French Open 2019: Thursday Replay TV Schedule and Live-Stream Guide
June 6, 2019
There was a rare occurrence at the French Open on Wednesday: a rainout. However, it may be the last time it will ever happen at Roland-Garros.
The weather forced the tournament to make some changes to its schedule, so Friday is now set to feature the women's singles semifinals, as well as the semifinals for the men's singles bracket.
As for future years, Roland-Garros is expected to add a roof to the main stadium before next year's French Open. Currently, it is the only Grand Slam site without a covered court.
Because of the rain, the two remaining quarterfinal matchups in both singles tournaments were pushed back a day to Thursday. It was the first time there was a rainout at the French Open since 2016, and only the second time since 2000.
The top player in action Thursday morning was No. 1-ranked men's singles player Novak Djokovic, who took on Alexander Zverev.
Thursday Replay Information
TV: Tennis Channel (2 p.m. ET, 10 p.m. ET, 1 a.m. ET on Friday)
Live Stream: Tennis Channel Everywhere
Top Storyline to Watch
Much of the attention for this year's French Open is on the men's singles, which will feature a semifinal matchup between two of the sport's all-time greats.
For the 39th time, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal will go head-to-head. The latter leads the all-time series 23-15, and he has dominated his rival on clay, going 13-2 against him on the surface.
The Swiss hasn't defeated Nadal on clay since the ATP Masters 1000 Madrid in 2009.
The Spaniard is 5-0 against Federer at the French Open, including their last meeting at the tournament in the 2011 finals.
However, Federer has had more success in recent years against his rival. He has won his last five matches against Nadal, who hasn't beat Federer since the 2014 Australian Open semifinals.
Federer has won 20 Grand Slam singles championships, while Nadal has won 11 French Open titles. This year's matchup will surely add another exciting chapter to the storied rivalry between two of the top men's tennis players in history, and it should be a thrilling matchup for fans to watch.
With so many matches between these two stars in the past, each knows what to expect from the other heading into this semifinal.
Per the New York Times' Christopher Clarey, Nadal said of Federer:
"I really expect that he's going to play aggressive, changing rhythms going to the net. Because he's playing well, and he has the tennis to make that happen. I have to be solid. I have to hit the ball strong enough to not allow him to do things from good positions. I need to let him play from difficult positions, so from there he's going to have less chances to go to the net or to play his aggressive game."
Federer said, per Clarey:
"If you want to do or achieve something on the clay, inevitably at some stage, you will go through Rafa, because he's that strong and he will be there. I knew that when I signed up for the clay that hopefully that was going to happen. If I would have had a different mindset to avoid him, then I should not have played the clay."
There is a strong chance that whoever wins this matchup will go on to win the tournament. Nadal is looking to win his third straight title and his eighth in 10 years. Federer has won only one French Open title, which came in 2009.