₦airaland Forum

Ferrer needs this rain break badly. . . . .affords him enough time to rest and review where he went wrong after starting so brightly!

Anyways, nadal as champion would still win in 3 straight sets but i expect him to sweat for it which he hasn't rily started yet and its game 2 almost over.

fredoooooo: ferrer playing the ball to rafa's backhand is affecting his game IMO , why not just leav the tactis and play his game

it worked well in his first 2 serves and nadal couldnt take any point. i think Ferrer as you suggested should continue the hard stroke and his deadly forehand. While nadal has no clear answer yet to that tactic, he's playing well to minimise ferrer from playing to that tactic and i guess after losing the 1st set so easily, the mental dilemna is also beginning to take toll

Nadal takes 1st set 6-2 in 39minutes. . . .who wan test the heavyweight champion!!!

Nadal breaks Ferrer to take lead 3-2 and would be serving for game 6. As it has been, Nadal is not serving too well and Ferrer has been able to pin him to use his backhand thus forcing errors from nadal, but as King of clay, he picks the necessary point at the right time!

Ferrer - Nadal to kick off soon, players on the court. . . . introductions being done now

go RAFA. . . . .undisputed King of Clay and one of the best players to grace the tennis court!

Match of the Day: David Ferrer (ESP) (6) v Rafael Nadal (ESP) (2)

Ask anyone here at Roland Garros how they see Rafael Nadal’s semi-final against David Ferrer turning out, and there isn’t too much variation in the replies. This answer is reasonably typical: “I think you can win a set from Rafa, but there is a difference between winning a set and winning a match. Winning a match against Rafa is almost impossible.” Sounds about right. So who spoke those words? Step forward David Ferrer, assessing his own task in the last four against his good friend Rafa Nadal.

Nadal is 15-4 up in their career meetings, with 11 of their last 12 meetings under his belt. Ferrer has not beaten him on clay since their first-ever encounter, in Stuttgart eight years ago. Nadal has surrendered his serve just once so far this tournament, holding 60 out of 61 times (surprisingly it was Simone Bolelli who breached his defences in the first round). And of course Nadal is going for a record-breaking seventh title at Roland Garros this year. So can Ferrer, or anyone, or anything else stop him?

“Naah,” says Jim Courier, twice champion here, mitigating only: “Injury?”

Not unbeatable

Yet lest we forget, Rafael Nadal has lost at Roland Garros, famously in 2009, to Robin Soderling in the fourth round. So it can happen. But back then the Spaniard's knees were causing him physical pain, and his spirit wasn’t feeling so good either as his parents werehaving marital difficulties.

“Why I lost? The first thing is because you cannot win always,” states Nadal. “Second thing, the normal thing is to lose, the normal thing is not to win because only one player wins. Third thing, the opponent played much better than me.

“I had a tough year that year – some problems at home and, most important thing, a lot of problems in my knees. He [Soderling] played very aggressive. His shots were flat, long. He had not many mistakes.” And unusually, the crowd was against Nadal, encouraging the underdog. Nadal has no argument with that.

“I love a lot this place,” he says. “I love a lot this tournament and it’s difficult to say something negative. It was disappointing about the crowd, I don’t want to lie, but yes, because I was having tough moments even winning tournaments. But that feeling I only had that year. The rest of the years, seriously, I don’t feel the crowd against me, never. Last year I played the final against Roger. I feel the crowd 50-50 supporting a great tennis match, and that’s it.”

'Ferru' on fire

For many it is a surprise that this semi-final marks new career territory at Roland Garros for Ferrer. He has made the semis at the US Open in 2007 and Australia last year. But never here. Mats Wilander, three times a French Open winner, has noted Ferrer’s subtle ability to make his opponents play badly. He did it against no.4 seed Andy Murray, usurping the Scot’s allotted place in the Big Four. But to do it against Nadal is very hard to foresee.

“I’m quite certain this is going to be a very physical match,” says ‘Ferru’. “Maybe Rafa has more pressure than me because he's the best clay court player in history. He improves every time. He's improved on all his shots.

