Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal once again proved his dominance on clay, defeating Novak Djokovic 6-0, 6-2, 7-5 in the French Open final to earn his 13th career title at Roland Garros. 

🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆@RafaelNadal conquers Novak Djokovic 6-0 6-2 7-5 to remain perfect in Paris finals and earn title 1️⃣3️⃣ at #RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/lzOz5dmoqQ

— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) October 11, 2020

The Spanish star stunned the No. 1 player in the world with a bagel in the first set and kept the momentum with a three-set victory Sunday on Court Philippe-Chatrier. He now has an incredible 100-2 career record at this event and hasn't lost in the last four years.

The win also marked the 20th career Grand Slam victory for Nadal, matching Roger Federer for the men's all-time record. Djokovic currently has 17 career major titles, but only one at the French Open. He was seeking to become the first player in open history to win each Grand Slam multiple times.

The two men began Sunday's match with some incredible back-and-forth play, showcasing the type of ability we have come to expect from the veterans:

Both @RafaelNadal and @DjokerNole are pulling out some magic tricks. 🤯#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/yBv4eVgjcz

— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) October 11, 2020

Battle of the Titans 🔛#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/TXivFMWsYL

— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) October 11, 2020

Average rally length so far in this men's final: 7.61#RG20

— Ben Rothenberg (@BenRothenberg) October 11, 2020

Have watched a lot of tennis, and a lot of Djokovic vs Nadal
Some of these early exchanges are mind blowing#getty pic.twitter.com/9aXgu7gd63

— Christopher Clarey 🇺🇸 🇫🇷 🇪🇸 (@christophclarey) October 11, 2020

Despite the excellent rallies and amazing touch from both competitors, it was Nadal who continued to come away with the points. It led to a couple of early breaks and then eventually a shutout in the opening set.

Nadal is rolling 😤

He takes the first set of the French Open Final. pic.twitter.com/vaKrTMOXZt

— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) October 11, 2020

This fight might well go the distance. But this is a 10-8 first round for Nadal. We've played 34 minutes now, and the opponent hasn't won a game....

— Jon Wertheim (@jon_wertheim) October 11, 2020

For just the second time in their storied rivalry, @RafaelNadal bagels Novak Djokovic.

In winning the first set, 6-0, in 45 minutes, Nadal hit 10 winners to just two unforced errors.

Passport to #RolandGarros // https://t.co/3UnnlbHZVo pic.twitter.com/3fIgod5rYr

— TENNIS (@Tennis) October 11, 2020

Djokovic won only three first-serve points in the entire set, giving Nadal an enormous advantage in the match right out of the gate.

The second set was more of the same, with the No. 2 seed again winning the key points when it mattered. Eight of the first 10 games went to deuce but Nadal came away with seven wins in those games.

It helped that he produced some of the best shots you will see:

This touch by Nadal 👌 pic.twitter.com/Pe7f6CthyI

— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) October 11, 2020

THIS RALLY 😤

Nadal using all of his skills to win this point. pic.twitter.com/0smfKjjqtp

— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) October 11, 2020

Nadal also avoided mistakes with just six unforced errors in the first two sets compared to 30 for Djokovic. 

Things were much more competitive in the third set with Djokovic finally earning his first break, getting the limited crowd behind him after pulling even 3-3 in the set.

It was still never easy to get points against Nadal, who was all over the place:

This is not a video game. This is real life. 😲

🎥: @rolandgarros | @RafaelNadal pic.twitter.com/XnLe4HoBvY

— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 11, 2020

Rafa on the run 🏃‍♂️

🎥: @rolandgarros | @RafaelNadal pic.twitter.com/3vCvKU6RF3

— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 11, 2020

After a narrow break to go up 6-5 in the final set, the 34-year-old closed it out with his serve.

While Nadal was clearly better overall, the match came down to him winning the key points when it mattered. He saved four of his five break points on the day while converting seven of his 18 break opportunities the other way.

It turned a battle of good rallies into a rout on the score card.

Djokovic still leads Nadal in this rivalry with a 29-27 career record, although Nadal now has a 5-4 advantage in Grand Slam finals.

As two of the greatest of all time, we will undoubtedly see these two match up again but every event is important to define their legacies. Nadal got the upper hand this time around, showing his clay-court prowess should remain unquestioned.

