Juan Martin del Potro will return to the Top 4 of the ATP Rankings for the first time since February 2014 on Monday after advancing to the Roland Garros semi-finals for the second time (also 2009).

The sixth-seeded Argentine fought back from 1-3 down in the third set on Thursday to beat third seed Marin Cilic of Croatia 7-6(5), 5-7, 6-3, 7-5, in a rain-interrupted two-day victory over three hours and 50 minutes.

Del Potro will now look to improve upon his 5-9 FedEx ATP Head2Head record against World No. 1 Rafael Nadal, the 10-time Roland Garros champion, who also battled hard to overcome Del Potro’s compatriot, No. 11 seed Diego Schwartzman, earlier on Thursday. In their only completed clay-court match, Nadal beat Del Potro 7-5, 6-3, 6-2 at the Paris major in 2007.

Del Potro, who will rise from World No. 6 to at least No. 4, a position he last held on 10 February 2014, improved to 11-2 lifetime against Cilic, with his fifth straight clay-court match win against the Croatian. The pair had resumed their Paris clash at 6-6, 5/5 in the first set tie-break, after rain had suspended play on Wednesday night.

Del Potro, who lost to Roger Federer in the 2009 Roland Garros semi-finals, struck 31 winners, including 19 aces against Cilic. In a match of small margins, it was Cilic’s 74 unforced errors that was the difference.

The 29-year-old Del Potro has competed in three other Grand Slam championship semi-finals, highlighted by his lone trophy at the 2009 US Open (d. Federer). He has also lost at the semi-final stage at Wimbledon in 2013 (l. to Djokovic) and last year’s US Open (l. to Nadal).

Cilic did well to avoid danger on Wednesday while serving at 5-5, 0/30, when rain first suspended their match. The Croatian recovered, saving three break points to hold for the sixth straight time. But he was not able to take advantage of two straight return points won on Del Potro’s serve in the tie-break, losing the final four points to fall a set behind.

The first to serve on Thursday afternoon, the Argentine was immediately aggressive with his forehand to earn a set point, despite trailing 3/5 in the tie-break Wednesday. He then staved off Cilic’s aggression to his backhand corner, with the Croatian eventually netting a forehand to give Del Potro the opening set.

Cilic came under pressure in the second set, including a 16-point fourth game. Through six games, Del Potro had won 12 of his 15 service points, while Cilic had earned 17 of 28, but the tables soon turned. Cilic became ultra aggressive, using his forehand to dictate play.

Two break points for Cilic went begging at 3-3, but two games later Del Potro struck a double fault on break point, as he appeared to be distracted by a member of the crowd, who he immediately went to talk to. Clearly annoyed, Del Potro channelled his energy to break back immediately with Cilic committing three straight groundstroke errors.

However, Cilic refocused to win 17 of the next 25 points, with Del Potro striking a forehand long — his 13th error to end the 66-minute set — and took a 2-0 lead in the third set. Miraculously, having saved one break point at 1-3, Del Potro went on a charge and clinched 19 of the next 22 points.

Del Potro took control at 6-5 in the fourth set, sealing his first break point chance when Cilic lost his concentration and struck his third crosscourt backhand long. Del Potro did not need a second invitation, closing out the next game to love.

Del Potro is now 28-7 on the year, which includes a 15-match winning streak and back-to-back titles at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC (d. Anderson) and his first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 crown at the BNP Paribas Open (d. Federer). Cilic, who had been bidding to become the first Croatian man to reach the Roland Garros semi-finals since Ivan Ljubicic in 2006, drops to a 22-9 mark on the season, which includes a runner-up finish at the Australian Open (l. to Federer).

Visit Official Roland-Garros Website

Rafael Nadal used a 40-minute rain delay on Wednesday to regroup and returned with greater self-belief to turn the tables on Diego Schwartzman in their Roland Garros quarter-final. Schwartzman deservedly led by a set and 3-2, but upon the resumption of play 10-time champion Nadal won three consecutive games for a 5-3 advantage in the second set, after a 20-minute passage of play between rain delays. Play was officially cancelled for the day at 7:30 p.m. local time.

