in the final stages of a Grand Slam. It doesn’t get bigger than that,” Djokovic said. “Of course, each time we face each other, there’s that extra tension and expectations. [The] vibes are different walking on the court with him. But that’s why our rivalry has been historic, I think, for this sport. I’ve been privileged to play him so many times.

“[My] rivalries with him and Roger [Federer] have made me a stronger player, allowed me to understand how I need to improve my game to get to the level where they were when I started playing professional tennis. I’ll probably pick Rafa as the biggest rival I’ve ever had in my career.

“The anticipation for the match against him — any match, any surface, any occasion — is always different from any other.”

Djokovic and Nadal have clashed a record 57 times in their legendary ATP Head2Head rivalry. Although the Serbian leads their series 29-28, he is 1-7 against the Spaniard at Roland Garros. That doesn’t scare the top seed, though.

“The quality and the level of tennis that I’ve been playing in the past three, four weeks on clay — [in] Rome, Belgrade and here — is giving me good sensations and feelings ahead of that match,” Djokovic said. “I’m confident. I believe I can win, otherwise I wouldn’t be here. Let’s have a great battle.”

Djokovic is certainly locked into battle mode in Paris. The 2016 titlist fought hard to eliminate Berrettini in four sets. After clinching his victory, Djokovic let out a cathartic roar.

“This match had it all: falls, a crowd, a break. It was a lot of intensity. I just felt under tension the entire time,” Djokovic said. “I felt like I missed some of the chances to end the match in the third set. I didn’t want to give him too many opportunities to dictate the match. That’s why it was just super, super stressful to constantly be under pressure on my service games because his service games were quite smooth with [his] big serve.

“The reaction in the end was just me liberating that tension that was building up for the entire match.”

In their only previous meeting, Djokovic crushed Berrettini 6-2, 6-1 at the 2019 Nitto ATP Finals. The World No. 1 had his hands full in Paris though, needing three hours and 24 minutes to advance.

“The crowd lifted him up. He was playing some really powerful tennis. Especially in the third and fourth, he served tremendously [hard] and precisely. It was just very difficult to read his serve and play someone like him,” Djokovic said. “He’s very talented. He can play well from the back of the court. He’s got a lethal forehand, drop shots… When he’s on, it’s tough to play him.”

The challenge will only get tougher against Nadal.

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Nadal On Facing Djokovic: 'We Are Living The Sport For These Moments'

  • Posted: Jun 10, 2021

Rafael Nadal was delighted to have beaten Diego Schwartzman on Wednesday for a place in the Roland Garros semi-finals, but the 13-time champion realises that an even bigger challenge lies ahead.

When asked about facing World No. 1 Novak Djokovic, the 2016 champion, who the Spanish superstar will face on Friday, Nadal admitted, “It’s always a big challenge. [The] best thing is you know that you need to play your best tennis. It’s a match that you know what you have to do if you really want to have chances to succeed and to keep going on [in] the tournament.

“That’s something that is good, because in some ways we are practising [and] we are living the sport for these moments… The negative thing [is that] it’s difficult because you play against one of the best players in the [sport’s] history.”

Nadal, who beat Schwartzman 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-0 in the quarter-finals, trails Djokovic 28-29 in their legendary ATP Head2Head series. Nadal beat Djokovic for his 10th Internazionali BNL d’Italia crown last month and has not lost to the Serbian star on clay since May 2016 in Rome.

Many commentators have credited facing Nadal at Roland Garros as the hardest challenge in the whole of sport, as the Spaniard has compiled a 105-2 match record at the clay-court major since making his debut in 2005. He is also 26-0 once he reaches the semi-final stage.

Nadal, who recently celebrated his 35th birthday, was humble in his response. “I am not the one to talk about myself,” said Nadal. “I can’t avoid that I have great numbers here [at] Roland Garros… [The fact] that commentators think about me that way is something that I am proud of. It’s an honour for me.

