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Britain's Konta misses out on French Open final

  • Posted: Jun 07, 2019
2019 French Open
Venue: Roland Garros, Paris Dates: 26 May-9 June
Coverage: Live text and radio commentary on selected matches on the BBC Sport website and app.

Johanna Konta missed out on becoming the first British woman to reach a Grand Slam final since 1977 by losing to Czech teenager Marketa Vondrousova in the French Open semi-finals.

The 26th seed’s extraordinary run at Roland Garros ended with a 7-5 7-6 (7-2) defeat by the unseeded 19-year-old.

Konta, 28, was unable to convert three first-set points – and paid the price.

Vondrousova will play Australian eighth seed Ashleigh Barty, who beat American Amanda Anisimova, in Saturday’s final.

The Czech, who has not dropped a set, is the first teenage finalist at Roland Garros since Serbia’s Ana Ivanovic in 2007.

Konta was bidding to become the first British woman to win a Grand Slam singles title since Virginia Wade triumphed at Wimbledon 42 years ago and the first singles player from the nation – man or woman – to win at Roland Garros since Sue Barker in 1976.

She had never won a main-draw match at the Paris venue before this tournament.

  • How Konta’s defeat unfolded and follow Roger Federer v Rafael Nadal in men’s semi-finals

Tension gets better of Konta

Konta was playing in her third Grand Slam semi-final on a third different surface – having reached the last four at the 2016 Australian Open and Wimbledon in 2017.

The women’s draw has been blown wide open over the past fortnight, and the Briton was the only semi-finalist in Paris to have reached this stage of a Slam previously.

Vondrousova is competing in the main draw of a Grand Slam for the ninth time, while her furthest previous run at a major was reaching the fourth round at last year’s US Open.

However, Konta’s greater experience did not tell as tension got the better of the former world number four at crucial moments.

She led 5-3 in both sets before allowing Vondrousova to break back and seize the initiative.

Konta will particularly rue her shot selection on her first chance to seal the opening set, spooning a wild drive-volley long before planting a sliced volley into the net on the second.

Although she did manage to put those mistakes behind her and earn a third chance, that opportunity disappeared as well when Vondrousova put away a forehand winner on her way to a crucial hold.

Konta’s confidence sapped as she failed to serve out the opener from 5-4 – and then there was a sense of deja vu when she also failed to serve out from the same position in the second.

A double fault handed over the break – and the momentum – as Vondrousova ran away with the tie-break to seal victory in one hour and 45 minutes.

More to follow.

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Preview: Nadal & Federer Face Off In Roland Garros SFs

  • Posted: Jun 07, 2019

Preview: Nadal & Federer Face Off In Roland Garros SFs

Jun072019

Winner to play Djokovic or Thiem on Sunday

Second seed Rafael Nadal and third seed Roger Federer will renew their treasured rivalry in semi-final action on Friday at Roland Garros. The winner will face top seed Novak Djokovic or fourth seed Dominic Thiem in the championship match.

“I’m very happy to play Rafa because if you want to do or achieve something on clay, inevitably, at some stage you will go through [him],” said Federer. “I knew that when I signed up for the clay [and] hoped it was going to happen. If I would have had a different mindset to avoid him, then I should not have played the clay.”

Nadal leads his FedEx ATP Head2Head rivalry with Federer 23-15, but Federer has won their past five matches. The Spaniard leads their series on clay 13-2 and has won their past four meetings on the surface, but they haven’t played on it since the 2013 Internazionali BNL d’Italia final. Nadal has won all five of their previous clashes at this event, prevailing in the 2005 semi-finals and championship matches in 2006-2008 and 2011.

Although Federer hasn’t beaten Nadal on clay since the 2009 Mutua Madrid Open final, he believes he can reverse the trend.

You May Also Like: Roland Garros SF Preview: Is This Thiem’s Time Against Djokovic?

“Like against any player, there is always a chance. Otherwise nobody will be in the stadium to watch because everybody already knows the result in advance,” said Federer. “That’s exactly what everybody believes by facing Rafa.

“They know it’s going to be tough. [But] he might have a problem. He might be sick. You might be playing great or for some reason he’s struggling. Maybe there’s incredible wind, rain, 10 rain delays. You just don’t know. That’s why you need to put yourself in that position.”

Competing in the second major of the year for the first time since 2015, Federer has dropped just one set in reaching the semi-finals. The 2009 champion holds a 70-16 career record at this event and has reached at least the semi-finals in eight of his 12 most recent appearances. But despite his impressive credentials, Federer will arrive on Court Philippe-Chatrier as the on-paper underdog against Nadal and that could aid him in swinging freely.

