Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Nadal beats del Potro, faces Thiem for No. 11
PARIS » Under pressure at the outset, Rafael Nadal already had cast aside three break points in his French Open semifinal’s third game when, at 4-all, Juan Martin del Potro held another three.
If Nadal’s march toward an 11th championship at Roland Garros was going to be stopped on this day, things were going to have to go del Potro’s way right then. Both men knew that full well.
“That,” del Potro would say later, “was my chance.”
Ah, but there’s a reason Nadal is 11-0 in semifinals at the French Open, a reason he is 10-0 in finals there — so far. He doesn’t cede a thing and he doesn’t let up. Nadal saved that second trio of break points Friday, held there, then broke in the next game to grab that set. It was part of a run in which he claimed 14 of the last 17 games to overwhelm the No. 5-seeded del Potro 6-4, 6-1, 6-2 and earn yet another spot in the title match at Court Philippe Chatrier.
In Sunday’s final, Nadal will face No. 7 Dominic Thiem, a 24-year-old Austrian who is the only man to beat him on red clay over the past two seasons.
“He’s a big favorite against everybody,” said Thiem, who reached his first Grand Slam final by ending the run of 72nd-ranked Marco Cecchinato of Italy 7-5, 7-6 (10), 6-1. “Still, I know how to play against him. I have a plan.”
Surely, so did del Potro. That crucial early juncture altered the course of things, though. What went through Nadal’s mind right then?
“Just thinking in a positive way and just thinking that I have to hold. ‘I can’t LOOKAHEAD TO SATURDAY Simona Halep needs no reminding of her record in major finals: 0-3. The top-seeded Romanian lost the Australian Open final in January and last year’s French Open final, having also lost the clay-court tournament final at Roland Garros in 2014. Her opponent in Saturday’s latest final is 10th-seeded American Sloane Stephens, who has a 100 percent record in major finals after winning last year’s U.S. Open final. But Stephens has found it tough going against Halep, who has won five of their seven previous matches — including the past four. Halep has also won both encounters played on clay in straight sets, including beating Stephens in the fourth round here in 2014. However, Halep is not reading too much into her impressive record against Stephens. “I don’t want to think
give him the game. If he wins the game, OK. But I will not give (it to) him,”’ Nadal said. “That’s the only way for me to approach the tough moments.”
Truth is, there were not many the rest of the way, as about that ... it’s a different match, different situation,” she said. “But I believe in my chance. I believe I have the game to win.” SATURDAY’S FORECAST Sunny with risk of storms. High of 78 degrees FRIDAY’S RESULTS Men’s semifinals: No. 1 Rafael Nadal beat No. 5 Juan Martin del Potro 6-4, 6-1, 6-2. No. 7 Dominic Thiem beat Marco Cecchinato 5-7, 7-6 (10), 6-1. STAT OF THE DAY 85-2: Ten-time French Open champion Nadal’s phenomenal career record so far at Roland Garros. QUOTE OF THE DAY “When you don’t take your chances against the No. 1 in the world, you’re in trouble.” — Del Potro, after missing six break points in a tight first set against Nadal.
Nadal finished with 35 winners and just 19 unforced errors.
“I couldn’t play my best because of him,” said del Potro, the 2009 U.S. Open champion. “His game is too good for me.”