French Open 2013: Biggest Key for Each Remaining Men's Contender

While all eyes remain on men's top seeds Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal at the 2013 French Open, there are two other top-10 players looking to earn a berth in Sunday's final at Roland Garros.

David Ferrer has taken full advantage of Andy Murray's withdrawal while Jo-Wilfried Tsonga has proven once again that he can more than hold his own against the Big Four, beating 17-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer to move within one victory of his second career major final appearance.

Both Tsonga and Ferrer will meet in the first men's semifinal on Friday, followed by an epic clash between Nadal and Djokovic, per the official Roland Garros Twitter:

Below we'll highlight the biggest key for each of the four remaining players in the men's draw heading into Friday's semifinals.

Novak Djokovic's Biggest Key: Utilize Backhand Down the Line

World No. 1 Novak Djokovic is one of if not the best in the men's game when it comes to making opponents pay with his backhand.

Against Rafael Nadal on Friday, Djokovic will need to be sharp when utilizing his fantastic two-handed backhand. If he's hitting it accurately and consistently, we've seen before that he can give Nadal all sorts of problems.

Djokovic utilized that shot several times against Nadal in the Monte Carlo final last month, which he won in straight sets. If he's able to steal some points off of it in the semifinals, he could be on his way back to the French Open final this summer. 

Keep in mind that Djokovic connected on 11 backhand winners in his quarterfinal win over Tommy Haas.

Rafael Nadal's Biggest Key: Continue to Play Free, Take Chances

It's no secret that Rafa's game is built around confidence. When Nadal is feeling good about himself and confident in his abilities, he plays free and near-unbeatable tennis.

As witnessed in his dominant quarterfinal win over Stanislas Wawrinka, every aspect of Rafa's game is better when he's playing loose. His forehands have more topspin and seemingly strike the line every time, while his backhands look smooth and steady.

In Wednesday's straight-sets thrashing of Wawrinka, Nadal connected on 31 winners and had more smiles than unforced errors it seemed, committing just 17.

He was phenomenal on return, winning 52 percent of his receiving points. What's more, he was exceptional at the net, winning 13 of 16 net points for the match. Nadal doesn't need those sort of numbers to advance to the final for the eighth time in nine years, but he does need to play with that same fearless mentality. 

David Ferrer's Biggest Key: Dominate on the First Serve

David Ferrer isn't exactly known for his serve, but he'll tell you that it is one of his greatest weapons on the tennis court. 

Despite standing just 5'9", the 31-year-old Ferrer is able to keep his opponents off balance with his serve. In his quarterfinal match against Tommy Robredo, Ferrer only managed to put 47 percent of his first serves into the box, but wound up winning 25 of those 29 points (86 percent).

Even more impressive, Ferrer was able to win 67 percent of his second-serve points against Robredo, winning 76 percent of his service points for the match and giving Robredo very little room for error during his service games.

Against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the semifinals, Ferrer must get a higher percentage of first serves in, and then be sure to take advantage of those opportunities like he has since play began at Roland Garros.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga's Biggest Key: Convert a High Percentage at the Net

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga is one of the best players on the planet when it comes to converting net points.

The 28-year-old Frenchman routinely displays superb touch and poise at the net, and did so in his quarterfinal win over second-seeded Roger Federer on Tuesday, winning 15 of 23 net points (65 percent) and breaking Federer six times to advance in straight sets.

Fed won just 15 of 30 points at the net in the surprising loss.

Against Ferrer in the semifinals on Friday, Tsonga will once again need to be a stud at the net. Ferrer is persistent in the return game, and isn't going to give up on many points. Therefore, if Tsonga is able to convert a high percentage of points at the net again, he could ultimately break his opponent's will and advance to Sunday's men's final.

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