The final Grand Slam singles match of 2020 pits two titans of the men's game against each other. 

Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal will line up on opposite ends of the court for the 56th time in their careers Sunday for the 2020 French Open men's singles final. 

If Nadal takes his 13th title on the Roland Garros clay, he will tie Roger Federer for the most Grand Slam titles won by a man with 20.

Djokovic is third on that list with 17 major titles, but only one of them have come on the surface dominated by Nadal.

Since Nadal captured his first title in Paris in 2005, he has defeated seven different men on the final day of the French Open. 

If the Spaniard beats Djokovic Sunday, he would own three victories against the Serbian and Roger Federer in the French Open final.

          

French Open Men's Final Information

Start Time: 9 a.m. ET

TV: NBC

Live Stream: NBCSports.com or NBC Sports app.

       

Prediction

Rafael Nadal over Novak Djokovic in 3 Sets

Nadal has forced some of the best players in the men's game out of a rhythm for the duration of finals inside Court Philippe-Chatrier. 

The No. 2 seed lost a single set in his previous three French Open championship matches, and he has never been pushed to a fifth set in the Roland Garros final.

Nadal paved yet another dominant path to the final over the last two weeks ago, as he won every set in his six matches. 

The toughest test Nadal faced came in the third set of his semifinal clash with Diego Schwartzman, but he erased any concerns about dropping a set by sweeping the third-set tiebreak. 

Djokovic was not as successful in closing out his challenger Friday, as he dropped the third and fourth sets to Stefanos Tsitsipas. 

The top-seeded male also fell in the opening set of his quarterfinal match with Pablo Carreno Busta. 

To knock Nadal from his French Open throne, Djokovic must be cleaner in all aspects of his game, and even if he improves his areas of concern, he is not guaranteed to down his opponent.

Djokovic's biggest focus for improvement should come on second serve, where he captured 47 percent of his points in the five-set win over Tsitsipas.

The 17-time Grand Slam winner also needs to be more dangerous on break points. He won eight of the 22 break-point opportunities he had against Tsitsipas. 

Conversely, Nadal took six of the nine break-point chances he earned against Schwartzman and fended off nine of the 12 opportunities forced by the 12th-seeded Argentinian. 

If the Spanish southpaw is even sharper on serve Sunday, the amount of break-point chances he allows could be in the single digits. 

If that is the case, Djokovic needs to take advantage of every situation while remaining near perfect on serve. 

If Sunday's match occurred on a grass or hard court, Djokovic might have been able to create more chances against Nadal. 

Since the 19-time major champion has been so successful for so long at Roland Garros, it is hard to imagine him slipping up so much on serve that he allows Djokovic the chance to take the lead at any instance.

          

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

Statistics obtained from RolandGarros.com.

Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal will meet for the ninth time in a Grand Slam final Sunday at the 2020 French Open. 

The two legendary players have not met in a title clash at a major since the 2019 Australian Open. Most of their head-to-head showdowns in Grand Slam finals occurred at the start of their reigns atop the men's game alongside Roger Federer.  

Nadal is chasing after his 20th overall major and 13th crown on the clay at Roland Garros, while Djokovic is trying to capture his second title in Paris and 18th overall major. 

As he typically does in Paris, Nadal dominated his first six matches on the path to the final, as he won every set. 

Djokovic faced more difficulties in the previous two rounds, and he will enter at a disadvantage based off those recent struggles and Nadal's career-long form on clay.

           

French Open Men's Final Information

Start Time: 9 a.m. ET

TV: NBC

Live Stream: NBC Sports app or NBCSports.com

Prize Money: Winner earns $1.88 million

      

Prediction

Rafael Nadal over Novak Djokovic

All of the statistics in Nadal's favor suggest the Spaniard will come away with his 13th Roland Garros title. 

Nadal is 17-7 against Djokovic on clay courts and 6-1 versus the Serbian at the French Open. 

Although the numbers are overwhelmingly in Nadal's favor, he admitted that he must play a solid match against Djokovic, per ATPTour.com.

“The only thing I know is to play against Novak, I need to play my best. Without playing my best tennis, [the] situation is very difficult. I know that it’s a court that I have been playing well on for such a long time, so that helps. But at the same time, he has an amazing record here too. [He’s] one of the toughest opponents possible," Nadal said. 

