French Open 2012 Results: Novak Djokovic's Struggles Will Keep Him from Title

Novak Djokovic will not win his fourth straight Grand Slam title. He has advanced to the semifinals of the French Open, but it has been a struggle, and his game is not at a point where he can win this title. 

In order to beat Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Djokovic had to rally to win in five sets for the second straight match—6-1, 5-7, 5-7, 7-6 (8/6), 6-1. Djokovic had to fight off four match points in the fourth set to survive.

This match directly followed a five-set affair against Andreas Seppi. He was down two sets to love in that one. 

These outcomes are a testament to Djokovic's competitive drive, mental toughness and stamina, but they are also a bad sign for Nole's chances to become the first player in 43 years to hold all four Grand Slam titles. 

The clay surface is not ideally suited for Djokovic to begin with, but these struggles go beyond the surface.

Nole is just a touch off.

He is having a hard time controlling points because his usual precision has given way to inconsistency.

He is firing off an alarming number of unforced errors, and even when he does land it in the court, many of his shots are not aggressive enough to allow him to dictate the flow of the game.

This problem is amplified on the slower clay. It led to Nole being overpowered for the majority of the match against Tsonga. Roger Federer, his next opponent, will be able to do the same thing. 

Federer was also extended to five sets in his quarterfinals match. He was not at the top of his game, but he is not a player Djokovic can beat if he is struggling with his accuracy. 

Federer will control the match and keep Nole chasing to stay in points. And even if Djokovic does survive this match, he is not going to beat Rafael Nadal—no one is. Nadal, the king of clay, looks better than ever at this French.

Djokovic wouldn't be able to beat him on clay right now even if he was playing at the top of his game.

As it is now, he will have a hard time winning a set.