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

[don_budge]

The Wind is my Friend...

Roger actually played great today in the first two sets, which makes it such a pity it was played in a hurricane. The wind took away the ability to get any aces, which is the strongest part of his game. If you are trying to hold serve against Nadal on clay by essentially playing drop feed tennis in a dustbowl, good luck.

He was brilliant. He certainly had chances that were somewhat blown away by the conditions. Mostly that Senor Nadal came up with the goods at the right moment. There were several key moments in each set that threw the balance in Nadal's favour.

I noticed one very odd thing about the camera work in this match. I was watching Eurosport and they didn't once keep the camera on Nadal through the entirety of his service preshot routine. I never was able to get a count on the number of bounces that was doing. I found that very, very strange. While he was performing his obnoxious ritual the camera would pan just about anywhere...the crowd, Federer waiting. Waiting. Waiting.

As you mentioned earlier the key to Federer's existence on the tour is his ability to serve his opponents off the court. Quickly holding his serve in under a minute at times...much of the time. But today Nadal forced him into a number of long service games which eroded into the Swiss Maestro's ability to enforce his game plan. I think that one of the keys to said plan was going to the net and going to the net in such windy conditions was sort of suicide.

I didn't know that Thiem and Djokovic were playing today. Once Federer is gone the tournament is essentially over for me. Unless Stefanos Tsitsipas were still in it. Roland Garros is dreadfully dull without Federer. There isn't enough coffee in Columbia...

[bman]

Roger actually played great today in the first two sets, which makes it such a pity it was played in a hurricane. The wind took away the ability to get any aces, which is the strongest part of his game. If you are trying to hold serve against Nadal on clay by essentially playing drop feed tennis in a dustbowl, good luck.

[stotty]

These tournament organisers drive me round the bend. They knew 50mph winds were coming soon to be followed by rain yet they did nothing to avert matters. I've lost count of the amount of time matches have been ruined by poor scheduling. Wimbledon have religiously stuck to a 1pm start time despite rain being forecast for the day from 2pm.

Both men's semis should have been played earlier and at the same time. What's the point of scheduling one match behind the other when you know already the second match will never conclude. Had Roger and Rafa gone to four sets, Novak and Dominic would never have even even started. It's bonkers. I've seen a handful of Wimbledon finals ruined because one of the finalists had been too knackered to play. What makes it worse is that these things are often avoidable.

I thought Roger was pretty competitive today. Rafa just had the edge and came up with some corkers in the clutch. How many players can win five points in row when Roger is serving at 4-4 and 40-0 up? Precious few I'd wager. Rafa just took off after that and went to a completely different level.

Not a great day for an artist like Roger to be playing. The wind took away Roger's touch play, which was a vital tool.

I was impressed with the way Rafa read Roger's moves today. He picked where Roger's forehand was going most of time and read his drop shots like a book. He seemed to uncannily know when Roger was going to serve volley too. The man is amazing on clay. He really is.

[stotty]

Nadal and Roger got on with it. Nadal forehand no issues whatsoever. I could see Novak letting it get to him.

Much windier now, stroke. Courier says the conditions are bordering on unplayable. Try telling that to Thiem! Novak just needs to deal with it. Thiem needs to capitalise on Novak's mood while it lasts. He's being gifted the first set.

[stroke]

Nadal and Roger got on with it. Nadal forehand no issues whatsoever. I could see Novak letting it get to him.

[stotty]

I feel like Thiem is ready to compete with Nadal and Novak here. We will see. I hope he at least really extends Novak here.

Yes it will an interesting game. The wind is getting even worse believe it or not. We know Novak hates the wind but what about Thiem with his big swings? We'll see. It is what it is and the players just have to get on with it.

[stroke]

I feel like Thiem is ready to compete with Nadal and Novak here. We will see. I hope he at least really extends Novak here.

[stroke]

One way traffic now. Roger is being battered...no hope whatsoever now.

Down 2 sets to Nadal at FO, it is hammer time. Even someone as mentally tough as Roger(along with Nadal, the highest level of mental toughness to me) cannot really withstand that.

[stotty]

Roger is really playing well and has nothing to show for it. Toughest ask in sports, beating Nadal on clay at French Open.

One way traffic now. Roger is being battered...no hope whatsoever now.

[stroke]

Roger is really playing well and has nothing to show for it. Toughest ask in sports, beating Nadal on clay at French Open.

[stotty]

Amazing Rafa and Roger can play this well in the conditions.

It's such hard work playing Rafa. Even for Roger it's a brutal physical experience. The conditions aren't helping his drop shots either. He just needs to serve really well and then chisel away at Rafa's serve until he can get a break. It's going to be an uphill struggle though. I get physically tired just watching it. Vital he wins this second set.

3-2 Roger

[stroke]

Yes, the forecast looks so bad they probably should just cancel all play on Friday instead of trying to play through multiple delays. But they will probably make the wrong decision.

[stotty]

Actually the first set between Zverev and Novak was decent. Zverev played well off the ground and out-served Novak. Novak played a great set tactically by allowing Zverev plenty of backhands early on in the match but then switched to peppering his forehand more as the set wore on and particularly on the bigger points. Zverev's forehand broke down by the end of the first set and he was all spent. I stopped watching at 2-0 in the second because I knew it was all over.

It has always been a mystery to me how he managed to beat Novak in the world tour finals. He's not in the same hemisphere as Novak as a player, not really.

I didn't see Thiem but heard he was in fine form.

It's anyone's guess what might happen in the semi-finals. The forecast is wet with very high winds. It will ruin the tennis. I hope it's rained off and they play Saturday instead.

[gzhpcu]

Easy win for Thiem. Now for Djokovic....

[stroke]

He doubled on set point in the first set. All along I have been a huge critic of his service motion. It's convoluted...it makes very little sense. Inefficient looking...fails in the clutch. Both matches were totally boring...I started out with both on my screen and turned both off before the first set was completed.

Tomorrow will be different. The weather is questionable. We have projected Noah's Ark type rain here in Brännemo, Sweden tomorrow.

His serve does not evoke confidence. But he is never going to be as good as Novak, whose game he seems to most closely resemble. Now Thiem, that serve evokes just fine.