Nadal has not beaten Djokovic on the Paris clay since the 2014 final. Djokovic took the most-recent Roland Garros showdown in straight sets in the 2015 quarterfinals. 

In their two final meetings at the French Open, Nadal took six of the eight sets and won two of those by three games or more. 

Nadal has gotten better with age at Roland Garros, as he won eight of his last nine sets in the men's singles final by three games or more. Two of those victories came against Dominic Thiem and the other was over Stan Wawrinka. 

Djokovic has needed more of a fight in most of his Grand Slam final victories since 2018, as he was taken to five sets by Thiem at the 2020 Australian Open and by Roger Federer at Wimbledon in 2019.

Even when he won his lone French Open title, Djokovic was far from clean in the first set. He fell in the opening frame to Andy Murray before taking three sets in a row. 

Since Nadal has not faced much of a threat in his last three French Open finals, and in this year's edition of the event, Djokovic needs to be perfect from the start to beat the Spaniard. 

Djokovic is more than capable of beating Nadal straight up, but taking him down on clay is one of the most difficult tasks in tennis and in all of sports.

             

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

Statistics obtained from ATPTour.com.

There have been more matchups between Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal than Super Bowls. 

On Sunday, Djokovic and Nadal will oppose each other for the 56th time. Djokovic owns a 29-26 advantage in the head-to-head series. 

Seventeen of the 26 victories earned by Nadal have come on clay courts, including six at the French Open.

Although Djokovic has tried to keep pace with Nadal and Roger Federer in terms of total Grand Slam titles, he has struggled to break through on the clay. 

Djokovic has a single French Open title on his resume from 2016, and that occurred in an event that Nadal withdrew from in the third round. 

The top-seeded Serb has been in terrific form in 2020, but his winning run could come to an end against the 12-time champion at Roland-Garros.

           

French Open Men's Final Information

Date: Sunday, October 11

Start Time: 9 a.m. ET

TV: NBC

Live Stream: NBCSports.com or NBC Sports app.

       

Preview

Since 2005, Nadal has appeared in the French Open final on 12 occasions. 

The 12-time Roland-Garros champion has defeated seven different opponents in his championship clashes, starting with Mariano Puerta in 2005. 

Nadal downed Dominic Thiem in each of the last two years, and he has lost a single set at this stage in the last three years. 

Djokovic and Roger Federer are the only players to take multiple sets off Nadal in the French Open final. Djokovic won the third set of the 2012 championship and the opening set of the title tilt in 2014. 

But the No. 1 seed has not been as successful against Nadal in their last three clay-court meetings. Nadal won six of the seven sets in the matchups played in Rome and Madrid. 

Djokovic's last clay-court triumph over Nadal occurred at the Italian Open final in 2016, but even that was a struggle as he won 7-5, 7-6.

That victory finished off a run of nine wins in 10 matches for the Serb against Nadal that dated back to the start of the 2014 season. Since then, the rivalry has leveled out thanks to Nadal's control of the clay surface. 

Since his latest title reign in Paris began in 2017, Nadal has lost three sets, one of which was in the 2019 final to Thiem.

On his path to the 2020 final, Nadal won 11 of his 18 sets by three games or more, with three of those coming in the last two rounds against Jannik Sinner and Diego Schwartzman. 

Djokovic paved a perfect path through the first four rounds before he experienced some difficulties against Pablo Carreno Busta and Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Carreno Busta and Tsitsipas combined to take three sets off the No. 1 seed, and Tsitsipas was one set away from defeating Djokovic in Friday's semifinal. 

Since Nadal has looked sharper and holds a significant edge over Djokovic on clay, he has to be viewed as the favorite to capture Sunday's final.

Djokovic could potentially raise his game and end the Spaniard's latest title run, but he needs to be much cleaner than he was in the last two rounds to even have a chance of knocking off Nadal.

              

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90

Statistics obtained from RolandGarros.com and ATPTour.com

The latest chapter in the storied rivalry between Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal will be penned Sunday at Roland-Garros.

Djokovic and Nadal will face off for the 56th time in their careers and for the eighth time at the French Open.

