Rafael Nadal has continued his march towards a record-extending 13th French Open title with a 7-6(4), 6-4, 6-1 win over Jannik Sinner in the late-night match on Philippe-Chatrier.
The Spanish great booked a semi-final berth against Diego Schwartzman, who reached his first grand slam semi-final with a 7-6(1), 5-7, 6-7(6), 7-6(5) win against the US Open champion Thiem in 5hr 8min. Rafa has won 10 of his 13 previous Roland Garros quarter-finals in straight sets.
“Now I have, well, I would say two days off, but almost 1 1/2,” Rafa said with a laugh. “But, yes, now it’s two days to practice, to rest a little bit and to recover, and just try to be ready for that semifinal.”
This was Rafa’s 100th match at Roland Garros. Our champ now has a 98-2 win-loss record at the clay court grand slam.
🏃🏻♂️👼❤️(🇦🇷) v 💪🏻👑❤️(🇪🇸)
🤕🤬😈(🇷🇸) v 👟🙋🏼♂️🙏🏻(🇬🇷)
Lo siento, Diego. ¡Vamos Rafa!
We’re good to go Rafa? Yes we are!
Schwartzman is in for a surprise today… the Rafa from Rome is no more- this is the RG Rafa! Just like Thiem found out last year that the Rafa who he beat in Barcelona was different from the animal that destroyed him in 3 sets in the RG final:)
Get it done champ… back me up please:):)
Are some French fans here commenting/reacting/reading on this page ?
It’s weird that I can see your comments only with delay. I hope you receive mine.
A nice day to all real Rafael’s fans.
“We are long past the point where Nadal’s reputation is tied only to the clay. He’s won Wimbledon twice, the Australian Open once and the U.S. Open a fairly remarkable four times — one more than Djokovic. Instead, if Nadal reaches 20 this weekend, the only appropriate reaction is awe at how thoroughly he’s mastered Roland Garros. The fact that he would have won the French 13 times certainly tilts his Slam count toward one surface, but it is ridiculous all the same.”
[Source: for the full opinion article by Dan Wolken see USA Today dated October 8, 2020]
I hope Rafa feels his fans’ explosive excitement and admiration for what he can accomplish this French Open. As the hours pass I am becoming a nervous wreck but hope to be calmer tomorrow. With Rafa it NEVER gets boring.
RAFA ROCKS
Margo, I am a nervous wreck too. I usually can’t sleep well the night before his match……
I have made a pledge since 2016 that I would make a donation in Rafa’s honor whenever he wins a big title. I will double the amount for his lucky 13/20 🤞
Vamos Rafa!❤️
Mimi, sorry but I’m not any kind of help. Yesterday I was playing it cool [to myself, LOL] thinking he plays in two days so I can relax, do what needs to be done and I’ll see him Friday.
Well…it’s now tomorrow that he will play and I can’t tell you how many times today that I’ve checked to see how much longer I have to wait to see him play. I’ve never been this nuts before one of his matches.
Sounds like I am doing better than you 😂
I practice yoga a few times a week, maybe it helps a little bit?
We are all same guys 🤣…vamos Rafa
The following is a duplicate because the original landed miles from this post.
Here is what Pablo Carreño-Busta had to say about ND’s antics yesterday during their match.
“Each time he is in trouble he usually does it, that means to say that he was in trouble, that he wasn’t comfortable and that I was playing at a high level and was causing him to doubt himself,” Carreno Busta told reporters in Spanish.
“Every time a match gets complicated he asks for medical assistance. He has been doing this for a long time. I already knew that. I knew it would happen at the U.S. Open, I knew it would happen here and I know it will keep on happening.
“I don’t know if it’s something chronic in his shoulder or just mental, but he didn’t put me off.”
“I don’t know, maybe it’s the pressure or something that he needs to do it. But he continues playing normal, no? I don’t know if he’s (in) pain really or he has mental (issues). Ask him,” Carreno Busta said in English.
(Reporting by Richard Martin in London and Sudipto Ganguly in Mumbai; editing by Pritha Sarkar)
Not unsurprisingly there were many social media comments about how miraculous ND’s medical problems just happen to disappear after an MTO.
Everyone has caught onto N.D.’s fakery. His act has gotten really old and stale. PCB is right in stating that it will never stop. One of the many reasons I never watch him. I daresay I would cheer for any of his opponents even the dreadful N.K. and that’s saying something.
LOL I’ve got to agree with that Pauline.
