It will be a tough task for Diego Schwartzman and Matteo Berrettini if they are going to upset the legendary Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. The king of clay and the ATP’s long time number one look set to meet in the French Open semifinals, but first they have to get past some stubborn opposition.
Rafael Nadal vs Diego Schwartzman
Steen Kirby: Nadal leads 10-1 against Schwartzman in the h2h, in two French Open meetings (including last year’s semifinal), Schwartzman has only taken a set. His lone win against Nadal did come on clay, Schwartzman won their 2020 Rome meeting in straight sets. Nadal is yet to drop a set this tournament, going back to Rome he’s won nine matches in a row. Schwartzman has also played a great tournament and not dropped a set, he would beat most anyone on clay right now, but it’s still hard to see him beating Nadal. Nadal in 3
Damian Kust: At this point, I pretty much refuse to believe anyone stands a chance against Nadal at this year’s Roland Garros. Whenever someone comes close to even taking a set, the Spaniard just gears up and runs away with it. That said, despite the lop-sided head-to-head, Schwartzman is actually not a great matchup for Nadal, which we’ve seen at Roland Garros three years ago or Rome last year. It’s still a long shot at best though. Nadal in 3
Yesh Ginsburg: Schwartzman has a history of success against Nadal on clay, and he acquitted himself well in their matchup last year. Of course, that still means he lost in straight sets. With how Nadal is playing, there is no one in the world (or in tennis history) who can threaten the Spaniard here. Nadal in 3
Novak Djokovic vs Matteo Berrettini
Steen: When they met at the ATP World Tour finals Djokovic scored a routine win against Berrettini, the Italian is playing well, backing up his Belgrade title and Madrid final with a quarterfinal appearance. However, he got a walkover against Roger Federer in the last round so he hasn’t been tested against any top players so far. Djokovic struggled against Lorenzo Musetti but once again triumphed getting a 5th set walkover. Djokovic’s form is not near his best, but it should still be good enough to defeat Berrettini and reach the semifinals. Djokovic in 4
Damian: Djokovic wasn’t overly convincing against Musetti, but the Serbian will be more in his element here. The younger of the Italians made him struggle by mixing up the rhythm and forcing Djokovic to generate pace. Berrettini is in great form and will use his power to try to keep the World No. 1 on the back foot. Djokovic is so good at redirecting linear power hitting though and excels at reactionary play. The Italian’s serve will need to be on absolute fire to keep this close. Djokovic in 4
Yesh: Djokovic played two awful sets in his last match. Fortunately for him, Berrettini is a much more straightforward matchup. While Musetti’s game has tons of quirks and gadgets, Berrettini mostly just bludgeons the ball by his opponents. Unfortunately for the Italian, playing defense against that type of aggression is what Djokovic does best. Unless the Serbian has an awful day at the office, Berrettini shouldn’t be much of a threat. Djokovic in 3
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