Roger Federer

Following Friday's draw, excitement is beginning to build for one of the sporting spectacles of the summer, with Wimbledon getting underway in earnest on Monday.

Novak Djokovic begins the defence of his title with the tournament's opening match on Centre Court, where he will face Philipp Kohlschreiber. Meanwhile, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer are in the same half of the bracket, and they face Yuichi Sugita and Lloyd Harris, respectively, in Round 1.

In the women's draw, 2018 winner Angelique Kerber will start off against Tatjana Maria. Elsewhere, French Open champion and new world No. 1 Ashleigh Barty will meet Zheng Saisai, with Serena Williams beginning her bid for a 24th Grand Slam title against Giulia Gatto-Monticone.

                 

Coverage Information

In the United Kingdom, the feature matches can be watched on BBC One and Two, while selected games are available via the red button. The action can be streamed via BBC iPlayer.

In the United States, play will be shown on ESPN and the Tennis Channel. Streams are available via ESPN Player and Tennis Channel Everywhere.

The Wimbledon website offers full details on the broadcast services available.

               

Preview

Wimbledon has a unique seeding method for the competition and for the 2019 tournament. For example, Nadal has been seeded third behind Federer despite holding a higher world ranking than the Swiss.

Nadal, the world No. 2, said the decision "doesn't seem fair," and he is guaranteed to meet one of Djokovic or Federer in the semi-finals should all three players perform as expected.

However, the 18-time Grand Slam champion can't allow himself to think too far ahead, as he's been handed a potentially testing route to the final at SW19. The ATP Tour detailed the numerous challenges he will have to overcome if he's to win a third Wimbledon title:

Third seed @RafaelNadal is in the third quarter of the draw.

His projected @Wimbledon draw (based on seedings). ✏️

🎾 R1: Sugita
🎾 R2: Kyrgios
🎾 R3: [29] Shapovalov
🎾 R4: [13] Cilic
🎾 QF: [5] Thiem
🎾 SF: [2] Federer
🎾 F: [1] Djokovic pic.twitter.com/HvrVKuQwRr

— ATP Tour (@atptour) June 28, 2019

Tennis journalist Simon Cambers thinks it will be tough for Nadal:

Absolute nightmare of a draw for Rafael Nadal

— Simon Cambers (@scambers73) June 28, 2019

One of the standout matches in Nadal's possible run to the final is the Round 2 clash with the enigmatic Nick Kyrgios. The latter burst on to the scene with a thrilling four-set win over the Spaniard in 2014 at Wimbledon, although aside from a few flashes of genius, the Australian has failed to build on that breakthrough.

Djokovic will be content with his draw and is clearly pleased to be back:

Ahh we’re backkk!!! Most sacred court in the world 😃😍😎🎾🕺🏻🙌🏼🇬🇧 #Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/Z9GfHM1xpx

— Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) June 27, 2019

In the women's draw, it will be fascinating to see how Barty handles the extra pressure of being the top seed, having leaped to the summit of the world rankings after her French Open success earlier in the year.

Her game will come in for a serious examination on the grass courts, though. Per George Bellshaw of Metro, there are a number of high-profile players and former Wimbledon winners in the Australian's quarter:

https://twitter.com/BellshawGeorge/status/1144538191464140800

It means Williams will also have to raise her levels if she's to clinch a first Grand Slam since her Australian Open success in 2017. She's not played since a loss to Sofia Kenin at the French Open on June 1, either.

But the story of the opening round may involve Serena's sister, Venus Williams. In Cori Gauff, she will be facing a player 24 years her junior in Round 1:

Five observations from the Wimbledon draw this morning:

- Cori Gauff (15) vs Venus Williams (39)
- Potential Nadal vs Kyrgios second round
- Kind draws all round for the Brits
- Murray brothers could meet in third round
- Very strong top women's quarterhttps://t.co/IUutmhPerR

— Stuart Fraser (@stu_fraser) June 28, 2019

While there's been plenty of focus on Nadal and Federer in the buildup to the tournament, Djokovic will be the man to beat again at SW19 this year.

The women's draw is wide-open, although a number of contenders will be eliminated in the brutal quarter containing Kerber, Williams and Barty. That will open things up for Naomi Osaka, who will be determined to perform well after her disappointing display at the French Open.

