That’s the sem-final line-up of Roland Garros. Not a very surprising one either, three top players in the world and I would put Ferrer as number 4 when it comes to clay court tennis (#6 in the overall rankings).
We start tomorrow’s play with Nadal vs Ferrer. Like I wrote in my previous post, Nadal looks absolutely unbeatable. He’s moving fantastically, the courts are slower which allows him time to chase down everything and the extra time also benefits the giant swing on his forehand. I would love to see a stat on how many winners vs unforced errors he has off that wing during the French Open 2012. If he has any unforced errors.
Ferrer is steely resistance, the guy that never tires, he who runs down everything, who always makes the opponent hit another shot. He is worthy of much admiration, but against the likes of Nadal, Federer, Djokovic – he lacks the power game to really give them nightmares. it’s a shame because it would have made the match far more interesting if it was more open, but I suspect Ferrer will make one set close and the other two rather straightforward.
Federer and Djokovic played the best match of last year’s championships. It was a captivating affair which Federer managed to win in four sets. They have both struggled on the way to the semis and I wouldn’t expect them to bring last year’s quality tomorrow. But I would expect them to give their all when it comes to fighting and the most exciting aspect will likely be the mental and physical struggle, not the shotmaking.
In the end I have a feeling Djokovic will feel heavier by the weight of a possible Novak slam, four grand slam tournaments in a row and I think it will block him from reaching his top level. On the other hand, Federer, feeling that Djokovic is the favorite, can play relaxed and go for his shots a bit more. It will be tight, but in the end I’d say Federer in four, exactly like last year, but possibly with less brilliance.
This leads to another Fedal, where I really only can see one winner. Read my previous post for who I think that is.
