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The power struggle at the top of men’s tennis continues. Rafael Nadal produced an effort of gargantuan proportions to outlast Novak Djokovic on Court Phillipe Chatrier on Tuesday night. The win means that the great Spaniard goes on to face the German Alexander Zverev in a semifinal to be played on Friday.
Grand Slam Title #22 in sight for Nadal
The huge win also means that Nadal is now the hot favorite for his fourteenth French Open title, and 22nd in total. After his remarkable Australian Open win in January if Nadal was to go and win the Roland-Garros title again then he will open up a two title gap over Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic in the total Grand Slam wins race.
A match as epic as the one in this quarterfinal though just demonstrates how far away from the end both Nadal and Djokovic may well be. Despite the emergence of Carlos Alcaraz, who lost to Zverev in the day’s other quarterfinal, and the likes of Daniil Medvedev on hard courts, tennis is still at its peak when Djokovic and Nadal take to the court. It may well be the most played men’s tennis match of all time, but it is still appointment viewing in the sport.
Nadal Blows Everyone Away From The Start
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All the talk in the build-up to the match was of how the night conditions would favor the Serbian. It was said that the ball wouldn’t get up off the court high enough to suit Nadal, that the thickness of the air would suit the Djokovic defence. Nadal himself stated his reluctance to play a clay night session. However, in practice, Nadal threw those theories out straight away. The Spaniard broke in the opening game, in a manner that would become a theme in the match, in a deuce game.
Nadal kept his foot on Djokovic’s throat throughout the opener with immaculate court control. His groundstrokes, off both wings, were spraying the lines with the dirt. The intention was clear with every delivery of the racquet. The topspin on the forehand seemed unaffected by the conditions and the angles on the two-hander were so sharp. Djokovic couldn’t get into the match despite his best efforts.
The Tide Turns in the Second Set
The opening game of the second set seemed to be pivotal at the time. It took six deuces to be decided as a(nother) break for Rafael Nadal. When the Spaniard broke again to make it 3-0 it appeared that the Roland-Garros crowd might be in for an earlier night than anticipated. However, Djokovic had begun to show signs of getting his movement and accuracy up to speed.
This was then proven by an impressive break back for 1-3 and then came an epic sixth game. Seven deuces were played before Djokovic finally took his fifth breakpoint in that game. The Serbian clearly accelerated as the set wore on and by the time he wrapped up the 88-minute-long set with a huge break in the tenth game, the world #1 looked set to move forwards and win the match.
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However, as always, Nadal found the answers. An immediate break in the first game of the set switched the momentum back in his favor and seemed to completely flatten Djokovic. 16 unforced errors in a single set from the Serbian isn’t something that is usually associated with him and question marks started to be raised about the mental and physical stamina required to win a match of this type.
Nadal went to this well in Australia against Daniil Medvedev. Winning an epic five-set encounter after such little match practice before the Australian Open feels akin to what Djokovic was working out here. Due to his absence from proceedings in Australia, Djokovic hadn’t faced this type of battle since the US Open in September, again against Medvedev. On that occasion, of course, Djokovic was unable to rise to claim the ultimate victory. Was this going to prey on the mind of the 20-time Grand Slam champion?
An Epic Conclusion
It would be perhaps unfair to say that it was the mentality of Djokovic that was the undoing of the great champion. Rafael Nadal raised him game to an unbeatable level from 2-5 down in the decider. Djokovic’s two set points were not choked away but wrestled away from him by superb Spanish tennis and determination.
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The fourth set tiebreak went immediately in the direction of Nadal and he was always unlikely to relinquish that grip. Phillipe Chatrier is still Nadal’s house. The 13-time Champion was too good and demonstrated, once more, that he is the master of the clay. In the day and, despite the theories, at night too.
The physical toll of this match is likely to be huge for the 35-year-old Nadal. Of course, he now has two days off so that works to his advantage. It is hard to envisage him losing his grip on the title from here, but this is why we love tennis. Nothing is decided until the points are won. However, it is advantage Nadal in the Grand Slam race.
TORONTO – Reigning PWHL MVP and scoring champ Natalie Spooner will miss the start of the regular season for the Toronto Sceptres, general manager Gina Kingsbury announced Tuesday on the first day of training camp.
The 33-year-old Spooner had knee surgery on her left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) after she was checked into the boards by Minnesota’s Grace Zumwinkle in Game 3 of their best-of-five semifinal series on May 13.
She had a goal and an assist in three playoff games but did not finish the series. Toronto was up 2-1 in the semifinal at that time and eventually fell 3-2 in the series.
Spooner led the PWHL with 27 points in 24 games. Her 20 goals, including five game-winners, were nine more than the closest skater.
Kingsbury said there is no timeline, as the team wants the Toronto native at 100 per cent, but added that “she is doing really well” in her recovery.
The Sceptres open the PWHL season on Nov. 30 when they host the Boston Fleet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 12, 2024.
LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.
“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”
Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.
The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.
Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.
“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”
Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.
“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”
The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.
“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”
Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.
“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.
Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.
The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.
The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.
Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.
Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
