French Open 2016 Schedule: Friday Replay TV Coverage and Live Stream Guide
The 2016 French Open is nearing its climax as the final four contenders in the men's and women's draws compete for a place in this year's final at Roland Garros.
In the men's draw, top seed Novak Djokovic will take on Dominic Thiem, while defending champion Stan Wawrinka faces Andy Murray.
Serena Williams survived a scare at the hands of Yulia Putintseva on Thursday to reach this stage, while Timea Bacsinszky became the latest victim of her opponent Kiki Bertens' exceptional form as she was swept aside in the quarter-finals.
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Garbine Muguruza and Sam Stosur comprise the other semi-final.
| Serena Williams (USA)[1] | vs. | Kiki Bertens (NED) |
| Stan Wawrinka (SUI) [3] | vs. | Andy Murray (GBR) [2] |
| Garbine Muguruza (ESP) [4] | vs. | Samantha Stosur (AUS) [21] |
| Novak Djokovic (SER)[1] | vs. | Dominic Thiem (AUT)[13] |
In the UK, Eurosport 2 will be broadcasting highlights at 7 p.m. (BST) and can be stream through Eurosport Player.
In the U.S., the Tennis Channel is showing a replay of the action from 3 p.m. to 5 a.m. (ET) and can be seen via Tennis Channel Everywhere.
Djokovic Still in the Hunt for First French Open Title
On paper, the Djoker should have a much easier time than Murray or Wawrinka when he takes on 13th-seed Thiem.
The Serb eased his way past Tomas Berdych on Thursday in a largely comfortable straight-sets victory.
Tennis writer Christopher Clarey and journalist Carole Bouchard hailed the 29-year-old's clever use of drop shots against his opponent:
"Drop shot master for now from Djokovic vs Berdych !
— Carole Bouchard (@carole_bouchard) June 2, 2016"
Indeed, even when Berdych was able to reach one, Djokovic still often had an ace up his sleeve, per Roland Garros:
However, if not for the quick reactions of an alert line judge, the world No. 1 would not be in the semi-finals after he accidentally threw his racket toward him, per Ben Rothenberg of the New York Times:
It's not the first time Djokovic has been fortunate with such an incident—in the final of this year's Rome Masters, his racket bounced into the crowd after he threw it to the ground in frustration.
Against Thiem, he'll need to keep his cool. Per Dan Imhoff for the Roland Garros website, Djokovic is anticipating a stern test from the 22-year-old: "He's one of the leaders of the new generation. I'm sure he's very motivated to show himself and others that he deserves to be at the top and compete for biggest titles. I'm sure he's going to give it all in semis. But I have something to fight for, as well."
After going a set down against David Goffin, Thiem produced some outstanding tennis to fight his way back into the match. As Roland Garros revealed, the youngster's forehand was a particular highlight:
Per the Roland Garros website's Stuart Fraser, Thiem is aware of the challenge he faces but does not appear to be suffering from undue pressure:
"It's going to be unbelievably tough. I think he's a little bit on a different level than all the other players, but still I'm in good shape and the match starts at 0-0. I'm going to do it like the whole tournament: I just go out, I will give my best and focus 100 per cent. Then I will see the outcome.
"
Djokovic has reached the French Open final in three of the last four years, only to fall at the final hurdle.
As good as Thiem is, he does offer a more straightforward route than the remaining contenders, and the Djoker should come out on top here.
However, if the Austrian can replicate the form he showed to reach this stage, Djokovic will have to work hard for victory.
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