French Open 2019: Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer Semi-Final Set and More Results
June 4, 2019
Defending champion Rafael Nadal cruised into the semi-finals of the 2019 French Open on Tuesday after seeing off the challenge of seventh-seeded Kei Nishikori.
The Spaniard will face Roger Federer for a place in the final. The Swiss star reached the last four by knocking out compatriot Stanislas Wawrinka in four sets.
In the women's draw, Great Britain's Johanna Konta maintained her fine form by upsetting seventh-seeded Sloane Stephens.
Konta will play unseeded Czech teenager Marketa Vondrousova. The 19-year-old upset 31st-seeded Petra Martic to make her first Grand Slam semi-final.
Tuesday's Men's Results
(2) Rafael Nadal bt. (7) Kei Nishikori 6-1, 6-1, 6-3
(3) Roger Federer bt. (24) Stanislas Wawrinka 7-6 (4), 4-6, 7-6 (5), 6-4
Tuesday's Women's Results
(26) Johanna Konta bt. (7) Sloane Stephens 6-1, 6-4
Marketa Vondrousova bt. (31) Petra Martic 7-6 (1), 7-5
Tuesday Recap
Rain interrupted both men's quarter-finals at Roland Garros on Tuesday, but Nadal continued his dominance on the clay in Paris.
The second seed raced through the opening set for the loss of just one game, while Nishikori looked to be feeling the effects of his five-set wins over Laslo Dere and Benoit Paire in the last two rounds.
Nadal broke early in the second set on his way to taking a stranglehold on the match that his opponent could do little about.
The Spaniard seemed to be in a hurry to complete the game but was forced to stop at 4-2 up in the third set due to the imminent arrival of a thunderstorm:
Nadal did not appear too happy to be forced off the court with victory in sight, but he picked up where he left off on his return to reach his 12th French Open semi-final:
The 11-time French champion will face a familiar opponent after Federer progressed to the last four at Roland Garros for the first time in seven years:
Federer was made to work harder for his win by a determined Wawrinka. The third seed needed a tiebreak to clinch the opener, but the 2015 French Open champion hit straight back to level the match.
The 37-year-old needed to be at his very best to clinch a tight third set, again via tiebreak:
Play was suspended with the scores at 3-3 in the fourth set. After an hour delay, Federer secured the crucial break at 4-4.
Wawrinka threatened to break back as Federer served for the match but could not do quite enough as the 2009 French Open champion progressed after three hours and 17 minutes.
Konta has no such trouble in her quarter-final, producing a near-flawless display to secure her first French Open semi-final.
The British star dropped just five games on her way to victory as she breezed past the seventh seed:
The 28-year-old becomes the first British woman to make the last four in Paris since 1983 and fully deserved her victory:
Konta now faces the challenge of Vondrousova, who beat Martic in straight sets in a dramatic match.
The teenager appeared to lose the first set but managed to produce a superb comeback to win it on the tiebreak:
The second set produced more drama with Vondrousova having two match points while serving at 5-3 but unable to see it out as the nerves began to show.
Martic kept her nerve to stay in the match, and a horrible double-fault by the Czech saw her opponent break back:
Yet Vondrousova was not to be denied a second time. She hit straight back to force her third match point and made no mistake to secure a semi-final spot.