The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Old foe in way as Nadal aims for 13
Rafael Nadal gained revenge on Diego Schwartzman to reach his 13 th French Open final. Schwar tzman had managed his first victory over Nadal in 10 meetings at the Italian Open in Rome last month but a repeat never looked on the cards in the Spaniard’s fortress.
Nadal’s 6-3 6-3 7-6 (7-0) victory made it 99 wins and only two defeats at Roland Garros and he will take on old foe Novak Djokovic for the 56th time as he seeks a 13th title tomorrow.
Victory would give Nadal a 20th grand slam crown, drawing him level with Roger Federer at the top of the all-time list, and few would bet against him.
He was relentless for two and a half se ts but a faltering finish will be a cause for optimism for Djokovic , who came through in five sets after a spirited fightback by Stefanos Tsitsipas.
From 4-2, Nadal’s grip on the match loosened and he had to save three break points at 5-5 before clinching the match on a tie- break to ensure he reached the final in Paris without dropping a set for the sixth time.
Djokovic looked to be easing to a relativelystraightforward victory when he served for the match at 5-4 in the third set only for Tsitsipas to save a match point and turn the contest around.
But Djokovic , who showed no signs of the neck and arm problems that bothered him in his quar ter- final win over Pablo Carreno Busta, did not panic and reasserted control in the decider to win 6-3 6-2 5-7 4-6 6-1 after three hours and 54 minutes.
The comeback was no more than Ts i t s i p a s deserved after two sets that were nowhere near as onesided as the scoreline suggests.
The 22-year-old Greek had five break points in the first set – four in the opening game – to Djokovic’s one, but it was the top seed who came out on top.
Ts i t s i p a s l o o ke d the better player in the early stages of the second, too, only for Djokovic to withstand the pressure and reel off five games in a row.
A missed backhand down the line on match point from Djokovic gave Tsitsipas a lifeline and he seized the momentum to level the match at two sets all.
H o w e v e r, a weary Tsitsipas found nothing left in the tank in the final set and, at the end of an unpredictable fortnight, the world’s two best players are ready to do battle on the biggest stage.
Djokovic leads the headto29-26 but Nadal has won six of their seven previous matches at Roland Garros, including both finals.
Iga Swiatek knows time is on her side but she has rushed towards the top of the game at Roland Garros this fortnight.
She can cap one most impressive of the grand
slam runs by a teenager in recent years by defeating Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin in the women’s final today to lift her maiden trophy.
Swiatek, 19, has lost just 23 games in six matches, including a 6-1 6-2 victory against top seed Simona Halep in the fourth round.
“I feel like I’m ready,” said the Pole, who saw her chances of a title double disappear with defeat alongside Nicole Melichar in the women’s doubles semi-finals yesterday.
“I also feel like I don’t have to win. I’m pretty OK with both scenarios.
“Of course it’s going to be sad because I would be so close if I’m going to lose. I’m just going to focus like it’s another match.
“I feel like the pressure isn’t on me. Right now I’m just enjoying that I have a great run in singles.
“I think if I’m going to win, it’s going to be crazy and super overwhelming for me.”
Kenin has had to battle through the draw but has been able to find the answers and carries the extra confidence of knowing she already has a slam title in her pocket.
Speaking about Swiatek, Kenin said: “Of course, she’s playing some great tennis, having great results. That obviously doesn’ t mean a ny t h i n g if I’m playing well.
“She’s playing really well. I’m hoping that, with my e xp e r i en c e f r om Melbourne, it will help me for Saturday’s final.”
Alfie Hewett and Scot Gordon Reid made it a full house of grand slam titles in 2020 with victory in the men’s wheelchair doubles at the French Open.
A 7-6 (7-4) 1-6 10-3 victory over Argentinian Gustavo Fernandez and Shingo Kunieda of Japan saw Hewett and Reid add to their trophies in Melbourne and New York and make it four slam titles in a row overall.