French Open Final Preview

Friday's French Open semifinal matches were everything they were hyped up to be.

Rafa celebrates semifinal win against Andy Murray

Roger looking confident after defeating Djokovic

Rafael Nadal did what was expected, and dispatched Andy Murray in straight sets.  In Murray's defense, he is not a clay court player by nature, and this was the best he played against Rafa on the clay at Roland Garros.  Murray had many chances during the match, but Rafa proved too tough.  The second semifinal w/Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic was not as straight forward.  Nole went into the match undefeated this year and as the odds maker's favorite.  That was until The Federer of years ago showed up.  The first set was a tight one, with Federer taking it in the tiebreak.  Novak lost the second set, looking like the Djokovic of years ago, as if he was already beaten & had given up all hope.  Nole came back to take the third, but Roger administered kryponite to Superman, and took the fourth in a tie break.  I along with a lot of others, thought Nole would pull this one out, but Roger had other ideas.  He has proven, at least for now,  that he is not at all down and out.

This sets up a scene we have seen three times before, 2006 thru 2008.  During this period Federer was at the top of his game, at top of THE game, but he still couldn't take more than a set off Nadal at Roland Garros.  In the 2008 final, Roger was manhandled - losing 1-6, 3-6. 0-6.

Bjorn Borg

At the beginning of this year's French, Rafa didn't look like the Rafa we had been so accustomed to seeing on the red dirt of Roland Garros, blame it on the new balls.  Whatever the issue was, he has corrected it.  He looks prime to win his sixth French Open title, equaling Bjorn Borg.  Federer on the other hand has looked good up the semifinals, then in the semifinal match against the Djoker, he showed us something we hadn't seen from him a while - that steely confidence was back and in full flight.  His shots were cleanly hit, his movement was once again poetry.  That being said, this is the same way he looked coming into the '06, '07, & '08 finals against Nadal.  

Andy Murray (left), Rafael Nadal (right)

Novak Djokovic disgruntled

I said in my last post that I didn't think that Court Philippe Chatrier at Roland Garros would remain 'Casa de Nadal' after this Sunday, but maybe I was wrong.  Maybe I'm wrong now, maybe Federer's win over Djokovic has ignited a spark him that has yet been unseen at the French, only time will tell.  Whatever happens in Sunday's final, my respect level for both of these guys went a couple notches higher after today's semifinals.  Include in that sentiment Djokovic and Murray.  They both lost their matches, but they both fought, they were just outplayed.