The 2019 Wimbledon Championships gets under way on Monday in south-west London with Novak Djokovic and Angelique Kerber as defending champions.

The first-round draw for the world's most historic tennis tournament took place on Friday and saw Djokovic paired with veteran Philipp Kohlschreiber, while Kerber will face fellow German Tatjana Maria.

Roger Federer will start his campaign for a ninth title on the Wimbledon grass against 22-year-old Lloyd Harris, and Rafael Nadal was handed an opening match against Japanese qualifier Yuichi Sugita. Nick Kyrgios could await the Spaniard in the second round:

A bit of a nightmare projected draw for Nadal 👇

R1: Sugita
R2: Kyrgios
R3: Shapovalov/Tsonga
R4: Cilic
QF: Thiem
SF: Federer
F: Djokovic

😅 #Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/FYo1VjWjF3

— Ladbrokes (@Ladbrokes) June 28, 2019

Serena Williams, meanwhile, will play her first match since the French Open against Italy's Giulia Gatto-Monticone. 

Tennis commentator Jose Morgado provided the draws in full:

Full Singles draws.#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/wM7LeQCnxG

— José Morgado (@josemorgado) June 28, 2019

Throughout the tournament, play on Centre Court and No. 1 Court will begin at 1 p.m. BST (8 a.m. ET), with other courts starting from 11:30 a.m. BST (6:30 a.m. ET), with no play scheduled for Sunday, July 7.

For the competition's final weekend (Saturday, July 13, and Sunday, July 14), the action will start from 2 p.m. BST (9 a.m. ET) on Centre Court and an hour earlier on No. 1 Court.

The full schedule can be found at Wimbledon's official website.

                       

Preview

Djokovic, Nadal and Federer remain the three major contenders for the Wimbledon title in 2019, and it is difficult to see anyone else lifting the famous trophy come the tournament's second Sunday.

Despite all now being in their thirties, the trio has won all of the last 10 Grand Slams between them, and 14 of the last 16 Wimbledon titles—the absent Andy Murray won the other two.

The new generation simply do not yet have an obvious contender. Dominic Thiem made the French Open final for the second year running earlier this month, but grass is not his surface. He has only once made it past the second round at Wimbledon.

Meanwhile, Alexander Zverev and Stefanos Tsitsipas are both hugely talented, but neither has made a Grand Slam final yet in their careers.

Out of the top three contenders, No. 3 seed Nadal is arguably an underdog despite winning the French Open.

He faces a tough route to the final, and his recent record on grass is relatively poor:

#Wimbledon formula bumping Federer over Nadal is getting attention. Can't say I object to whatsoever.

Nadal has only made one (1) grass court final in the last eight years, which was at ATP 250 Stuttgart in 2015. Federer has made thirteen (13) grass finals in that stretch.

— Ben Rothenberg (@BenRothenberg) June 26, 2019

The last time he won Wimbledon was back in 2010, since when Djokovic has won four titles and Federer two, and it would be no surprise to see the Serb and the Swiss face off in this year's final as seeds No. 1 and No. 2.

The women's draw is much more open and unpredictable. Some of the top picks for the title include French Open champion and world No. 1 Ashleigh Barty, U.S. and Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka, defending champion Kerber, seven-time winner Williams, two-time champion Petra Kvitova, or even home favourite Johanna Konta.

Since the start of 2017, there have been nine different winners of the 10 Grand Slam championships, with only Osaka winning twice.

Williams' dominance has declined somewhat, but it would be foolish to bet against her on a surface she loves and at a tournament she has enjoyed so much success at.

The legendary American is just one more Grand Slam triumph from matching Margaret Court's record of 24 titles, a huge motivator for the 37-year-old.

Her invincible aura has faded, though. Kerber beat her in last year's Wimbledon final, as did Osaka at the 2018 U.S. Open final. 

Barty's confidence will be at an all-time high after her Roland-Garros victory, and as the top seed, she is the one to beat.

The 23-year-old Australian remains in fine form having won the Birmingham Classic last week to take the world No. 1 spot, and she will open her Wimbledon campaign against China's Zheng Saisai.   