“Of course, the numbers are just amazing. But I can’t think about that now, honestly. Let’s talk about that when I finish my career. Now is a moment to be happy. I won an important match today against a tough opponent. I was able to find a way to play my best tennis in the moments that I really needed to.

“It’s a moment to enjoy today and [I will] try to start preparing for that semi-final in terms of recovery, in terms of practice [a] little bit tomorrow to confirm the good feelings [that I had] at the end of the match.

Nadal is now 23-3 on the season, which includes a record 12th Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell title (d. Tsitsipas).

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Djokovic & Nadal's Roland Garros Rivalry

  • Posted: Jun 09, 2021

Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal have battled more times in their ATP Head2Head rivalry than any players in history. On Friday, they will meet for the ninth time at Roland Garros.

Nadal has dominated the clay-court Grand Slam throughout his career, tallying a jaw-dropping 105-2 record. But one of the two men who has beaten the Spaniard is 2016 champion Djokovic, who will be standing across the net on Court Philippe-Chatier in the semi-finals. 

Thirteen-time titlist Nadal will take a 7-1 lead in their Roland Garros series into the clash. Before the blockbuster showdown, ATPTour.com looks back at their previous meetings on the Parisian terre battue.

2020 Roland Garros Final, clay, Nadal d. Djokovic 6-0, 6-2, 7-5&#x2028
Djokovic won the Internazionali BNL d’Italia leading into Roland Garros, and when he reached the Paris final, the Serbian had a 37-1 record on the 2020 season. But that mattered little to Nadal, who played an extraordinary match to defeat the top seed in two hours and 41 minutes. Nadal had not beaten Djokovic in straight sets at a Grand Slam since the 2008 Roland Garros semi-finals, and this was the Spaniard’s most lopsided win at a major in their rivalry.
Nadal deserves credit for his relentless offence from the baseline. Not only did the lefty crush 31 winners in the match, but he only made 14 unforced errors. The more you go for it, the more often you typically miss. But on Court Philippe-Chatrier, the Spaniard barely missed at all.

Djokovic was trying to win his 18th Grand Slam title and his second trophy at Roland Garros. He could have become the first man in the Open Era to complete two Career Grand Slams, but 52 unforced errors were his undoing.

Nadal

2015 Roland Garros QF, clay, Djokovic d. Nadal 75 63 61
On his seventh attempt, Djokovic finally dethroned nine-time champion Nadal on the red clay of Roland Garros, handing the Spaniard just his second loss in Paris and maintaining his hopes of completing the career Grand Slam.
In one of the most highly anticipated Grand Slam quarter-finals in history, Djokovic raced to a 4-love lead in the first set before sixth-seeded Nadal battled back to level the match. Despite the momentum shift, the Serb would find his footing to claim the first set in 67 minutes. 

Djokovic was dominant on his serve in the second set, claiming 16 of 18 straight service points, before eventually taking a two-set lead. He carried that momentum into the final set, limiting Nadal to just three total forehand winners and claiming victory in two hours and 26 minutes. 

2014 Roland Garros F, clay, Nadal d. Djokovic 36 75 62 64
Nadal prevented Djokovic from completing a career Grand Slam, as he retained his No. 1 Emirates ATP Ranking and became the first player in history to win nine titles at a major. He also drew level with Pete Sampras at No. 2 in the Grand Slam title-leaders list on 14 major crowns.

The Spaniard had lost eight of his past nine sets against Djokovic entering the Roland Garros final, and once again fell behind to start the match as Djokovic broke in the eighth game and survived a pair of break points. Though the winner of the first set had gone on to triumph nine times in their 11 previous Grand Slam meetings, a free-swinging Nadal drew level at a set apiece with a break and quickly raced out to a 3-0 lead in the third. The Serbian found renewed energy in the fourth set, recovering a break in the seventh game, but was unable to hold serve to stay in the match as he double-faulted on championship point.

