French Open 2022, Semifinals, Friday, 03.06.2022
Four players, one title. The French Open 2022 has found its semi-finalists! From a German perspective, it’s particularly pleasing that Alexander Zverev has also made it into the top four! Now he will have to face the record champion of all people.
As in the quarter-finals, the Olympic champion would have to knock out a Spaniard to advance to the next round. And precisely the one who is virtually unbeatable in Paris. Read my Nadal Zverev tip to find out why I can imagine a real thriller here!
Easy opponents in the semi-finals of a Grand Slam, Alexander Zverev realises that he now only has to compete with the very best. In Paris, he managed to do exactly what he has never managed before: beat one of the top 10 players!
Against prodigy Carlos Alcaraz, the German showed the best performance of 2022, even though the crowd was clearly in favour of the 19-year-old. Zverev won an incredibly close, intense match 6-4, 6-4, 4-6, 7-6, and deservedly so.
He only allowed two breaks, an unbelievably good score against a world-class man like Carlos Alcaraz. The way Zverev served so strongly against Alcaraz almost made us forget that he almost pulled out in the 2nd round.
He overcame a 2-0 deficit against Sebastian Baez and then struggled against Brandon Nakashima and Bernabe Mirallas. After these results, including three tiebreaks against Nakashima and Mirallas, many were sceptical for his quarterfinal.
After his final at the Australian Open in 2020, the 25-year-old wants to reach a final at a Grand Slam for the second time. But he probably hasn’t forgotten what happened to him at Roland Garros a year ago.
He lost 3-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, 3-6 to Stefanos Tsitsipas in the semi-finals, had to go home just before the big finish. 3:6, that is his very personal record against Rafael Nadal.
The clear deficit was mainly due to the fact that Nadal had snatched the first five games, including three on clay. Zverev then collected three victories in a row, the most recent of which went to Nadal.
With odds of 1.30 to 3.75, they see the record champion from Paris in the clear favourite role. Rafael Nadal is competing in these French Open under very special conditions, because he is not really fit.
Although he is fighting with or rather against his health, he is able to fight for hours and beat the best. Top of that list, of course, is the recent victory he celebrated against Novak Djokovic in top form.
Winning 6-2, 4-6, 6-2, 7-6, Nadal spent over four hours both on court. Now Nadal is contesting a Paris semi-final for the 15th time. Has he ever been eliminated so close to the final?
Indeed, exactly one year ago against Novak Djokovic! If Zverev has followed Rafael Nadal’s tournament, he will know: This great fighter is by no means unbeatable. In the quarter-finals against Felix Auger-Aliassime he had to survive in five sets!
The thrillers in Paris are going into the next round, Rafael Nadal and Alexander Zverev have underpinned their title claims with their terrific quarter-finals. Who is now that bit stronger than the other?
Of course, Nadal is the favourite as the record champion, after all he also beat Djokovic. No one really knows whether his foot will hold on Friday.
Finally beating a top 10 player for the first time at a Grand Slam, the knot may have finally broken.
Since he won three of the last four duels against Nadal and I see them both on about the same level, my tip can only be:
We’ll see at least four sets!