Rafael Nadal dispatched Dominic Thiem in four sets to secure his 12th career French Open championship and landed himself a hefty paycheck in the process.

Nadal joined Ashleigh Barty as the tournament's 2019 winners; Barty defeated Marketa Vondrousova for the women's title.

For both men and women, the 2019 tournament featured a record purse of $14 million with the winner receiving $2.62 million of it. WTA Tennis shared the complete list of payouts for the players, which are identical for the competitions.

Nadal's payday is the reward for a 6-3, 5-7, 6-1, 6-1 triumph Sunday. The Spaniard collected his 18th major singles title, which is the second-most in men's history behind Roger Federer.

The moment @RafaelNadal made it TWELVE @rolandgarros titles...

He's now 93-2 (!!! 🤯 !!!) at the French Open #RG19 pic.twitter.com/XAv8b4zNab

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) June 9, 2019

Barty, meanwhile, celebrated her first Grand Slam singles title and became the first Australian to win the French Open since Margaret Court did so 46 years ago in 1973.

Now ranked second in the world, Barty had a tremendous day on the clay and cruised to a 6-1, 6-3 domination.

"It is unbelievable. I'm a little speechless," Barty said Saturday, per Jonathan Jurejko of BBC Sport. "I played almost the perfect match."

Thiem and Vondrousova, despite the disappointment of losing in the final, may leave satisfied with $1.34 million. WTP notes the runner-up received a 5.36 percent raise compared to the 2018 tournament when Thiem also fell to Nadal.

The semifinalists―which featured Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer on the men's side and Johanna Konta and 17-year-old American Amanda Anisimova―landed a $662,000 check.

Granted, this is a case where a six-figure prize isn't always soothing. Djokovic wasn't pleased about the context of his exit.

"Obviously when you're playing in hurricane kind of conditions, you know, it's hard to perform your best," the 2016 French Open champion said, according to Luigi Gatto of Tennis World.

Nevertheless, he lasted one round longer than a group of quarterfinalists that included Stan Wawrinka, Alexander Zverev, Simona Halep and Sloane Stephens. They earned $466,000 apiece.

Players who reached the round of 16 each collected $273,000, followed by $143,000 for third-round exits. Those defeated in the first and second rounds received $52,000 and $98,000, respectively.

           

Follow Bleacher Report writer David Kenyon on Twitter @Kenyon19_BR.

The king returned to his domain once again and asserted that he was not about to abdicate his throne anytime soon.

The king is Rafael Nadal, and his kingdom is the French Open in Paris. Nadal earned the 12th French Open title of his career Sunday with a 6-3, 5-7, 6-1, 6-1 triumph over 25-year-old Dominic Thiem.

When the challenger had the audacity to push the 33-year-old Nadal in the first set and steal the second, the champion stepped up his game to a spectacular level and nearly blanked Thiem the rest of the way.

Nadal swept through seven matches in France, losing one set to 27th-seed David Goffin in the third round and another to Thiem in the final round. His other five victories were all straight-set victories.

"I work hard, and I hold the passion for what I am doing," Nadal told NBC tennis analyst John McEnroe in explaining his dominance in Paris. "I have been going through some tough moments over the last 18 months with a lot of injuries and a lot of issues. I have had low moments. I have been able to keep going and keep working and making small improvements.

"My game adapts very well to this surface. The key is to play with passion."

Thiem had a brilliant tournament, as he defeated Novak Djokovic in a five-set semifinal match, before meeting Nadal in the title round.

"My level of play was really high in the first and second set, but after that Rafa stepped on me," Thiem told McEnroe after the match. "I gave it everything I had, and it was not enough."

Nadal was able to dominate the game with his precise serve. He won 78 of 106 points on his first serve (73 percent) and 18 of 28 points (64 percent) on his second serve, per RolandGarros.com. Thiem's serve was more vulnerable, as the challenger won 37 of 64 points on his first serve (57 percent) and 14 of 28 on his second serve (50 percent)

Thiem also made 38 unforced errors, while Nadal had 31.

                 

Wimbledon predictions

Tennis has its Big Three in Nadal, Djokovic and Roger Federer, and it would be a notable surprise if one of those players did not win at Wimbledon this summer.