After his match he said he hurt himself while practicing but didn’t want to give any details because it would seem as if he were complaining and he’s still in the tournament. Hhmmmmm
Correction: infamous ND said he hurt himself during his warmup, not during practice as I earlier stated.
Good luck, Rafael Nadal.🍀Stay healthy, strong, and focussed.👏💪👍🤛❤️
Rafa vs Diego is scheduled at 2:50pm local time, 5:50am pacific time tomorrow.
Good luck to Rafa🍀
Vamos💪❤️
Each time I take the bus or train, there are a lot of trouble. This morning for no reason, the train has not shown up for a while letting us wait and the same for the return. No train for my place. A lot of train changes, wait for more than half an hour on a cold, windy afternoon to get the chance to have a train.
I arrived in time for my appointment with the agents to let them know that I received yesterday afternoon a message to inform me that they will organise a regular meeting to decide to sell my flat. The agence refuses in that condition to be in charge with selling my appartment. What a nice day ! Everyday, my shoulders are burdened.
Plus I noticed that once more, one of my hat/cover has disappeard yesterday.
With all of these, I have no clue what happened with Rafa’s opponents. I have read all your comments, not seen anything about this. Maybe I have not seen all the comments.
WOW…
It seems as if RG has made strides to have more players playing on clay. I am very surprised because only recently clay tournaments seemed to be either diminishing in number or officials considering changing from clay to hard. I can only imagine Rafa must be thrilled upon learning this. I have to wonder if he had a hand in this new development to be called the Roland-Garros Pro Series.
From Twitter:
Roland-Garros
@rolandgarros
Replying to
@rolandgarros
Strategic new partnership strengthens relationship between the Federation and high-profile clay-court stakeholders, with the common goal of getting more people playing tennis on clay.
#RolandGarros
FFT launches Roland-Garros Pro Series partnership with WTA, ATP clay-court tournaments – Roland-G…
rolandgarros.com
8:51 AM · Oct 8, 2020·Twitter Web App
19-year-old Światek, who defeated Simona Halep in a brutal upset, is wishing Rafa another FO title:
Tennis
Ravi Ubha
@raviubha
·
18h
Swiatek on Nadal: ‘He’s my favorite player. He was the only player I watched when I was younger.
So, yeah, I really like him. I just wish him the best and I hope he’s gonna get another French Open this year’
Nice to have another Rafa fan (WTA player) wishing Rafa another FO title! Iga Swiatek has played so well in this tournament, still in singles and doubles👏 Good luck to her 🍀 Simona Halep defeated Iga 6/1 6/0 the same round last year. Iga returned the favor this year 😉
All the best to Rafa tomorrow against Diego!❤️
Any friend of Rafa’s, is a friend of ours!! :):)
I’m watching her match now and loving what I see… the girl has game!! And totally fearless too.
It will be great to see her and Rafa doing a photo shoot next monday with their trophies. Fingers crossed!!
And… she’s won. 6-2 6-1. Ridiculous.
How amazing👏👏 She has won all her matches in straight sets, singles and doubles with her partner!
That would be lovely 😊 Good luck to both Rafa and Iga🍀❤️
Correction: Iga and her partner, Nicole, won the first set the second round in doubles, then a walkover.
King of the King Rafa
I was a bit nervous there for a while in the first and second set. Sinner brought everything against Rafa, but Rafa weathered that storm and eventually broke Sinner down.
I much loved the bromance between Thiem and Schwartzman at the end of their match. Heart warming. Good luck to Schwartzman in his next match… YEAH RIGHT! Bad luck to you Diego, against Rafa:) There should not be a repeat of Rome, that’s for sure! He took a set off Rafa at RG in 2018 and I imagine he’s even more dangerous now… our Rafa will have to be pretty sharp come Friday.
Not holding my breath for Tsitsipas to get it done against Djoker… Rafa may have to do that deed himself. ‘Injury scare’ where have I heard that before? Please. Djokovic could have a broken leg and still manage to win a match.
See you all on Friday my fellow Rafans, stay safe!
Magali- Not sure about R G this year but in general his tournament practices are shorter than you might think. Last year at the U S Open his practice sessions were typically 60-90 minutes. As I understand it he goes at all out intensity so there is no need for more time.
Go Rafa!
As you know a lot on Rafa, can someone tell me how many hours per day, does he train when he plays in RG ?
Yesterday David Goffin tested positive and has withdrawn from St. Petersburg. He said he will quarantine.
Wishing all the best to David Goffin after his positive Covid test today. Bonne santé David.
