French Open 2012 Schedule: Day 12 TV Coverage, Matches and Bracket Guide
The final four of the French Open is set.
Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer both played spectacularly in their quarterfinal matchups, and they will join Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic in the final pairings at Roland Garros.
The No. 2 ranked Nadal was on cruise control as he breezed by No. 12 Nicolas Almagro 7-6, 6-2, 6-3. His serve was in rare form as he saved all four break points presented to him. He is now 50-1 lifetime at the French Open.
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In a minor upset of sorts, the No. 6 seeded Ferrer knocked off No. 4 Andy Murray 6-4, 6-7, 6-3, 6-2 to reach his first ever semifinal at the French Open.
He will face Nadal with a berth to the finals on the line. Rafa has won three straight against Ferrer since losing to him in the 2011 Australian Open.
On the women’s side, there was little drama.
No. 2 seeded Maria Sharapova easily defeated No. 23 Kaia Kanepi 6-2, 6-3 in her attempt to complete the career Grand Slam. Her opponent will be No. 4 seeded Petra Kvitova, who fended off Yaroslava Shvedova 3-6, 6-2, 6-4.
With the men taking Thursday off, here is what to expect at Roland Garros on Day 12.
TV Schedule
| Date | Time | Round | Channel |
| June 7 | 8 a.m. - 1p.m. (Live) | Women's Semifinals | ESPN2 |
Notable Matches
Women’s
No. 6 Samantha Stosur vs. No. 21 Sara Errani
An Australian hasn’t won the French Open in 39 years, and now, Stosur is only two matches away from cementing herself as one of the greatest of all-time from her country.
The catalyst of her game is the kick serve, which she began working on since she was just 10 years old. The combination of a ferocious serve and a ball that has some serious top spin on it has been the main reason she has yet to drop a single set at Roland Garros. Nobody is playing better than her.
Errani won’t be a pushover, though.
She has won 23 of 26 matches on the clay surface this year and is fresh off of beating two former French Open champions in Ana Ivanovic (2008) and Svetlana Kuznetsova (2009) in her last two matches.
Both players are incredibly hot, but Stosur’s 5-0 record against Errani suggests the Australian will be advancing.
No. 2 Maria Sharapova vs. No. 4 Petra Kvitova
Both of these ladies will set foot on the clay court in less than 24 hours after their last matches, which heavily favors Sharapova.
She destroyed Kanepi in only 74 minutes, meaning she will be much more rested than her opponent Kvitova, who took almost two hours to win her pressure-packed match.
This is Sharapova’s third semifinal at the French Open, and there is no doubt she will recapture the No. 1 overall world ranking with a win.
Yet it’s not like Kvitova hasn’t played spectacular tennis either. This is her third time reaching the semifinals of a Grand Slam in the last four events, and we must remember that it was Kvitova that defeated Sharapova in last year’s Wimbledon final.
This promises to be a specular match.
Here are two potential matchups that could hold some serious intrigue in the finals.
Men's
No. 1 Novak Djokovic vs. No. 2 Rafael Nadal
Something has to give.
Rafa is 50-1 at the French Open and truly is the “King of the Clay.” He holds an 18-14 advantage head-to-head against the Djoker, including a 12-2 mark on clay.
Nadal has looked unbeatable while Djokovic has shown some severe mental lapses at times.
While this would be the ultimate match between the two powers of tennis, history suggests that Rafa would win his record-breaking seventh French Open title with ease.
Women's
No. 2 Maria Sharapova vs. No. 6 Samantha Stosur
This is the best possible finals match at this point, and fans would certainly be getting their money’s worth.
Both players have yet to hoist the trophy here in Paris, and both are playing some of the best tennis of their lives.
Can Sharapova keep up with Stosur’s unbelievable serve? Can the much shorter Stosur handle the extreme length of Sharapova?
This is the match everyone wants to see.
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