More On Roger vs Rafa, XXXIX
* The Rivalry: 12 Stats You Need To Know
* Federer & Nadal’s 10 Best Quotes About Each Other
* The History Of Nadal vs. Federer In Paris
* Can You Pass Our Federer-Nadal Quiz?
* Roger & Rafa: Every Match Ever Played

Nadal has put himself in position to win a 12th title at this event. The two-time defending champion has also only dropped one set this fortnight, but his scorelines throughout the tournament have been even more dominant than Federer’s. Nadal holds a staggering 91-2 record in Paris and has reached at least the semi-finals in 12 of 15 career appearances.

But while the Spaniard is highly familiar with the business end of this tournament, he views Friday’s match as one of the most important of his career.

“Playing Roger again in [the] semi-finals, these are the moments for which we are working on a daily basis and for which we get prepared as best we can,” said Nadal. “Beyond winning or not, we really want to be competitive and to fight in the most correct way and to enjoy that.”

Typical to Nadal’s character, he shunned suggestions that he’s the favourite to win. He pointed out that he hasn’t beaten the Swiss star since the 2014 Australian Open and said that Federer remains one of the most dangerous clay-court players on tour.

Read: Nadal On Federer: ‘We Shared The Most Important Moments’

“He came back on clay because he’s a player who is comprehensive, who plays well on all surfaces. And he has good chances of winning on clay,” said Nadal. He’s coming back because he wants to do so. If he feels in good shape physically, he should not leave out a main part of the season.

“I have to be solid. If I am able to play good tennis and play well with my forehand and backhand, I hope to put him in trouble. If not, I will be in trouble.”

ORDER OF PLAY – FRIDAY, 7 JUNE 2019

Court Philippe Chatrier start 12:50pm
[3] Roger Federer vs [2] Rafael Nadal
followed by
[1] Novak Djokovic vs [4] Dominic Thiem

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Roland Garros SF Preview: Is This Thiem's Time Against Djokovic?

  • Posted: Jun 07, 2019

Roland Garros SF Preview: Is This Thiem’s Time Against Djokovic?

Jun062019

Winner will play Nadal or Federer in Sunday’s final

Top seed Novak Djokovic and fourth Dominic Thiem look to cement their outstanding Roland Garros form with a place in Sunday’s championship match. The winner will play second seed Rafael Nadal or third seed Roger Federer on Sunday.

The World No. 1 has won his past 26 Grand Slam matches and is two wins away from completing a second “Nole Slam” by holding all four majors at once. Djokovic looks to join Rod Laver as the only players in history to accomplish this on two separate occasions. He also seeks to become the first man in the Open Era to win each of the four Grand Slams twice.

Read: Laver Talks Djokovic’s Pursuit Of ‘Nole Slam’

“The sense of history-making is only getting stronger. That’s one of the greatest motivations I have,” said Djokovic. “There is no better way to make history in the sport than to win slams and play your best in the biggest events, and obviously try to stay No. 1 as long as you can. Those are the pinnacle achievements that you can have in our sport.”

Djokovic leads his FedEx ATP Head2Head rivalry with Thiem 6-2, but both of Thiem’s wins have come on clay. They’ve split their two previous Roland Garros meetings. Djokovic prevailed in the 2016 semi-finals and Thiem turned the tables in the 2017 quarter-finals. The World No. 1 won their most recent clash last month in the Mutua Madrid Open semi-finals.

Despite a track record of success against Thiem, he won’t take the Austrian lightly when they meet on Friday.

“Dominic is deservedly where he is [as] one of the top four guys, especially on clay. That’s where he’s playing his best tennis,” said Djokovic. “He’s got that tremendous power in his game, especially with his forehand and serve. I think his backhand also has improved a lot in the last couple of years.

“It seems like his relationship with Nicolas Massu has helped him a lot, also mentally, in big matches. If he continues playing this way, not just on clay but in general, I think we will probably be seeing him more often on different surfaces in the final stages of the tournament.”

The Serbian is through to the Roland Garros semi-finals for the ninth time and did so without dropping a set. He leads the four semi-finalists in service games held throughout the tournament.