The sport has rising young stars in Thiem and Alexander Zverev. They will eventually take over from the Big Three, but it will not be this year.

Federer is 37 years old, and that has to be a factor for the eight-time Wimbledon champion. His last title came in 2017, and while he is in remarkable shape, it may be difficult for him to get the best of Djokovic or Nadal.

Federer is the crowd favorite in nearly every tournament that he plays, and never more so than Wimbledon. The crowd has embraced him for years, and that should give him a boost.

Nadal whipped Federer in straight sets in Paris, and that will motivate Federer if the two players meet in London. That should be a five-set match, and Nadal will come out on top.

Djokovic is the top-ranked player in the ATP, and he will almost certainly be the No. 1 seed at Wimbledon. That's significant because it means he will have to play Federer or Nadal, and not both. That's a huge advantage.

Look for Djokovic to beat Nadal in the championship match. That will give him five Wimbledon titles, and it will cement his status as the No. 1 player in the world.

Rafael Nadal continued his dominance at Roland-Garros, defeating Dominic Thiem in four sets to win the 2019 French Open.

The victory marked the Spaniard's third straight French Open title and 12th overall at the famed clay courts. Nadal has now defeated Thiem in consecutive years, too.

After winning the first set 6-3 and losing the second 7-5, Nadal took control of the match. His 6-1, 6-1 finish left no doubt of the superior player for Sunday's showdown in Paris.

At the awards ceremony for the French Open, Rafael Nadal said to Dominic Thiem: “You’re a good person, and that’s the most important thing...Thanks for being a good example to young people everywhere.”

— Juliet Macur (@JulietMacur) June 9, 2019

Thiem simply had no answer for Nadal once he was more aggressive at the net during the last two sets.

Of course, some shots were just untouchable.

Finding another level.

Nadal inching closer to that 12th Roland-Garros title...#RG19 pic.twitter.com/4VFOzQffNP

— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 9, 2019

Unfortunately for the Austrian, self-inflicted mistakes only compounded Nadal's excellence. Thiem grew frustrated as the match progressed, continually making unforced errors.

The fourth set was full of such errors, including match point.

https://twitter.com/MattRacquet/status/1137739770048761856

Despite a Nadal title on the clay basically feeling inevitable, he still dropped to the ground in pure elation.

23 wins in a row at Roland-Garros…@RafaelNadal wins his 12th title in Paris 6-3 5-7 6-1 6-1 over Dominic Thiem.

🎾 https://t.co/uLebPf6COb#RG19 pic.twitter.com/yEoAq1ghdE

— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 9, 2019

Nadal's career record at Roland-Garros is sensational, and it's only getting more impressive by the year. In addition to improving to 93-2 for his career at the French Open, he set an all-encompassing record for titles.

Though the conclusions can seem quite forgone, more emotion from Nadal than usual after that win.

His invincibility here can be taken for granted, but winning the French Open 12 times is hard, y’all! #RG19

— Ben Rothenberg (@BenRothenberg) June 9, 2019

Nadal shared high praise for his counterpart after the match.

As Nadal celebrates his 18th career Grand Slam victory, he now trails Roger Federer by just two for the most singles titles ever.

            

Follow Bleacher Report writer David Kenyon on Twitter @Kenyon19_BR.

Rafael Nadal is the King of Paris once again after winning his 12th French Open title Sunday with his impressive 6-3, 5-7, 6-1, 6-1 triumph over Dominic Thiem in the championship round.

However, can Nadal's dominance on the red clay translate to a victory on the speedy grass surface at Wimbledon? The London tournament is almost always the high point of the tennis year, ranking a slight but significant edge over the other three Grand Slam tournaments in Australia, France and the United States.

Nadal has the skill set to win in London, but he has not performed at anything close to the level of dominance he has set for himself in Paris. He has won twice at Wimbledon, but his last title was in 2010.

He will face intense competition from the best players in the world who will want to stop him and claim the title for themselves.

Nadal will have to be prepared for the usual suspects, meaning Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer. However, Alexander Zverev and Thiem, as well as a number of other players like Kevin Anderson, Juan Martin del Potro, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Kei Nishikori could rise up and play their best matches against Nadal and keep him from winning in London.

