French Open 2011: Can Anyone Beat Rafael Nadal?
Rafael Nadal's histoire d'amour with the French Open began back in 2005 when he first clinched the Coupe des Mousquetaires with his teeth after a 6-7 (6), 6-3, 6-1, 7-5 win over Mariano Puerta.
The 19-year-old teenager from Majorca with butt-hugging capris had become the youngest champion at Roland Garros since 17-year-old Michael Chang's triumph in 1989.
Nadal has matured a lot since then and accomplished a lot more!
With five of the last six French Open trophies engraved with his name, Nadal is Paris' favourite son for two weeks every May-June.
With an unprecedented 41-1 record going into his fourth-round match against Ivan Ljubicic on Monday, Nadal is the clear favourite to equal Bjorn Borg's record of six French Open titles.
But his first and second-round struggles against John Isner and Pablo Andujar does point out some chinks in the muscular armour that rivals will be keen to exploit.
So who stands a chance against the "King of Clay?"
Here's a list of five players (in order of likelihood) who do:
5. Ivan Ljubicic
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Nadal has met the Croat veteran eight times in his career and won six of those meetings.
Three of those wins were on clay—the most recent being a straight-sets quarterfinal victory at Monte Carlo this year. Ljubicic has never beaten Nadal on clay.
However, the former World No. 3 and the oldest man still in the draw beat the 2009 Australian Open semifinalist and No. 16 seed, Fernando Verdasco, with a 6-3, 7-6 (8), 6-4 scoreline in the third round.
Ljubicic has a strong serve, and being a baseliner, uses the slice and drop shot to great effect.
However, he is a weak returner of serve—something Nadal will gladly exploit.
Also, the 32-year-old's legs are no match for Nadal's and is not likely to survive if the match goes beyond three sets.
But don't expect him to give up without a fight.
4. Andy Murray
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Nadal has a 10-4 record against the 6'3" Scotsman and has won all three matches they've played on clay—the most recent being a 6-4, 2-6, 6-1 win at Monte Carlo.
Murray, like Nadal, hasn't had the best of starts to the 2011 French Open and looked scrappy and well under his best in his first and second-round wins.
However, he overcame the shaky start and a sprained ankle to fight his way to a brave 6-2, 6-3, 6-2 third-round victory over World No. 95 Michael Berrer.
But he has been nowhere near the form he produced at the recently concluded Rome Masters where he battled valiantly and lost to eventual champion Novak Djokovic 6-1, 3-6, 7-6 (2) in the semis after being just two points away from victory.
Earlier this year, Murray contested in his back-to-back Australian Open final where he, again, lost to Djokovic.
Murray has never gotten past the quarterfinals at Roland Garros and enjoys a 7-3 record on clay this year (33-25 overall). Clearly, it isn't his preferred playing surface.
Murray will be a potential semifinal opponent for Nadal in the 2011 French Open.
3. Robin Soderling
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Nadal and Soderling have met just seven times in the past with Nadal winning five of those encounters.
They have met four times on clay where Nadal enjoys a 3-1 lead.
Soderling shocked everyone and their mother in 2009 when he beat Nadal 6-2, 6-7 (2), 6-4, 7-6 (2) in the fourth round of the French Open, thereby breaking the Spaniard's 31-match winning streak at the tournament.
But Nadal exacted revenge on the powerful, lanky 6'4" Swede the following year when he won in the final in straight sets—6-4, 6-2, 6-4.
Soderling has appeared in back-to-back finals at Roland Garros in 2009 and 2010. On both occasions, he lost the final to the top seed—Federer and Nadal—in straight sets.
Nadal and Soderling are set to meet in the quarterfinal this year provided they both make it there.
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2. Roger Federer
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While the entire focus of the men's draw at the 2011 French Open has been on the top two seeds—Nadal and Djokovic—Roger Federer has been quietly going about his business with consummate ease.
"La force tranquille" has hardly broken sweat in reaching his 28th consecutive Grand Slam quarterfinal—equaling Jimmy Connors' record.
Federer has enjoyed comfortable straight-set victories so far as he enters the business-end of the tournament. He is the clear underdog, and by the looks of it, is enjoying the tag.
Nadal and Federer could meet in what would be a yet another dream final on 5th June. It would be their fourth final in five meetings in the tournament, with Nadal winning all of their previous encounters.
In 13 previous clashes on clay, Federer has managed to get the better of Nadal on only two occasions.
In finals, Nadal's record is even more impressive—winning 12 out of 18 times.
Federer has never beaten Nadal at Roland Garros and would love to put that record straight as he bids to win his second Coupe des Mousquetaires.
1. Novak Djokovic
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Novak Djokovic finished 2010 ranked No. 3 in the world for the fourth successive year.
However, ever since he helped Serbia win the Davis Cup in December, he's a whole new rejuvenated and seemingly invincible man.
Djokovic has won all the seven tournaments he's entered in 2011 including the Australian Open—his second Grand Slam triumph.
This includes beating World No. 1 Rafael Nadal four times—twice on clay—and Roger Federer thrice.
Djokovic entered the 2011 French Open as joint-favourite with Nadal. On Sunday, he beat Frenchman Richard Gasquet 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 to enter the quarterfinal of the tournament and subsequently equal John McEnroe's record of having the best start to a season with a 42-0 win-loss record.
Counting his two Davis Cup wins, Nole is now unbeaten for 44 games and seems unstoppable at the moment. The last time the Serb lost was at the semifinals of the 2010 ATP World Tour Finals—to Federer.
While a Federer-Djokovic semifinal matchup is as salivating a prospect as it could get, a victory could see the Serb go on to meet Nadal in what would be their fifth final this year.
While Nadal hasn't found a way to beat Djokovic this season, he enjoys a 16-11 record against the Serb overall.
However, Nadal has played Djokovic thrice at Roland Garros before and won all three of those meetings.
Nadal didn't drop a single set in any of those meetings.
Verdict
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In spite of showing signs of vulnerability this year, Rafael Nadal is still the bookies' favourite at the 2011 French Open—and justifiably so.
There's something in that red dirt that just brings it out in the Majorcan and only a deluded idiot wouldn't bet against him winning his sixth French Open title.
However, not only did Nadal drop a set in the first round of Roland Garros for the first time ever, he dropped two!
It's the first time he's been stretched so early in the tournament, and his showings have given others a glimmer of hope.
But Rafael Nadal is a champion, and one that never says never!
He's fought his way back from the brink of defeat before, and he's going to give it his 110 till the last second of the last point of the last set of the match. It doesn't matter if he's winning or losing!
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