2019 Roland Garros...ATP 2000...Paris, France

[stotty]

Nadal shows us all once again he is always engaged and ready to pounce. 3rd set looks done.

It does...Dominic needs some Valyrian steel here.

[stroke]

Nadal shows us all once again he is always engaged and ready to pounce. 3rd set looks done.

[stotty]

If he can serve heavy and accurately and get bashing the ball from inside the baseline, you never know. It's whether Dominic can keep up physically. Don't forget he played three and a half sets yesterday. Nadal looks fresh as a daisy to me.

[don_budge]

Oh ye of little faith. Went out for a walk with the dogs...right after the first set. We were pulling for Thiem the whole way. Pushing it. The limits you know. Me...the wolf and Puntzie. Wouldn't you know it...my boy Thiem pulls out the set. Just keep hammering Dominic. Just keep hammering. Make that skunk wish his mother never had him.

[stroke]

Obviously huge for Thiem. He took it through constant hard work. Cannot help but feel proud of him. It is on now and Thiem is in his prime physically.

[stotty]

Great performance to win the second set. Nadal slipped up at the end of the second set...lapsed just ever so slightly. Game on...

[stroke]

Nadal is looking like all his other FO wins have kinda looked. If Thiem can get to tiebreaker in 2nd, we will see. If Nadal wins 2nd set, I guess odds go to 99%.

[stotty]

Standard has dropped a little in the second set. Nadal has looked the more comfortable of the two players so far.

[stroke]

Rafa breaks straight back. I have seen players match Nadal but only for so long. It's like playing a White Walker.

So true, like playing a White Walker. Oddmakers had Nadal at an 80% chance of winning the match going in. It is probably about 90 or 95% now.

[stotty]

We desperately need Dominic to get this first set having worked so incredibly this far.

[stotty]

Rafa breaks straight back. I have seen players match Nadal but only for so long. It's like playing a White Walker.

[stroke]

That break showed what intensity and shot making it takes to get to Nadal. He has to keep it going just like Nadal. The next point is the most important thing in the world, for 3 or 4 hours.

[stotty]

Dominic gets the first break of serve. Be great if he could win the opening set. The standard is very high but it's a slogging match...probably going to get a little dull despite the high level.

[stotty]

Three games in and the level of play is very high. No nerves whatsoever from either player.

[don_budge]

Thirty bounces on the first point of the match...