Schwartzman, who has never beaten Nadal in five previous FedEx ATP Head2Head meetings, won 70 per cent of his first-service points in the opening set, striking 20 winners to Nadal’s four. He took a 3-2 lead in the second set when they first returned to the locker room, following three straight service breaks. But Nadal stepped back onto Philippe-Chatrier Court and rediscovered his serve and forehand timing to win 13 of 18 points to seize the momentum.

The winner will next play third-seeded Croatian Marin Cilic, who has reached the final of two of the past three Grand Slam championships, or fifth-seeded compatriot and 2009 semi-finalist Juan Martin del Potro. Cilic and Del Potro are level at 6-6, 5/5 in the first set tie-break.

Schwartzman did what he does best right from the start, playing close to the baseline; moving fluently, striking aggressively, particularly on return, and cutting down on Nadal’s time between strokes. The diminutive Argentine cannot match Nadal’s power, but his work rate, discipline and adherence to his game plan earned him the first service break, one of two in a long opening set. Nadal immediately broke back, but unable to rely on his first service and forehand he was soon in trouble again.

Schwartzman was fearless, quick to move up the court on short balls that Nadal uncharacteristically struck with regularity, and broke for 5-4, prior to clinching his third set point chance with a forehand – his 20th winner of the 73-minute set. The final point of the last game was delayed as medical staff rushed to a spectator that was taken ill high up on Philippe-Chatrier Court.

Schwartzman carried the momentum into the second set, with Nadal struggling to find groundstroke timing and rhythm. Schwartzman led 3-2 when rain in Paris halted proceedings, after three straight breaks of serve. But upon the resumption of play, it was all Nadal, who got the crowd involved and soon led 5-3, 30/15 when the weather stopped play for a second time.

Visit Official Roland-Garros Website

Juan Martin del Potro and Marin Cilic are even at 6-6, 5/5 in the first set as rain has postponed their Roland Garros quarter-final until Thursday. Cilic did well to avoid danger while serving at 5-5, 0/30, when rain first suspended their match. The Croatian recovered, saving three break points to hold for the sixth straight time.

The two are meeting for the 13^th time in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series. Del Potro leads 10-2, including all four matchups on clay and three of four at Grand Slams. Del Potro won their 2012 Roland Garros third-round match in straight sets.

Three years earlier, the 6’6” Argentine made his first Grand Slam semi-final at Roland Garros. He’s looking to return to the last four in Paris for the first time since then.

Cilic has reached all three other Grand Slam title matches – 2014 US Open (d. Nishikori); 2017 Wimbledon (l. to Federer); and 2018 Australian Open (l. to Federer). But the one-time Grand Slam champion is trying to reach his first Roland Garros semi-final and secure his first Top 10 win at the clay-court championship (0-7 at Roland Garros; 9-21 at Grand Slams).

Visit Official Roland-Garros Website

France’s Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut claimed the last spot in the Roland Garros semi-final line-up on Wednesday, defeating South American duo Maximo Gonzalez and Nicolas Jarry 6-4, 7-6(8).

Herbert and Mahut won 75 per cent of first-serve points and saved four set points at 5-6 down in the second set before securing victory in one hour, 54 minutes.

The sixth seeds, who won their 11th team title at the ABN Amro World Tennis Tournament in February, will face Mutua Madrid Open champions Nikola Mektic and Alexander Peya in the last four, as they aim to move one step closer to becoming the third all-French team in the Open Era to lift the Roland Garros title.

On the other side of the draw, second seeds Oliver Marach and Mate Pavic will meet 2016 champions Feliciano Lopez and Marc Lopez.

Marach and Pavic have beaten the Spaniards in both their FedEx ATP Head2Head meetings this year, triumphing in straight sets at the BNP Paribas Open quarter-finals before edging an 11-9 Match Tie-break in the first round at the Miami Open presented by Itaú.

Did You Know?
Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut are just one win away from reaching all four Grand Slam finals as a team. The Frenchmen lost their first major final at the 2015 Australian Open (l. to Bolelli/Fognini) before clinching their two Grand Slam titles at the 2015 US Open and The Championships in 2016.

Visit Official Roland-Garros Website