Djokovic, not Nadal, was the top seed in Paris, and he will almost certainly have the same pre-tournament assessment in London.

Djokovic is the ATP's top-ranked player, and the 32-year-old has a 23-5 record in 2019 with two tournament victories and more than $5 million in prize money earned.

Djokovic has won 55 percent of all points played this year, including an impressive 56 percent of second-service returns. He has converted 50 percent of the 222 break-point opportunities he has faced.

The Serbian superstar has won at Wimbledon four times in his career, including last year's championship.

No player gets the love and respect from the Wimbledon crowd like Roger Federer. He has been a dominant player there throughout his career, winning eight championships. His most recent came in 2017, and while he is 37 years old, he is still a competitive player with outstanding conditioning.

Roger Federer is the smoothest man on the planet 😮 pic.twitter.com/UsC1juHbOn

— ESPN UK (@ESPNUK) June 8, 2019

Federer is the third-ranked player, according to the ATP standings, and he has to be motivated to get another shot at Nadal after losing in three sets in Paris to Nadal in the semifinal round.

Federer has a 22-3 record in 2019 with two tournament titles and more than $3 million in prize money. He has excelled in all areas of his game throughout his career, and his 93 percent success rate on his own serve this year is noteworthy.

Thiem, 25, is the fourth-ranked player in the world, and he is coming off a strong performance in Paris that saw him defeat Djokovic in five sets in the semifinal round. He was able to win the second set against Nadal in the championship match, and that was no small feat.

However, after winning the second set, Nadal turned it up a couple of notches and dispatched Thiem without a problem.

Zverev is another player deserving of strong consideration because the 22-year-old German has been improving quite a bit. He has a 19-10 record this season with one tournament victory to his credit, and he has earned nearly $900,000.

                   

Prediction

Nadal is at the peak of his game. He overpowered Federer and dominated Thiem in winning the semifinal and final rounds in Paris.

He should have the confidence needed to play his best tennis at Wimbledon. However, he is likely to have to go through Federer and Djokovic if he is going to win the title since he will either be the No. 2 or No. 3 seed. 

A match against Federer is probable for the semifinal, and Djokovic would be his likely championship-round opponent.

Grass is not his preferred surface, and while he will sell out to win, he will not get through both of them. Federer will push Nadal to five sets in the semifinal, and while he will survive that match, Djokovic will get the best of him in the championship round.

Nadal will lose with the title on the line at Wimbledon.

Rafael Nadal has booked his spot in the men's final of the 2019 French Open, while Marketa Vondrousova and Ashleigh Barty advanced to the women's final during Friday's action.

Nadal easily dispatched of Roger Federer, winning in three sets, while Novak Djokovic and Dominic Thiem were tied at a set apiece when play was suspended due to poor weather conditions.

In the women's draw, Barty came back from one set down to Amanda Anisimova, and Vondrousova survived a close battle with Johanna Konta.

Here are the full results:

Men's Draw

(2) Rafael Nadal bt. (3) Roger Federer: 6-3, 6-4, 6-2

(1) Novak Djokovic vs. (4) Dominic Thiem: 2-6, 6-3, 1-3, SUSPENDED

       

Women's Draw

(8) Ashleigh Barty bt. Amanda Anisimova: 6-7 (4), 6-3, 6-3

Marketa Vondrousova bt. (26) Johanna Konta: 7-5, 7-6 (2)

     

Even heavy winds couldn't slow down Nadal's tremendous Roland-Garros form on Friday, as the Spaniard added a 22nd straight win to his remarkable streak:

22 not out!@RafaelNadal secures a 6-3 6-4 6-2 win over rival Federer, and his 22nd match win in a row at Roland-Garros…

🎾 https://t.co/nKZ3xJ2F6o#RG19 pic.twitter.com/zIMYOPkEWN

— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 7, 2019

He maintains a perfect record against his Swiss rival on the French clay:

Nadal at the #FrenchOpen: Automatic.