Serving Stats Of 2019 Roland Garros Semi-finalists

Player Serve Games Won Break Points Faced
Novak Djokovic 63 of 66 (95.5%) 17
Roger Federer 75 of 79 (94.9%) 18
Rafael Nadal 63 of 68 (92.6%) 18
Dominic Thiem 81 of 89 (91%) 20

**Serving stats courtesy of SMT

Djokovic’s clay-court season includes his 33rd ATP Masters 1000 title at the Mutua Madrid Open. Djokovic’s win in the final over Stefanos Tsitsipas was his 200th victory over a Top 10 player. He also finished runner-up in Rome (l. to Nadal).

Thiem has once again turned in a solid clay-court season. In addition to his semi-final finish in Madrid, the 25-year-old defeated Nadal en route to taking the title at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell without dropping a set (d. Medvedev). He holds a 21-3 record at the second major of the year since 2016. By reaching his fourth Grand Slam semi-final, he tied Thomas Muster’s record for most Grand Slam semi-final appearances by an Austrian player, man or woman.

Read: Massu: ‘Thiem Works, Thinks & Seeks To Be No. 1’

Thiem has continued to raise his level against the world’s best. He’s won eight of his past nine matches against Top 20 players, with two of those victories coming this fortnight. Last month’s loss against Djokovic is the only defeat in that stretch.

But despite his impressive results, Thiem is aware of the aura surrounding the other semi-finalists.

“They have a huge advantage only because of their name,” said Thiem. “I think many players don’t really believe that they can beat them, which is well-deserved because of all the success and which is also understandable, in a way. But I will step on the court tomorrow and of course give everything. I hope it’s going to be positive in the end, but the challenge is huge.”

Read: The Future Of The One-Handed Backhand

Thiem has a track record of success against the Big Three and has beaten all of them at least twice on clay. Although he isn’t underestimating the challenge he faces, the Austrian is choosing to embrace it.

“It’s incredibly difficult to win a Grand Slam. Especially for us players who don’t have one yet, if everything goes normally, we have to beat two players with 15 or more Grand Slams. I think everybody can imagine how difficult this is,” said Thiem. “Novak is in very good shape again, probably playing his best tennis of his life. I’m in the semifinals with maybe the three best players of all time, so it’s exciting for me.”

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Mission Impossible? Thiem's Tough Task With Djokovic, Nadal, Federer In Semis

  • Posted: Jun 06, 2019

Mission Impossible? Thiem’s Tough Task With Djokovic, Nadal, Federer In Semis

Jun062019

The Big Three is in the semi-finals of a Slam for the 12th time

Dominic Thiem knows he’s up against it at Roland Garros. If he gets through World No. 1 Novak Djokovic on Friday for a place in the final for the second successive year, he’ll play 11-time champion Rafael Nadal or Roger Federer.

He has a shot, as one of the most consistent clay-court performers of the past four years, but only a slim one if history is anything to go by. Because on 10 of the 11 occasions that the Big Three have all reached the semi-finals of the same Grand Slam championship, one of them has lifted the trophy.

Thiem, who swept past Karen Khachanov 6-2, 6-4, 6-2 at Roland Garros on Thursday afternoon, said, “It’s incredibly difficult to win a Grand Slam, especially for us players who haven’t won one yet. Because if everything goes quite normal, we have to beat two players with 15 or more Grand Slams.

“But I will step on the court tomorrow, try everything, of course, [and] give everything. I hope it’s going to be positive in the end, but the challenge is huge. Novak is in very good shape again, probably playing his best tennis of his life. I’m in the semi-finals with maybe the three best players of all time, so everybody can see how tough the way it is for me.”

You May Also Like: Massu: ‘Thiem Works, Thinks And Seeks To Be No. 1’

The exception to Big Three dominance, when all three were competing in a major semi-final, came at the 2009 US Open, when Juan Martin del Potro recorded back-to-back wins over Nadal in the semi-finals and Federer in a five-set final.

Factor in that Nadal has history on his side at Roland Garros, where he has lifted La Coupe des Mousquetaires on 11 occasions and compiled a 91-2 record, and the challenge for not only Thiem, but Djokovic and Federer becomes even tougher. The Spaniard has a perfect 22-0 record on Parisian clay when he has reached the semi-finals and in 2007-08, 2011-12, when Djokovic and Federer also competed in the Roland Garros semi-finals, Nadal came out victorious each time in the final.

Nadal also won the 2010 US Open crown, when Djokovic and Federer featured in the semi-finals. By the same parameters, Djokovic has lifted three majors at the Australian Open (2008 and 2012) and at the US Open (2011), while Federer captured two crowns, his fifth straight titles at both 2007 Wimbledon and at the 2008 US Open.