Nadal has been more dominant on clay than Djokovic in his career with 12 French Open titles compared to one from the Serb.

The Spaniard also carries an advantage in the current event when it comes to time on court. Nadal has won each of his matches in straight sets, while Djokovic dropped three sets in his last two matches. 

Earning a seventh consecutive three-set win on the Paris clay could be difficult for Nadal since both of their previous championship meetings in France lasted four sets.

        

Prediction

Rafael Nadal over Novak Djokovic

Nadal should be the pick to win against every opponent he faces on the Paris clay. 

The Spaniard has won all but three of the men's singles titles at Roland-Garros since 2005. Stan Wawrinka, Roger Federer and Djokovic took one crown each in that span. 

Nadal defeated Djokovic in each of their last three clay-court meetings and is 6-1 against the top seed at the French Open.

Djokovic's last win over Nadal in Paris was in the 2015 quarterfinals, and he only managed to win two sets off Nadal in the two finals in which they have met on the red clay. 

In addition to having a poor history against Nadal on the surface, Djokovic has not looked as dominant as the No. 2 seed over the last two rounds.

Djokovic dropped the first set to Pablo Carreno Busta in the quarterfinals and failed to close out Stefanos Tsitsipas in three sets. After he did not convert on match point, Djokovic lost the third and fourth sets before rallying to defeat the Greek player.

If Djokovic is susceptible to even one break of serve, or he does not take advantage of an opportunity against Nadal, he could come out on the losing side.

The weakness Nadal could exploit is on Djokovic's second serve. The No. 1 seed converted 47 percent of the points on his second serve Friday, which was 2 percentage points lower than Tsitsipas recorded. 

Nadal was better than Diego Schwartzman in all major stat categories. He won 53 percent of his second-serve points and took 40 of 84 receiving points in the straight-set win. 

If Nadal creates some early break-point chances on Djokovic's serve, he could sprint out to an advantage that he does not give up. 

Nadal captured five of his 12 French Open titles through straight-set wins. Each of those triumphs occurred against different players. If he sweeps Djokovic Sunday, that total will be boosted to six. 

In his last three French Open finals, Nadal won eight of his nine sets by three games or more. He finished off the 2019 championship match with consecutive 6-1 wins over Dominic Thiem.

If he flexes that dominance while taking advantage of the small weaknesses Djokovic flashed in the last two rounds, Nadal could come away with his 13th French Open crown.

           

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90

Statistics obtained from RolandGarros.com and ATPTour.com

The 2020 French Open men's championship will be decided Sunday when Rafael Nadal takes on Novak Djokovic.

Nadal can hit several career milestones if he is able to leave Roland Garros with a victory. The Spaniard already holds the all-time record with 12 French Open singles titles. One more will give him four straight wins at this tournament for the third time in his career (2005-08, 2010-14). 

A win will give Nadal 20 career Grand Slam singles titles and tie Roger Federer for the most in men's history. Only Margaret Court (24), Serena Williams (23) and Steffi Graf (22) would have more. 

Standing in Nadal's way is Djokovic, who entered the tournament as the No. 1 seed and looked to be on cruise control with one set loss in his first five matches. Stefanos Tsitsipas nearly ruined Djoker's run by storming back from two sets down in the semifinal to force a fifth set. 

Djokovic wound up holding on for an impressive 6-1 victory in the fifth set to secure a berth in the final. He's chasing his second career French Open title (2016) and second major of the year (Australian Open). 

🎾 @DjokerNole is bidding to become the first man in the Open Era to win each of the four Grand Slams twice.#RolandGarros

— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 9, 2020

      

2020 French Open Men's Final Schedule

Date: Sunday, Oct. 11

Start Time: 9 a.m. ET

Watch: NBC

Live Stream: NBCSports.com

     

Preview

Nadal has been an unstoppable force at the French Open during this four-year run. The 34-year-old has yet to lose a set in this year's tournament and has only lost three sets in 27 matches dating back to 2017. 

In the semifinal against Diego Schwartzman, Nadal had a 55-31 advantage on first-serve points won and took six of his nine break-point opportunities. 

Break points were crucial to Nadal and Djokovic in their semifinal victories. Djokovic went 8-of-22 overall on those opportunities against Tsitsipas, but he was great in the three sets he won (6-of-10). 