Oh no……wish him well and be back on court soon!❤️
Pauline, he lost in R1 against Sinner so I hope he he left Paris before he could infect anyone.
Are you watching you know who? He lost the first set but I’m wondering if he’s playing rope a dope, pretending to be in bad shape? Arm? Neck?
I am watching Margo.
Maybe not pretending 🤔 Let’s wait a little bit and see……
Yes definitely hoping David wasn’t in close contact with anyone. Bad enough that he now has the virus.
You are correct that his test was yesterday. I misstated when it was as he posted it on instagram today.
Was thinking the same as you Margo re: N.D. We can never really trust his “injuries” can we?
“Rope a Dope” – the boxing facade technique created and popularised by the late boxing legend, Mohammed “the Greatest” Ali. He used the technique to devasting effect in his fight against George Foreman “Thriller in Manilla”
I doff my hat off for you, Margo. You’re indeed a man of history. The millennials of this world are not likely to understand or have heard about “Rope a Dope”
In a sense, it can be likened to grinding in Tennis, where you wear down your opponent by engaging in long rallies a la Rafa Nadal.
And talking of Rafa, he should get set to play his A game tomorrow if
he really wants to win against Diego. Tomorrow match will be the Final before the Final. May the better player win.
But as always, we go point by point, game by game, match by match and day by day…..cheers
Pauline I wasn’t correcting your post on Goffin. We probably posted the same time but mine never showed up and I was too lazy to repost.
I surely agree about not being able to trust ND. As much as I dislike the guy, I will not wish him bad but will refrain from wishing him well. Never good to wish someone bad as I see it.
If he beats PCB do you think Tsitsipas has the ability to do a lot of damage to him on clay? I sure hope so.
Didn’t think you were correcting me. Realized what must have happened but wanted to credit you with getting it right.
I’m terrible at predictions so will respectfully decline but it’s probably easy to guess what I would like to see happen.
BTW re: someone else’s comment about Rafa’s schedule-the women’s semis are tomorrow and the men’s Friday.
Re Goffin – the respect is mutual.
Pauline re predictions…yep, I have the idea we are wishing for the same outcome.
Tsitsipas has beaten ND 3X’s … all on hard but I’m hoping he can make it 4 wins on Friday 🤞
ND has beaten Tsitsipas 3X’s; 2 on hard and 1 on clay.
Re Rafa’s semifinal…. thanks
Earlier I post a comment in which I was asking for doctors, lawyers and I forgot the essential, I professional who can lock my door in order to avoid the today experience. I was let my keys on the door. This morning the door was locked, my keys no longer on it but put in my bag.
People are still coming in my place. If only they could replace what they have broken, stolen. Each time I go out, I can see people on the park places and people from this place communiting.
I have not yet understood what they are looking for. They are a lot of company looking for people to work for. Why Don’t they apply for regular jobs ?
I was about to forget an essential point : I found a leaflet in my mail box this morning before I left, when I opened my mail box this afternoon, it was no longer in it, which means that I also need my mail box to be replaced ?!
Magali,
There are probably walk-in clinics in Paris where you can see a Dr. who could also refer you to a social worker for help with your other problems. Unfortunately most of us on this site live in other countries far away from you and are unable to give you assistance. Try that and best of luck with everything.
RR, it is nice from you to leave me a message. I met a person in the afternoon. She asked me why I am carrying so many stuff. I answered her that I found my keys in my bag and not on the door, as I do since I am a kid. She laughed at me and told me that I am an aggressive person. She could judge me in a minute.
She refused to give me her name after having read my personal documents. I do not know if it is normal.
Let me tell you so : Since I am 16, I act as a volunteer for disabled people, for old people, I have paid to follow a first-aid training. They have even asked me some weeks ago to help to clean the town.
I am so aggressive that for years I have been asked to help people of the town and even to help on Sunday evening.
Then, Rafa will reach the finals and claim his 13th RG title and 20th GS title (equally Federer).
Rafa is the champ, he’s the man.
Good luck.
VAMOS RAFA. No 1 to us all.
Thank God you won Rafa!!! Congrats!
Rafa didn’t play his best at all, but hopefully a bit of a challenge to prepare him for what is still to come. Some flashes of brilliance were there. Must play a better length and serve well!!
Whatever he won 🙏 and I really he plays an attacking game versus Diego.
All the best my Rafa! All your fans all over the world love you and are routing for you. Rest well.
VAMOS!!!
🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀💕💕😘😘