Big Three Grand Slam Titles When All Reach The SFs

Player Australian Open Roland Garros Wimbledon US Open  Total
 Rafael Nadal  0  4  0  1  5
 Novak Djokovic  2  0  0  1  3
 Roger Federer  0  0  1  1  2

Incredibly, Friday’s semi-finals will not only feature the top four seeds for the first time since the 2012 Australian Open (Djokovic, Nadal, Federer, Andy Murray), but the Paris major’s finale will feature Djokovic, Nadal and Federer together in the final four of a Grand Slam championship for the first time since 2012 Roland Garros.

That year, Nadal won the 11th of his 17 major championship titles by beating Djokovic 6-4, 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 in the Spaniard’s seventh Roland Garros final. Federer had lost to Djokovic 6-4, 7-5, 6-3 in the semi-finals two days earlier.

“The surface doesn’t matter against them,” said Thiem. “All of them have won all four [Grand] Slams, so… they are so tough on any of the surfaces. They are the only three [in the history of tennis] with 15-plus Grand Slams [singles trophies]. That shows it all.

“I’m now in the semis here for the fourth time, and I know now how tough it is to get here, to get that deep in a tournament. And, I mean, these three, they have been doing it [for] 10, 15 years, almost at any Grand Slam. So that shows what their level is… they are absolutely amazing.”

“But on the other hand, I know all three of them. I have played many, many times against all of them. I feel really good in their company. But I’m trying everything to beat them.”

At this year’s Roland Garros, Nadal will play Federer for the 39th time in their legendary FedEx ATP Head2Head rivalry on Friday, in the first match on Court Philippe-Chatrier, while Djokovic takes a 6-2 advantage over Thiem into their semi-final. Last month, Djokovic beat Thiem 7-6(2), 7-6(4) in the Mutua Madrid Open semi-finals.

The Last Time The Big Three Made The SFs Together At The…
Australian Open: 2012
Roland Garros: 2019
Wimbledon: 2007
US Open: 2011

– Research courtesy of Greg Sharko and Joshua Rey

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WTA chief attacks 'inappropriate and unfair' semi-final scheduling

  • Posted: Jun 06, 2019
2019 French Open semi-finals
Venue: Roland Garros, Paris Dates: 26 May-9 June Start: 10:00 BST
Coverage: Live radio commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Sport website and app, with text commentary online.

The French Open’s decision to move the women’s semis away from Roland Garros’s showpiece court is “inappropriate and unfair”, says WTA chief Steve Simon.

With no play possible on Wednesday and more rain forecast on Friday, British number one Johanna Konta’s meeting with Marketa Vondrousova will instead begin at 10:00 BST on Court Simonne Mathieu.

Ashleigh Barty and Amanda Anisimova will meet on Court Suzanne Lenglen.

“They have earned the right to play on the biggest stage,” said Simon.

While the women’s last-four matches, originally scheduled for Thursday, have been switched away from the 15,000-capacity main court to smaller stages, the men’s semi-finals, which see Rafael Nadal play Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic take on Dominic Thiem, will both take place on Court Philippe Chatrier as planned.

“There is no doubt that scheduling has been challenged by weather conditions and the WTA understands the scheduling issues presented at Roland Garros,” added Simon.

“We are, however, extremely disappointed by the scheduling of both women’s semi-finals on outside courts. This decision is unfair and inappropriate.

“We believe other solutions were possible which would have been to the benefit of fans as well as all players.”

  • Ruthless Djokovic marches into semi-finals
  • Anisimova stuns defending champion Halep
  • How Konta has become French Open contender
  • What can Federer do to beat ‘King of Clay’ Nadal?

‘Worst-case scenario’ – men’s final on Monday?

Tournament director Guy Forget said further delays could see Saturday’s women’s final moved back to Sunday, with the men’s final switching to Monday.

“It’s not what we hope, but if we have no other choice, then that’s what we will do,” he said.

“When we have uncertain weather, of course; it’s very hard to predict scheduling.

“We have to always study the worst-case scenario, knowing that ideally we want to try to finish on Sunday.”

The newly rebuilt Chatrier, with a capacity of 15,000, is Roland Garros’ main court.

The 10,000-seater Lenglen is the second show court, with the 5,000-seater Mathieu, a semi-sunken court surrounded by four greenhouses, opened this year as the third.

