RAFA REIGN IS SAVED MAINLY BY THE, ER, RAIN

RAFA NADAL faces a fight to stay in the French Open today after dropping his first set at Roland Garros for three years to Diego Schwartzman. The 10-time champion – who had treatment to have both his wrists strapped – was a set and a break down to the No.11 seed before rain stopped play for the first time. When play resumed for 17 minutes, Nadal (left) won 16 out of 22 points to lead 5-3 in the second set before play was called off. The Argentine won the first set 6-4 to end the Spaniard’s remarkable run of winning 37 consecutive sets in the claycourt Grand Slam, stretching back to 2015 when he lost to Novak Djokovic.

Nadal has only ever lost one other match at Roland Garros – to Robin Soderling in 2009.

Schwartzman is seeking his first Grand Slam semi-final.

The match between Juan Martin del Potro and Marin Cilic is locked at 5-5 in a first-set tiebreak.

Garbine Muguruza will play Simona Halep for the No.1 spot in the semi-finals today after the Spaniard destroyed Maria Sharapova (below). Muguruza broke serve six times as she beat the five-time Major champion 6-2 6-1 in only 70 minutes. Sharapova said: “I think she did a lot of things better than I did.” Halep beat Angelique Kerber 6-7 6-3 6-2. Sloane Stephens faces Madison Keys in the other semi. And former British No.2 Dan Evans, returning from a drugs ban, beat Mats Moraing at the Surbiton Trophy to set up a quarter-final against Jurgen Melzer.