He improves to 6-0 against Federer all time at Roland Garros after a 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 win to reach the final. pic.twitter.com/MsxrTk9lvt

— SI Tennis (@SI_Tennis) June 7, 2019

Federer had been in excellent form throughout the tournament, and he made few mistakes on Friday. Nadal was always a step faster, however, and he dominated the longer rallies from the baseline.

The 37-year-old Federer had relied on a steady diet of aggressive serving to get to this stage, and the strong winds made such a tactic far more difficult. It only added to the challenge, and at no point did he appear likely to upset the King of Clay.

The second match of the men's draw was expected to be more competitive, and the conditions played an even bigger role.

While Thiem did a solid job dealing with the wind, Djokovic was visibly upset from the opening game, calling on the supervisor before the end of the first set:

Djokovic has supervisor on court.

— Carole Bouchard 💜💛 (@carole_bouchard) June 7, 2019

And supervisor tells him that yes they're gonna have to play in that tornado

— Carole Bouchard 💜💛 (@carole_bouchard) June 7, 2019

He recovered in the second set, bagging a break of his own after a first delay due to rain. The rain returned in the third set, right after a crucial break for Thiem, and despite what appeared to be improving conditions, the organisers opted to suspend play for the day.

Vondrousova continued her remarkable run through the tournament, becoming the first teenager to reach the final in Paris in over a decade:

Marketa Vondrousova comes back from a break down in both sets to beat Jo Konta 7-5, 7-6(2) and reach at #RG19 her first Grand Slam final.

First teenager to reach a final in Paris since 2007 (Ivanovic).

[getty] pic.twitter.com/8U8tAsE38R

— José Morgado (@josemorgado) June 7, 2019

Konta gave the 19-year-old a serious challenge, but she failed to make the most of her opportunities at crucial moments. She couldn't convert an early break into a set win, and she missed a similar chance in the second.

Vondrousova's opponent in the final will be Barty, who shifted gears after a difficult first set to comfortably dispose of Anisimova.

After taking a 5-0 lead, she lost six straight games before dropping the tiebreak for the opening set. That was the wake-up call she needed, however, and she now has a great chance to win her first-ever Grand Slam.  

Rafael Nadal will have the chance to win his 12th French Open title on Sunday after he beat Roger Federer in Friday's semi-final. 

The No. 2 seed eased to a 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 victory as the pair dealt with windy conditions throughout at Roland-Garros.

Nadal will play the winner of Novak Djokovic's semi-final with Dominic Thiem in Sunday's final.

It took eight minutes for Nadal to hold his serve in the opening game, but he punished Federer for failing to convert a break point as he replied with a break in the following game on his way to a 3-0 lead.

As tennis coach Darren Cahill observed, the Swiss maestro was done no favours by the weather conditions:

Federer needs a few things to go his way vs Nadal today but these conditions won’t help. Breezy, cool and tricky to get good timing and difficult to attack. Nadal a superb wind player with footwork, spin and margins.

— Darren Cahill (@darren_cahill) June 7, 2019

He did manage to break back, though, hitting this superb volley along the way:

That Federer volley 🤤🤤🤤

🎥: @Eurosport_UK | @rogerfederer | #RG19pic.twitter.com/mKpnBctA6C

— ATP Tour (@atptour) June 7, 2019

The 37-year-old's joy was short-lived, however, as Nadal regained his lead. After saving five break points, Federer finally succumbed when he shot into the net, and the set quickly followed.

Federer enjoyed the ideal start to the second set with a 2-0 lead after Nadal sent a backhand long, but once more the Spaniard offered an instant response:

Stunning @RafaelNadal 👏 #RG19 pic.twitter.com/CJNbwRoEJq

— Cycling on TNT Sports (@cyclingontnt) June 7, 2019

Nadal broke again at 4-4 with a volleyed winner to put himself firmly in control of the contest, and the set was soon wrapped up.

From there, Federer faced an almost impossible task, as tennis writer Christopher Clarey illustrated:

Nadal is 222-2 with a two-set lead ini best-of-five play

Only losses:

2005 Miami Open F vs Federer
2015 US Open Rd 3 vs Fognini

Never happened on clay

— Christopher Clarey 🇺🇸 🇫🇷 🇪🇸 (@christophclarey) June 7, 2019

The 33-year-old reinforced that point with his most comfortable set yet in the third, while a frustrated Federer had to be warned by the chair umpire for hitting a ball into the crowd.