‘Wrong to relegate the women’s matches’

BBC tennis correspondent Russell Fuller at Roland Garros

I understand the need to play the matches early on Friday and that they have got themselves into a situation with selling the tickets for the men’s semi-finals as two separate sessions.

But I still think it is wrong to relegate the women’s matches away from the main courts. How does a young player like Marketa Vondrousova or Amanda Anisimova build a following if they are denied the chance to play on these big courts?

It always seems to be the women who suffer in these situations.

I suspect that there is some small print on the tickets as well that says that the organisers cannot guarantee any particular matches in the case of bad weather.

They could have used that disclaimer to create space for the women on Philippe Chatrier.

  • Live scores, schedule and results
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Sense of 'history-making' grows stronger as Djokovic reaches semi-finals

  • Posted: Jun 06, 2019
2019 French Open men’s semi-finals
Venue: Roland Garros, Paris Date: Friday, 9 June
Coverage: Live text and radio commentary on the BBC Sport website and app.

World number one Novak Djokovic reached his first French Open semi-final since 2016 with a clinical win over German fifth seed Alexander Zverev.

The 32-year-old Serb, chasing his fourth straight Grand Slam, won 7-5 6-2 6-2 in their rain-delayed quarter-final.

Zverev, 22, failed to serve out the first set and it proved pivotal as Djokovic dominated from then on.

The 15-time Grand Slam champion will play Dominic Thiem in the last four.

Austrian fourth seed Thiem, last year’s beaten finalist, secured his place in the semi-finals with a 6-2 6-4 6-2 win over Russian 10th seed Karen Khachanov.

Djokovic and Thiem are set to meet at about 15:00 BST on Friday, following the other, highly anticipated semi-final between Spain’s defending champion Rafael Nadal and returning Swiss great Roger Federer.

Remarkably, it is the first time at a Grand Slam since the French Open in 2012 that Djokovic, Federer and Nadal have all made it through to the semi-finals.

“We have still been enjoying some of our best tennis in biggest events. That’s great to see,” Djokovic said.

“Nadal and Federer are arguably the biggest legends of this sport and most successful players ever, so to be in the mix with them and have a successful career myself is quite a great feeling.”

However, Friday’s play is expected to be disrupted by heavy rain in Paris, a forecast which has led to a reshuffle of the schedule.

With both men’s matches on Court Philippe Chatrier, British number one Johanna Konta’s semi-final has been moved to the 5,000-capacity Court Simonne Mathieu.

  • What can Federer do to beat ‘King of Clay’ Nadal?
  • How has Konta become French Open contender?
  • American teenager Anisimova stuns champion Halep
  • Rearranged schedule for Friday’s semi-finals – is it fair?

‘History-making on Djokovic’s mind’

After winning the Wimbledon, US Open and Australian Open titles, Djokovic is aiming to hold all four majors at the same time – for the second time in his career – by triumphing at Roland Garros.

Djokovic previously achieved the feat when he claimed his maiden title on the Paris clay in 2016, which saw him become only the second man after Australian great Rod Laver to hold all four Slams simultaneously in the Open era.

But 12 months ago, after form and fitness problems, the possibility of Djokovic putting himself in this position again seemed unlikely.

Now he is only two more wins away from another piece of history after cruising into the last four in Paris without dropping a set.

“The presence of history-making is stronger than ever right now in my career,” said Djokovic.

“I think the longer I play or the further I go in my career, the sense of history-making is only getting stronger.

“That’s one of the greatest motivations I have.”

After losing serve for a 5-4 deficit in the first set, Djokovic suddenly raised his game to another level as Zverev was left suffocated by his relentless returning and court craft.

Three straight games swung the opener in the Serb’s favour and he continued to wear down Zverev in the next two sets, pinning him deep in baseline rallies as well as stretching him with some deft drop-shots and lobs.

‘Once he’s in control, he’s very tough to beat’

Zverev, aiming to reach his first Grand Slam semi-final, did not help himself by buckling under pressure at crucial times.

After failing to serve out the first set, a double fault on set point handed it over and, to gasps from the Chatrier crowd, he did the same on set point in the second – after already producing three others in the same game.

The pressure continued to tell as the German chased the match in the third.

Zverev handed another break point to Djokovic by lumping a backhand drive volley over the baseline, then stiffed a routine volley into the net as the Serb took a 4-2 advantage.

With defeat looming, Zverev managed to save one match point with an ace, but Djokovic clinched victory with his second by wearing his opponent down in a rally and forcing the error as a sliced backhand went long.

