Rafael Nadal - a Spaniard on his twelfth Paris mission
Rafael Nadal and Roland Garros: That fits. The 33-year-old has triumphed on the Seine eleven times, and in the final against Dominic Thiem ( in our live ticker ) the Spaniard is aiming for his twelfth title in Paris.
by Nikolaus Fink
last edit: Jun 09, 2019, 08:12 am
6: 2, 6: 2, 6: 3, 6: 3, 6: 4, 6: 0, 6: 4, 6: 3, 6: 2. So read the balance sheet between Rafael Nadal and Dominic Thiem in Roland Garros. After his defeat in the final last year, the Austrian described an encounter with the Spaniard in Paris as "one of the greatest challenges in all sports".
In fact: Nadal and Roland Garros, it's an almost surreal love affair. The 33-year-old has won eleven times in the French capital, with a record of 92 wins and only two losses, and has never had to leave the field as a loser after winning a quarter-final at Roland Garros.
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"Whenever someone comes to the final here, Nadal is the opponent. He is the big favorite. I make sure that I regenerate completely," said Dominic Thiem after his epic semi-final battle against Novak Djokovic, which lasted for two days moved and took a total of four hours and 13 minutes.
Different laws apply at Court Philippe-Chatrier
Not only because of the long semi-final, the world ranking second will go into the game as a favorite. Nadal shows his best tennis again in Paris and , in his semi-final rival Roger Federer, clearly beat in three sets thanks to a phenomenal performance despite extremely adverse conditions.
So far, the Mallorcan has given only one at the French Open: In the third round, David Goffin was granted the opportunity to celebrate this successful experience. In general, however, Nadal is in top form and, as already mentioned, Thiem was not able to win a single round in the three previous matches in Roland Garros.
Despite the justified tennis euphoria in Austria, it can at least be doubted whether this will change in the fourth duel. Sure: Thiem has the weapons to hit Nadal on sand. The Court Philippe-Chatrier, however, has slightly different laws than other ash places around the world. "It's a love story with this event," says the Spaniard. Nadal and Roland Garros: It just fits.
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