“I knew I was capable of making it to the semifinals. It is a big relief. I played the quarter-finals twice, and this time I made it. I arrived here in a pretty good shape, both physically and mentally. So I will try to play beautiful tennis. But it's just a tennis match. We both want to win it, so I'm going to do everything I can. Then we can play with our PlayStations together, no problem.”

And by the way, Ferrer would like to clear something up. When he wrote ‘Feliz Cumpleanos’ on the camera lens after his fourth round win over Marcel Granollers on Monday, it was his fiancée to whom he was wishing happy birthday and not, as some had it, Nadal.

“I like Rafa very much,” smiles Ferrer. “But not that much.”

game over . . . . .World Number 1

what a performance, what a way to win with an ACE!

Go girl! we got another important break to lead 5-3. serving for the set now. . . .

1st set down in 40mins 6-3. . . . .sharapova my love

haters. . . .make dem hug transformer (but the one wey no get light ooo. . . .cos i still love una too )

Santino1: important break for my babe

i blow her taking all the points on Kvitova's serve. and now has served to lead 4-2. impressive!

my sweetheart is stepping out to court now. . . . .this her black on black is sexy jor!

do us your admirers proud. . . .

Errani should win the women doubles and be contented with that ooo. . . .no fairytale for her in the final. Any odeshi shall be binded! (am i already scared?? )

Well, errani was brave. . . . stosur surprised me as having won the 2nd set 6-1 and coming from 0-3 down to level 3-3 in the third set, she really got her final tactics wrong.

weldone to Errani. . . .hopefully, my sweetheart would do the justice in the final after claiming the number 1 spot today .

errani - stosur at 3-2 in the 3rd and final set. . . . .both players have broken each other now and Stosur is to serve for game 6.

interesting match!

Errani really has mental strength after losing the 2nd set by 1-6. . . she leads the third set 3-0. can she keep her composure and sontinue the fairtytale??
. . . .another 25minutes would tell!

Errani no get respect ooooo. . . . .she's won the 1st set 7-5 coming form a 0-2 score. that's nerve meeen!

finaly. . . .errani takes on stosur. . . .would we see an upset? or the errani fairytale comes to an end?

rain rain go away . . . . . .!

WEATHER!!!!!! >: . . . .why come now break the momentum. . . .anyways!

in other news, Murray has lost 1st set to Ferrer 4-6. is he gonna come back for the third straight game?

time will tell. . . .

@santino1 2nd set taken by Nadal 6-2. much more easier than the 1st set. . . . now you agree it'l be a 3straight set win?

fredoooooo: is murray truly injured ? if yes why playing with injury ? hope its not another tactics by him , ferrer nadal will be a cracker , they both know themself

most clay court matches between spanish players are always close calls as most of them started up with clay court matches and there are sevral clay court tournaments in spain. It would be a close match but i'l prefer Murray in the semis. . . . .we need a fresh breath to be well tuned for the final against whoever as Almagro is enough drain jor!

Santino1: Don't be too sure

i guess the 2nd set is answering that. Nadal leads 4-1 with Almagro serving now. We've got the important break which Nadal wont surrender.

first set gone. . . . .we'l coming out smoking hotter in next set. this must be a three straight set match!

Almagro dey do agidi abi. . . .he don force tie break but we'l take him apart there. nadal leading 4-1 in the game of 7 for the tie break

The crowd seems to cheer every winner Almagro plays. . . . .surprised, he's getting more cheers than my Nadal, the King of French clay courts!

NADAL - ALMAGRO

#NeamNadal

My Sharapova doing it well against kanepi. . . .takes 1st set at 6-2. currently tied at 2-2 in the second set. (also leading in the grunting game. . . )

Tsonga's mind is in disarray!

If they play to finish tonight, Tsonga has chance but to face a refreshed Novak tomorrow, he stands very slim or no chance

can Tsonga pull this. . . . .heartbreaking tennis!

Novak na strong pomo meat. tie break on the 4th set, can Tsonga lift up the arena in this tie break cos i can see fatigue setting in for Tsonga