There was little Federer could do to resist the King of Clay, who broke him twice more on the way to securing his place in Sunday's showpiece.

The top four seeds are still standing in the men's tournament at the 2019 French Open after five rounds of play on the clay courts of Roland Garros in Paris.

Rafael Nadal, the event's record holder with 11 titles, is joined in Friday's semifinals by Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Dominic Thiem. Djokovic is attempting to complete the second wraparound Grand Slam of his career, previously accomplishing the feat in 2015-16.

Let's check out all of the important details for the penultimate round at the season's second major. That's followed by a preview and prediction for both high-profile matches.

             

Men's Semifinal Schedule

Start Time: 6:50 a.m. ET

First Match: (2) Rafael Nadal vs. (3) Roger Federer

Second Match: (1) Novak Djokovic vs. (4) Dominic Thiem

           

U.S. Viewing Information

TV: Tennis Channel and NBCSN

Live Stream: Tennis Channel Everywhere and NBC Sports Live

          

Match Predictions

Rafael Nadal vs. Roger Federer

Two of the greatest players in tennis history are set to meet for the 39th time in their ATP Tour careers.

Nadal holds a sizable 23-15 edge overall, but Federer has emerged victorious in their last five meetings dating back to 2015. Rafa's last triumph came in the 2014 Australian Open.

The 33-year-old Spaniard has never lost to Federer at Roland Garros (5-0), however, and last lost to his longtime friendly rival on clay in the 2009 Madrid Masters.

"I'm very happy to play Rafa, because if you want to do or achieve something on the clay, inevitably, at some stage, you will go through Rafa, because he's that strong and he will be there," Federer told reporters. "I knew that when I signed up for the clay that hopefully that's gonna happen. If I would have had a different mindset to avoid him, then I should not have played the clay."

Although the head-to-head numbers on clay are a bit skewed since the 37-year-old Swiss legend skipped the last three clay-court seasons, Nadal is still the clear favorite in Friday's matchup. He's listed with definitive -750 betting-line odds, per Caesars Race & Sports Book.

That said, it's impossible to discount Federer despite his counterpart's dominance. He's showcased elite form of his own by reaching the semifinals while dropping a single set.

It sets the stage for what could become another instant classic.

Pick: Nadal in five sets

           

Novak Djokovic vs. Dominic Thiem

Djokovic and Thiem don't have the history of Nadal and Federer, but they are meeting for the ninth time. The 15-time Grand Slam singles champions holds the 6-2 edge, but they've split two French Open clashes.

Even Djokovic couldn't downplay his level of performance in a straight-sets destruction of No. 5 seed Alexander Zverev in the quarterfinals, during which he looked like a legitimate threat to Rafa's throne.

"I played five or six games perfectly. I started hitting the ball a bit more cleanly. It's good to finish today after the rain yesterday,” he said. "It's important to focus on the present moment without thinking about the next day. I'm in the semifinals and I'm very happy with that. I hope I will continue to play well."

Thiem has also found his footing after a sluggish start to the event that included dropping a set in each of his first three matches.

The semifinal foes previously faced off in the Madrid Masters semis last month. While Djokovic advanced in straights, both sets required a tiebreak in the hard-fought encounter.

Expect a similar closely contested win by the Serbian superstar Friday.

Pick: Djokovic in four sets   

Defending champion Rafael Nadal cruised into the semi-finals of the 2019 French Open on Tuesday after seeing off the challenge of seventh-seeded Kei Nishikori.

The Spaniard will face Roger Federer for a place in the final. The Swiss star reached the last four by knocking out compatriot Stanislas Wawrinka in four sets.

In the women's draw, Great Britain's Johanna Konta maintained her fine form by upsetting seventh-seeded Sloane Stephens.

Konta will play unseeded Czech teenager Marketa Vondrousova. The 19-year-old upset 31st-seeded Petra Martic to make her first Grand Slam semi-final.