Zverev’s victory against Djokovic in the ATP Finals in November seemed to indicate a Slam breakthrough could be around the corner.

Yet, when it mattered in the five-set format, Djokovic proved he is still the man to beat.

“I really thought the first set should have gone my way,” said Zverev. “And then I played three really bad games from there on.

“Once he’s in control, he’s very tough to beat.

“When he gets up on you, he doesn’t let go. When he’s up in the score, he’s unplayable.”

  • Live scores, schedule and results
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French Open: GB's Alfie Hewett & Gordon Reid make semi-finals

  • Posted: Jun 06, 2019
2019 French Open
Venue: Roland Garros, Paris Dates: 26 May-9 June
Coverage: Live text and radio commentary on selected matches on the BBC Sport website and app.

Britain’s Alfie Hewett advanced to the wheelchair singles semi-finals with a 6-2 7-6 (7-4) win over France’s Stephane Houdet.

The 21-year-old, who lifted the title in 2017, wrapped up the first set with a third break of Houdet’s serve, but was made to work harder for the second.

Fellow Briton Gordon Reid is also in the last four after battling past Belgium’s Joachim Gerard 3-6 6-4 6-3.

The 27-year-old will play Japanese top seed Shingo Kunieda next.

Hewitt will take on Argentine defending champion Gustavo Fernandez, who he beat in the 2017 final, in the other side of the draw.

“Shingo is number one in the world right now, and he’s back to what I would say is his best form,” said former Australian Open and Wimbledon champion Reid of his prospects of his next opponent.

“He’s always a tough opponent to play against, but I know I can beat him – I’ve beaten him in the past, and I’ve got the game to beat him. I’ll go away, prepare, and try and do that tomorrow.”

  • Reid confident ahead of Roland Garros
  • Live scores, schedule and results
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Hewitt and Reid will also team up in the doubles on Friday, when they face Fernandez and Kunieda once more in their opening match.

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Federer vs. Nadal: 12 Key Stats

  • Posted: Jun 06, 2019

Federer vs. Nadal: 12 Key Stats

Jun062019

Find out more about the Federer-Nadal rivalry before their semi-final clash in Paris

After quarter-final wins on Tuesday, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal will contest the 39th match in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series for a spot in the Roland Garros final. This will be their sixth meeting in Paris, with Nadal triumphing in each of their previous five clashes.

Nadal is bidding to snap his five-match losing streak against Federer, which dates back to the 2014 Australian Open semi-finals and extend his unbeaten 22-0 record in matches at Roland Garros after reaching the final four. 

ATPTour.com looks at some of the stats you need to know ahead of Federer and Nadal’s encounter:

  • Nadal and Federer’s 38 prior meetings are the third-most in the Open Era (Nadal/Djokovic 54, Federer/Djokovic 47)
  • Federer has held in 31 straight service games against Nadal since the fifth set of the 2017 Australian Open final
  • Federer has won four Grand Slam titles since turning 30 and Nadal has won three
  • In both the 2006 and 2007 Roland Garros finals, Nadal snapped Federer’s 27-match Grand Slam win streaks 
  • Nadal has won 17 more sets than Federer in their rivalry (Nadal leads 67-50)
  • Nadal and Federer have met 15 times on clay (Nadal leads 13-2)
  • Federer and Nadal are meeting in the Roland Garros semi-finals for the first time in 14 years
  • Federer is 15-23 against Nadal and 112-13 against all other left-handed players
  • Nadal and Federer have met 12 times at Grand Slams (Nadal leads 9-3)
  • Nadal is 11-10 against Federer in tie-breaks
  • Nadal and Federer have met in nine semi-finals (Nadal leads 6-3)
  • The winner of Friday’s match will be No. 2 in the ATP Rankings on Monday. The loser will be No. 3. 

Federer & Nadal’s Five FedEx ATP Head2Head Meetings At Roland Garros

Year Round Winner Score
2011 F Rafael Nadal 7-5, 7-6(3), 5-7, 6-1
2008 F Rafael Nadal 6-1, 6-3, 6-0
2007 F Rafael Nadal 6-3, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4
2006 F Rafael Nadal 1-6, 6-1, 6-4, 7-6(4)
2005 SF Rafael Nadal 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3

Did You Know?
While Novak Djokovic is currently in the top spot, Federer (310) and Nadal (196) have combined for 506 weeks at No. 1 in the ATP Rankings — nearly 10 years!

You May Also Like: Will Federer Continue To Head To Net Against Nadal?

– Research by Joshua Rey

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