2013 Roland Garros semi-final, Paris, clay, Nadal d. Djokovic 64 36 61 67(3) 97
Both players were competing for a shot at history. Djokovic was attempting to have a shot at winning his first Roland Garros crown, which would make him the eighth man in tennis history to complete the career Grand Slam. Nadal was going for an eighth title in Paris. Djokovic had dealt Nadal a harsh defeat in their previous meeting at the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters, where he ended the Spaniard’s 46-match winning streak at the event. Did it weigh on Nadal’s mind? The Spaniard was two points from victory when he led 6-5, 30/15 in the fourth set, but he tightened up and Djokovic fought back into contention. Nadal then came back from a 2-4 deficit in the drama-filled fifth set, which lasted 87 minutes, to give the match an enthralling finish. The semi-final last four hours and 37 minutes and kept alive Nadal’s 21-match winning streak. It was only the second five-set match Nadal had played at the major, with the first being a first-round win over John Isner in 2011.

2012 Roland Garros final, Paris, clay, Nadal d. Djokovic 64 63 26 75
The two were meeting for the fourth time at Roland Garros, with Nadal taking their previous three Paris clashes in straight sets. Djokovic was appearing in the final for the first time. In a final that was played over two days due to several rain delays, Nadal hit 34 winners to 29 unforced errors, and led two sets and a break before the Serbian rallied to win eight consecutive games en route to clinching his first set over Nadal at the tournament. He took a 2-1 break lead before play was suspended for the day on 10 June. When played resumed on Monday, Nadal broke back to level at 2-all and went on to wrap up the final victory in three hours and 49 minutes after Djokovic hit his fourth double fault to end the match. Djokovic was looking to become the first man since Rod Laver in 1969 to hold all four Grand Slam championship titles. Nadal improved to 3-0 against Djokovic on clay in 2012.

Nadal

2008 Roland Garros semi-final, Paris, clay, Nadal d. Djokovic 64 62 76(3)
Three-time defending champion Rafael Nadal tightened his grip on the No. 2 spot in the South African Airways ATP Rankings by extending his Roland Garros record to 27-0 with a 6-4, 6-2, 7-6(3) win over No. 3-ranked Novak Djokovic in two hours and 49 minutes. Nadal became the first man since Ivan Lendl from 1984-1987 to reach four consecutive finals, and just the third man in the Open Era to do so. Djokovic was unable to generate any break points on Nadal’s serve throughout the first set and, with his attacking play nullified by great defense from Nadal, he went on to lose the first set 6-4 after 57 minutes. The Spaniard closed out the set 6-2 with a forehand winner after 91 minutes, and put the match out of Djokovic’s reach by going up a double break in the third set. Djokovic fought back and had a chance to win his first set against the Spaniard at Roland Garros when he earned a set point after an effective return in the 12th game. However, Nadal denied him and went on to take the match on the tie-break.

2007 Roland Garros semi-finals, Paris, clay, Nadal d. Djokovic 75 64 62
Both started the semifinal as the only ATP players to have broken the 40-win plateau on the season. Novak Djokovic, a first-time Grand Slam semifinalist, challenged Rafael Nadal in the 66-minute first set as he came from down two breaks to get back on serve at five games all. But Nadal promptly closed the set as he won the next two games. Djokovic had an opportunity to take the 2-0 lead in the next set, but Nadal saved three break points and never looked back. He converted on three of his remaining four break chances in the match to cement the 7-5, 6-4, 6-2 win in two hours and 28 minutes. The Spaniard went on to become the second player in Roland Garros history (since 1925) to win three consecutive titles in Paris.

2006 Roland Garros quarter-finals, Paris, clay, Nadal d. Djokovic 64 64 ret. (thigh, back)
Defending champion Rafael Nadal struggled with his serve, but Novak Djokovic was never 100 per cent fit and attempted to keep the points short throughout his maiden Grand Slam quarterfinal. Nadal, who led Djokovic 6-4, 6-4, notched his 58th consecutive clay-court victory when the World No. 63 retired with a back and thigh injury after one hour and 54 minutes. Nadal extended his perfect Roland Garros record to 12-0 and stood two wins away from a century of career wins (98-12) on crushed brick.

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