Sunday will represent a step up in competition for Nadal, but he's had great success against Djokovic at the French Open. The 34-year-old won their first six matchups before Djokovic prevailed in the 2015 quarterfinals. 

This will be the 56th head-to-head meeting between Nadal and Djokovic, with the Serb holding a slight edge overall:

Djokovic 🆚 Nadal

A 56th edition awaits on Sunday at #RolandGarros 🍿 pic.twitter.com/8ghOdwpzV9

— US Open Tennis (@usopen) October 9, 2020

In their only matchup this year, Djokovic defeated Nadal 6-2, 7-6 (4) at the ATP Cup in January. Nadal is riding a three-match winning streak against Djokovic on clay.

Prior to the semifinal, Djokovic seemed like he was playing at the same level as Nadal. There's no doubt that the 2016 French Open champion is capable of winning on Sunday, but his inability to close out Tsitsipas after going up 5-4 in the third set does create some pause.

Djokovic has had the more difficult path to the final. He's defeated three straight opponents seeded in the top 20, including No. 5 Tsitsipas, No. 15 Karen Khachanov and No. 17 Pablo Carreno Busta. 

On the other hand, Schwartzman was the first seed (12th) that Nadal has played to this point. 

There are strong arguments to be made for either player to win Sunday's finale. Nadal should get the slight advantage because of his success at the French Open and on clay. Djokovic doesn't have a long track record of defeating him in this scenario. 

Until Nadal loses at the French Open, it's difficult to bet against him. 

The two top men's tennis players in the world were in action Friday in the semifinals of the 2020 French Open, and they set the stage for arguably the most highly anticipated final of the year.

World No. 2 Rafael Nadal started the day with a straight-set victory over the pesky Diego Schwartzman to advance to his 13th career French Open final, while No. 1 Novak Djokovic overcame a tough challenge from the fifth-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas to clinch his spot in the final.

Sunday will mark the third time Nadal and Djokovic have met in the French Open final, with Nadal coming out on top in each of the previous two matches.

Here is a rundown of the scores from Friday's action at Roland Garros as well as a recap of the men's semifinals.

     

Men's Singles Semifinal Results

(2) Rafael Nadal d. (12) Diego Schwartzman, 6-3, 6-3, 7-6 (0)

(1) Novak Djokovic d. (5) Stefanos Tsitsipas, 6-3, 6-2, 5-7, 4-6, 6-1

     

Women's Doubles Semifinal Results

(2) Kristina Mladenovic and Timea Babos d. (4) Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova, 6-2, 4-6, 7-5

(14) Alexa Guarachi and Desirae Krawczyk d. Iga Swiatek and Nicole Melichar, 7-6 (5), 1-6, 6-4

     

Friday Recap

Nadal is always the odds-on favorite at Roland Garros, and that was especially true entering his match against Schwartzman.

Few expected Schwartzman to make it as far as the semifinals, but he pulled off a major upset against third-seeded Dominic Thiem in the quarterfinals. A Nadal vs. Thiem semi likely would have been a bit more competitive, as Thiem is coming off his first career Grand Slam title at the U.S. Open and faced Nadal in the French Open final each of the past two years.

Instead, Rafa took the play to Schwartzman and left no doubt that he was the better player on clay:

Nadal actually lost to Schwartzman on clay in their previous meeting in Rome this year, marking the Argentine's first win in 10 tries against Rafa.

Schwartzman wasn't much of a factor until the final set Friday, though, and Nadal expressed his belief that the turnaround was because he was better prepared for the tournament:

Nadal has won each of his six matches in straight sets at this year's French Open, adding to his already remarkable record at Roland Garros:

🙌 Rafael Nadal's sets record at the French Open:

2005: 21-3
2006: 21-3
2007: 21-1
2008: 21-0
2009: 10-3
2010: 21-0
2011: 21-3
2012: 21-1
2013: 21-4
2014: 21-2
2015: 12-4
2016: 6-0
2017: 19-0
2018: 21-1
2019: 21-2
2020: 18-0

👑 The King of Clay.#FrenchOpen pic.twitter.com/Z32Q4w8Qi1

— bet365 (@bet365) October 9, 2020

Rafa also has just two career losses in the French Open and also lost one match because of a walkover. In French Open semifinals and finals, Nadal is undefeated.

