Nadal weathers the storm
World No. 1 rallies past Schwartzman to set Del Potro clash
Rafael Nadal battled back from a set down to beat Diego Schwartzman 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 in their rain-interrupted French Open quarter-final yesterday, edging closer to an 11th title in Paris.
The world No. 1 was muchimproved under the sunshine on Court Philippe Chatrier after finding life difficult in damp conditions the night before, finally seeing off dogged Argentinian Schwartzman on his fourth match point.
Nadal will face Juan Martin del Potro, the fifth-seeded Argentine, in the semi-finals.
“It was a very difficult match, Diego is a good friend and a good player,” said the 16-time Grand Slam champion.
“After the stop for rain, I played more aggressively and I’m very happy to be back in the semi-finals here.”
It is the 11th time the 32-year-old Spaniard has reached the French Open last four, becoming only the third man in history to achieve the feat at a Grand Slam tournament, after Jimmy Connors at the US Open and Roger Federer at Wimbledon and the Australian Open.
Nadal returned to the court midway through serving to level the match after bad weather ended play early on Wednesday evening.
The struggle she faced on Wednesday in losing a set at Roland Gar ros for the first time since 2015 were put to bed during the second day of the match, as he broke 11th seed Schwartzman’s serve four times in the final two sets to ease through. Del Potro returned to the French Open semi-finals for the first time since 2009 by defeating Marin Cilic 7-6, 5-7, 6-3, 7-5 in another match held over from Wednesday night.
Del Potro fought back tears during his post-match interview and was loudly cheered by fans at Court Suzanne Lenglen.
“It’s tough to speak now,” the fifth-seeded Argentine player said. “It has been a long time without good feelings. I had three surgeries on my left wrist. I was close to quit.
“I don’t know if I will win, but I will take a big love from you and that’s the most important for me,” he said.
See-saw battle
In 2009, Del Potro lost to Roger Federer in the French Open semifinals. He went on to win the US Open the same year by defeating Federer in the final.
Play resumed on a sunny Court Suzanne Lenglen with the towering fifth and third seeds locked at 5-5 in the first set tiebreak.
Del Potro needed only two points to pocket the first set as Cilic blinked first, netting a routine forehand a 5-6.
The second set, like the first, was dominated by serve until Cilic fired himself up to break at 4-4 — a furious Del Potro throwing his racket at the changeover.
Croatian Cilic played an awful game when serving for the set, making four unforced errors, but he was gifted another chance to serve for the set after breaking Del Potro again and at the second time of asking he levelled the match.
Del Potro dipped at the start of the third and Cilic had points for a double break but the burly Argentine, roared on by chants of “Delpo Delpo” recovered his drive to hit back from 0-2 and take the third set.
Former Roland Garros junior
champion Cilic, bidding to reach the semi-finals for the first time after falling in the last eight 12 months ago, kept his nose in front in the fourth.
He buckled at 5-5 though and sent a backhand long on break point, leaving Del Potro to serve for the match, which he did with ease as Cilic sent three more backhands out.
In the women’s draw, No. 1 seed Simona Halep saw off third seed Garbine Muguruza 6-1, 6-4 to book her place in the final.
The Romanian world No. 1 will face Sloane Stephens in the showpiece match after she defeated fellow American Madison Keys 6-4, 6-4 last night.
Halep’s victory over Muguruza also means she will retain the world No. 1 ranking.
“I am really happy that I won the match, it was very important for my mind and I gave it all I had,” said Romanian star Halep.
After racing through the first set, Halep saved three break points in a marathon ninth game of the second which lasted 13 minutes.
“I think I played one of my best matches on clay against a great opponent,” added Halep, who will be appearing in her fourth final at the majors having also been beaten in Australia in January.
“I was 2-4 down in the second set but I knew I had to fight for every ball, push her back and play the way I did in the first set.”