Roger Federer Is Destined to Meet Rafael Nadal Again in the French Open Finals
Nothing can stop Roger Federer from renewing acquaintances with Rafael Nadal in the French Open Final, not even top-seeded Novak Djokovic.
Federer got a scare in the first set of his fourth-round match vs. David Goffin, but he righted the ship and showed the 21-year-old Italian what will really was.
He bested him—5-7, 7-5, 6-2, 6-4—and now he awaits the winner of Juan Martin del Potro and Tomas Berdych,
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The play in their match was suspended with Del Potro leading two sets to one —7-6, 1-6, 6-3—heading into the fourth set. Either man could pose a threat to Federer, but in the past he has handled both quite easily.
He is 11-2 versus Del Potro lifetime, including one win at Roland Garros, and 11-4 over Berdych with one win at the French Open. I predict Federer blasts the winner of that match in four sets.
Next up would presumably be Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals, but Djokovic is lucky to have survived his fourth-round match with Andreas Seppi. After losing the first two sets, Djokovic rallied to a tense five-set win (4-6, 6-7, 6-3, 7-5, 6-3).
My confidence in him isn't sky-high heading into his quarterfinal matchup with the winner of the Stanislas Wawrinka-Jo-Wilifired Tsonga matchup. Their match was also suspended with Tsonga up in the fifth and deciding set (6-4, 7-6, 3-6, 3-6, 4-2).
The way Djokovic has played at Roland Garros this year, I could easily see Tsonga or Wawrinka taking him down. If not them, he certainly won't beat Federer, whom he lost to in last year's French Open.
Here is a highlight from that epic match:
Either way, Federer will be taking on Nadal in the final.
No one has even pricked the skin of the juggernaut that is Nadal on clay. Federer has the best shot, but it is a long one.
Rafa looks absolutely unbeatable on the soft stuff, but you can count on Federer to be there to challenge him again.
They have met five times at Roland Garros, and four of those meetings have come in the final.
Nadal has won all of them.
This will be the sixth time, and the outcome will be the same.
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