Nadal has another mountain to climb

PARIS - After the high of beating arch-rival Novak Djokovic, Rafa Nadal heads into his French Open semi-final against Germany’s Alexander Zverev today aiming to keep alive his bid for a record-extending 22nd Grand Slam title

The Spaniard’s biggest hurdle in his quest for a record 14th title at Roland Garros was defending champion Djokovic but Nadal overcame the world number one in a vintage quarter-final.

Zverev will have a chance to spoil the birthday party for Nadal, who turns 36 on Friday, and victory for the third seed would keep the Olympic champion on course for a maiden major title and the chance to climb to the top of the rankings.

In the second semi-final on Court Philippe Chatrier, 2014 U.S. Open champion Marin Cilic and eighth seed Casper Ruud of Norway will slug it out for a maiden final place at Roland Garros.

Victory over the 33-year-old Cilic would make Ruud the first player from Norway to reach a Grand Slam singles final.

Nadal holds a 6-3 head-to-head record against the 25-year-old Zverev with the Spaniard winning four out of five times they have met on clay.

The left-hander, who won the Australian Open in January for a record 21st major title, will be fully focused.

“I am not the kind of guy and player that emotionally goes high and low. I am very stable, I think, emotionally,” Nadal said.

Zverev, who reached the 2020 U.S. Open final, beat a first top-10 opponent at a Grand Slam in 12 attempts when he took down Spanish teenager Carlos Alcaraz, ranked sixth, in the quarter-finals. “At the end of the day, I said a lot of times, I’m not 20 or 21 years old anymore; I’m 25 and I am at the stage where I want to win.”