Commentator Rennae Stubbs marveled at Nadal's continued dominance Friday:

99-2 is just crazy! No one will ever do something like this in sports. If he wins 13 I have no more words for this guy. @RafaelNadal is THE greatest clay court player we will ever, ever, ever see! No matter what happens in the final.

— Rennae Stubbs ♈️ (@rennaestubbs) October 9, 2020

Djokovic is one of the two players to beat Nadal at the French Open, doing so in the 2015 quarterfinals. The following year, Nadal exited the tournament because of injury, and the Djoker won his first and only French Open title.

The Serb has won every other Grand Slam title at least three times, but in order to become a multitime French Open winner, he must go through Nadal in Sunday's final.

Taking down Nadal in a Paris final is difficult under any circumstance since it has never been done before, but Djokovic figures to have an even more difficult time after Tsitsipas pushed him to five sets in the semis.

Djokovic had Tsitsipas down and out in the third set, as he won the first two sets easily and then had match point in the third. Tsitsipas managed to win the point and then break Djokovic, hold serve and then break Djoker again to force a fourth set, however.

A seemingly refreshed Tsitsipas turned up his level of play in the fourth set and managed to force a decisive fifth set against all odds:

It's a whole new ball game out there...@StefTsitsipas #RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/4PNFIRHrXs

— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) October 9, 2020

Tsitsipas had all the momentum on his side at that point, but given how often Djokovic had been in similar situations during his career, he was truly the one with the advantage.

Djokovic broke Tsitsipas twice early in the fifth set to take control and never relinquished control.

Nearly 4⃣ hours in...#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/ekPGK5oOje

— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) October 9, 2020

Tsitsipas appeared tired in the fifth set, while Djokovic was spry, but maintaining that energy when he faces Nadal won't be easy.

Djokovic is already one of the best of all time, but if he can find a way to beat Nadal coming off a five-setter, then it will be his strongest claim yet to being the greatest player in the history of tennis.

The 2020 French Open final is set after Novak Djokovic survived his semifinal match against Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-3, 6-2, 5-7, 4-6, 6-1 at Roland Garros on Friday.

This started out looking like a Djokovic romp with him taking the first two sets and holding a 5-4 advantage in the third set. Tsitsipas, who was 0-10 on break points through the first two sets and nine games into the third, turned things around after getting his first break to tie things at five. 

After dropping the third and fourth sets, Djokovic returned to form in the fifth by converting three of six break points and taking advantage of 11 unforced errors by Tsitsipas.

A fifth final in Paris!

In just over four hours, @DjokerNole survives Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-3 6-2 5-7 4-6 6-1 to earn the right to play for a second title at #RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/FxF2jZ11DX

— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) October 9, 2020

Djokovic will face Rafael Nadal in Sunday's final to determine the winner of this year's French Open. Nadal knocked off Diego Schwartzman 6-3, 6-3, 7-6(0) to advance to the final in Paris for the fourth straight year. 

Tsitsipas started the match looking like he was going to hang with Djokovic. The two were mostly even in a number of statistical categories, with Djoker committing more unforced errors (13-9) in the opening set.

Ultimately, though, Djokovic outlasted Tsitsipas 6-3 in part because of his ability to save break-point opportunities:

The normal points so far: Djokovic and Tsitsipas dead even.

The big points so far: Djokovic 100%, Tsitsipas 0%

Djokovic 1/1 on BP's, Tsitsipas 0/7

— Matthew Willis (@mattracquet) October 9, 2020

Things really shifted in Djokovic's favor during the second set. The top seed put on a clinic with four aces, 16 first-serve points won, two break points won and two break points saved. One of his break points won came after Tsitsipas was up 40-0 with a chance to take the game and a 3-2 set lead. 

Novak Djokovic's Stats (Sets 1 & 2)

🎾 20 winners, 20 errors
🎾 7/7 break points saved
🎾 3/4 break points converted#RolandGarros

— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 9, 2020

https://twitter.com/TennisPodcast/status/1314626855622848512

Tsitsipas also hurt himself in the second set with 12 unforced errors. By comparison, he had a total of 17 unforced errors in his quarterfinal victory over Andrey Rublev two days ago. 

