Nadal vs. Djokovic: Rafa Will Dominate When Final Resumes

Rafael Nadal will flex his clay-court dominance when the 2012 French Open final resumes under, presumably, drier conditions. 

Nadal and Novak Djokovic were in the middle of play when they were interrupted by rain...twice. Nadal leads two sets to one, but he is down a break and trailing 2-1 in the fourth set. 

Djokovic had clearly wrestled momentum away in this match, but he did so in the rain. This is vital to note. Yes, both players are dealing with the same conditions, but the rain limits some of the amazing advantages Nadal has on clay. 

When it was dry, Nadal took the first two sets by a score of 6-4 and 6-3. This is the kind of outcome we can expect when play resumes—presumably in drier conditions.

The biggest factor is that the rain destroys Nadal's forehand. Rafa loads up his powerful shot with as much topspin as any player in the game. By comparison, Nole's forehand is as flat as a table. 

The rain, wet balls and clay limit the impact and pop of spin. This turns Rafa's difficult-to-return forehand into a high-bouncing, sitting duck, while Djokovic's forehand goes relatively unchanged. 

Don't get me wrong; this should still be a joy to watch. Djokovic is not just going to roll over. There is also a good chance that he will not blow his break lead and this will go to a fifth set, but Rafa is not going to 10 games on the clay.

Hopefully, this one will end on Monday, but you can't count on Mother Nature. The day it ends is harder to predict than who will be the winner at the conclusion. Rafa will not lose on this court (when it isn't a mud puddle).