     

Tuesday's Men's Results

(2) Rafael Nadal bt. (7) Kei Nishikori 6-1, 6-1, 6-3

(3) Roger Federer bt. (24) Stanislas Wawrinka 7-6 (4), 4-6, 7-6 (5), 6-4 

    

Tuesday's Women's Results

(26) Johanna Konta bt. (7) Sloane Stephens 6-1, 6-4

Marketa Vondrousova bt. (31) Petra Martic 7-6 (1), 7-5

   

Tuesday Recap

Rain interrupted both men's quarter-finals at Roland Garros on Tuesday, but Nadal continued his dominance on the clay in Paris.

The second seed raced through the opening set for the loss of just one game, while Nishikori looked to be feeling the effects of his five-set wins over Laslo Dere and Benoit Paire in the last two rounds.

Nadal broke early in the second set on his way to taking a stranglehold on the match that his opponent could do little about.

The Spaniard seemed to be in a hurry to complete the game but was forced to stop at 4-2 up in the third set due to the imminent arrival of a thunderstorm:

Beast mode from @RafaelNadal today 💪

He leads Kei Nishikori 6-1, 6-1, 4-1. | #RG19 pic.twitter.com/ql0ZHbB3IV

— ATP Tour (@atptour) June 4, 2019

Nadal did not appear too happy to be forced off the court with victory in sight, but he picked up where he left off on his return to reach his 12th French Open semi-final:

Another flawless performance@RafaelNadal is into his 12th French Open SF after defeating Kei Nishikori 6-1, 6-1, 6-3! #RG19pic.twitter.com/vi97uBcmqn

— US Open Tennis (@usopen) June 4, 2019

The 11-time French champion will face a familiar opponent after Federer progressed to the last four at Roland Garros for the first time in seven years:

Solid Federer!

Roger defeats Stan Wawrinka 7-6 4-6 7-6 6-4 to get back in @rolandgarros semi-finals for the 1st time since 2012! #RG19 pic.twitter.com/QgFL7oDngW

— We Are Tennis (@WeAreTennis) June 4, 2019

Federer was made to work harder for his win by a determined Wawrinka. The third seed needed a tiebreak to clinch the opener, but the 2015 French Open champion hit straight back to level the match.

The 37-year-old needed to be at his very best to clinch a tight third set, again via tiebreak: 

Fast feet, fast hands 🏁

🎥: @rolandgarros | @rogerfederer | #RG19pic.twitter.com/w33G6fwrD2

— ATP Tour (@atptour) June 4, 2019

Play was suspended with the scores at 3-3 in the fourth set. After an hour delay, Federer secured the crucial break at 4-4.

Wawrinka threatened to break back as Federer served for the match but could not do quite enough as the 2009 French Open champion progressed after three hours and 17 minutes.

Konta has no such trouble in her quarter-final, producing a near-flawless display to secure her first French Open semi-final.

The British star dropped just five games on her way to victory as she breezed past the seventh seed:

Is @JohannaKonta bulletproof?

The 🇬🇧 drops just five games en-route to first Roland-Garros semi-final.#RG19 https://t.co/SPIFw89jo6

— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 4, 2019

The 28-year-old becomes the first British woman to make the last four in Paris since 1983 and fully deserved her victory:

https://twitter.com/tumcarayol/status/1135899046256791553

Konta now faces the challenge of Vondrousova, who beat Martic in straight sets in a dramatic match.

The teenager appeared to lose the first set but managed to produce a superb comeback to win it on the tiebreak:

Marketa Vondrousova, down triple set point at 5-6, 0-40, calmly reels off 12 of the next 13 points to surge to take the first set 7-6(1).

She's 6-0 in tiebreaks so far this year. #RG19

— Ben Rothenberg (@BenRothenberg) June 4, 2019

The second set produced more drama with Vondrousova having two match points while serving at 5-3 but unable to see it out as the nerves began to show.

Martic kept her nerve to stay in the match, and a horrible double-fault by the Czech saw her opponent break back:

Petra Martic roars as she saves match points to break Marketa Vondrousova to *4-5. Won a 34 shot rally at deuce. And comes up with the goods to finally break through. #RG19

— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) June 4, 2019

Yet Vondrousova was not to be denied a second time. She hit straight back to force her third match point and made no mistake to secure a semi-final spot.