The third set was a close back-and-forth battle between two of the top players in the world. It was all square at four after eight games, but Djokovic took the advantage by again breaking Tsitsipas' serve after the Greek star received a code violation.

In a game which saw Tsitsipas pick up a code violation for coaching, Djokovic breaks despite a successful tweener from Tsitsipas & will serve for the match. #RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/1IRUSrcslM

— Live Tennis (@livetennis) October 9, 2020

Djokovic was in position to serve for the match, but Tsitispas was able to turn the tables by breaking Djoker's serve.

That seemed to briefly light a spark in Tsitsipas, who took the next two games to win the set, including another break point with Djokovic serving. 

The fourth set followed a similar pattern to the third, with Djoker showing more cracks in the foundation. He lost 6-4 despite having 11 break-point opportunities. The pressure moved back to him heading into the decisive fifth set and Tsitsipas gaining all of the momentum. 

About an hour and 10 minutes after Djokovic had a point for a straight-sets win, he’s now into a fifth set.

Stefanos Tsitsipas takes the fourth 6-4.

Going five. #RG20 pic.twitter.com/biXXGgDrHA

— Ben Rothenberg (@BenRothenberg) October 9, 2020

Novak Djokovic Break Point Conversion v. Tsitsipas

🎾 First 3 sets: 4/5
🎾 Fourth set: 1/11#RolandGarros

— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 9, 2020

Djokovic looked much more comfortable in the fifth set. He was at his best throughout the match in the return game, as evidenced by going a combined 6-of-10 on break points in the three sets he won (2-of-12 in the third and fourth sets). 

The win will send Djokovic to the final against Nadal in the 56th head-to-head match between the two legends. Djokovic currently holds a 29-26 lead overall in the series, but Nadal has won six of their seven meetings at the French Open. 

Djokovic did win their last matchup at Roland Garros 7-5, 6-3, 6-1 in the 2015 quarterfinals. If the Serbian star can do that again, he will leave Paris on Sunday with his 18th career grand slam singles title. 

Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal once again placed themselves in a Grand Slam final Friday at the French Open.

The top two seeds in the men's singles draw used victories in Friday's semifinals to set up their ninth meeting in a Grand Slam final and fourth championship showdown inside Court Philippe Chatrier. 

Nadal opened Friday's slate by avenging a loss from the Italian Open against Diego Schwartzman in straight set. Djokovic faced more difficulty since Stefanos Tsitsipas took him to five sets, but the top seed prevailed in his longest match of the tournament. 

Nadal and Djokovic's spots in the final confirm that a major will be won by those two or Roger Federer for the 56th time since the start of the 2004 season. 

            

Friday Results

No. 1 Novak Djokovic def. No. 5 Stefanos Tsitsipas, 6-3, 6-2, 5-7, 4-6, 6-1

No. 2 Rafael Nadal def. No. 12 Diego Schwartzman, 6-3, 6-3, 7-6 (0)

Djokovic faced a tougher path to the final than Nadal since he dropped a set for the second consecutive match. He fell in two sets for the first time in the event as well. 

In the first set, Djokovic fought off five break-point opportunities and finished with better numbers on first serve, second serve and at the net. Djokovic fended off two additional break-point chances from the No. 5 seed in the second set, while he converted on two of three breaks. 

Tsitsipas finally earned the break he was looking for to shift the momentum in the third set. He earned the service break to level that set at five games apiece. Djokovic conceded another service loss at the end of the third set, as Tsitsipas won the final three games to force a fourth set. 

The Greek looked strong in the fourth set by converting both of his break-point chances. Djokovic struggled with that aspect of his game by going 1-of-11 on break points. 

Djokovic regained control of the match at the start of the fifth set, as he produced back-to-back breaks to put Tsitsipas under pressure. As the match inched closer to the four-hour mark, Djokovic broke open a four-game advantage in the final set. 

Nearly 4⃣ hours in...#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/ekPGK5oOje

— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) October 9, 2020

Djokovic did not wait until his serve to complete the five-set victory, as he hit a winner down the right baseline on match point. 

A fifth final in Paris!

In just over four hours, @DjokerNole survives Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-3 6-2 5-7 4-6 6-1 to earn the right to play for a second title at #RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/FxF2jZ11DX

— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) October 9, 2020

Nadal experienced less difficulty to get past Schwartzman, as he survived a third-set tiebreak against the Argentinian. 

The Spanish southpaw remained on track to challenge for his 13th Roland Garros crown by winning all seven tiebreak points over the first-time Grand Slam semifinalist. 

Lucky No.13 awaits…@RafaelNadal notches a straight sets win over Diego Schwartzman 6-3 6-3 7-6(0) to reach his fourth straight, and 13th overall #RolandGarros final. pic.twitter.com/2o55EEWgKA

— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) October 9, 2020

Schwartzman earned two of his three breaks in the third set, but he was unable to overpower the No. 2 seed in the tiebreak. 

The Argentine committed a pair of unforced errors in the final four games of the tiebreak. He had 48 unforced errors, a total that doubled his amount of winners. 

Nadal finished with 38 winners compared to 34 unforced errors and won 9 percent more of his receiving points. 

The third-set tiebreak victory ensured Nadal would enter the final with a chance to have a perfect tournament. He defeated each of his six opponents in three sets. 

To avoid losing a set at this French Open, Nadal would have to beat Djokovic in straight sets for the first time in a Grand Slam final.

         

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

Statistics obtained from RolandGarros.com.

Rafael Nadal is one win away from an unprecedented 13th French Open title after a straight-sets victory, 6-3, 6-3, 7-6 (0), over Diego Schwartzman on Friday in the 2020 men's semifinals at Stade Roland-Garros in Paris.

Nadal, who will face either Novak Djokovic or Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final Sunday, is seeking his fourth straight championship at Roland-Garros. His career record in the event is now 99-2.

The tournament marked Schwartzman's first major semifinal in his 25th Grand Slam appearance. His career mark against Nadal drops to 1-10.

Nadal cruised through the first two sets, but the 28-year-old Argentine created some resistance in the third. After they traded four straight breaks of serve in the middle of the set, the key game came with the 34-year-old Spanish superstar serving at 5-5.

Schwartzman created three break points that would have given him a chance to serve for the set. Nadal fought them all off, held serve and ultimately dominated the tiebreak (7-0) to advance.

Lucky No.13 awaits…@RafaelNadal notches a straight sets win over Diego Schwartzman 6-3 6-3 7-6(0) to reach his fourth straight, and 13th overall #RolandGarros final. pic.twitter.com/2o55EEWgKA

— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) October 9, 2020

"I played a couple of bad points in the third and Diego is very tough," Nadal said. "Very difficult until the end. But today it was a very positive match for me."

It wasn't the most efficient performance for the 19-time Grand Slam singles champion, who only narrowly tallied more winners (38) than unforced errors (34).

Nadal did play the clutch points far better than Schwartzman, though. The No. 2 seed converted six of his nine break chances compared to just three of 12 for his 12th-seeded opponent. He also won 17 of the 24 points (71 percent) when he came to net.

By the Numbers: @RafaelNadal at #RolandGarros
1,919-962 in Games (.666)
296-27 in Sets (.916)
99-2 in Matches (.980)
39-Match Win Streak (2010-15)
38-Set Win Streak (2016-18)
31-0 to Begin Career
26-1 vs Top 10
19 Sets Won 6-0
19-5 TBs
13-0 SFs
12-0 Fs
6-1 vs No 1
2-0 in 5th Sets

— ATP Media Info (@ATPMediaInfo) October 9, 2020

He's advanced to the final without dropping a set throughout the tournament, and only twice was a set even pushed to a tiebreak—including the third against Schwartzman on Friday.

99-2 is just crazy! No one will ever do something like this in sports. If he wins 13 I have no more words for this guy. @RafaelNadal is THE greatest clay court player we will ever, ever, ever see! No matter what happens in the final.

— Rennae Stubbs ♈️ (@rennaestubbs) October 9, 2020

Looking back, one of Nadal's two losses at Roland-Garros came against Djokovic in the 2015 quarterfinals. The other was a fourth-round loss to Robin Soderling in 2009.

He'll likely be the favorite in the final regardless of who wins the second semifinal, but Djokovic represents the tougher potential matchup.