And so, on the ninth day, the semi-final that everybody wanted to see became a reality. Roger Federer, the world number one, beat Romania’s Victor Hanescu 6-2, 7-6, 6-3, and Rafael Nadal, the second most successful player on the men’s circuit this year, defeated fellow Spaniard David Ferrer 7-5, 6-2, 6-0. The only shame is that their match on Friday will not be the final.
Federer said: ”I know everybody is looking forward to it, and for both of us it is the first time we have been in the semi-finals of the French Open. For me it’s a big moment. It’s one of those chances to walk away with the title here. It will be interesting.”
Climactic, perhaps, is the word that would spring to most minds.
It will be their second meeting this year and the third in all. The first was last year at the Nasdaq-100 Open in Key Biscayne, Florida, where Nadal, then only 17, won 6-3, 6-3 in the third round. It was not a score that counted for too much, since Federer was feeling the effects of his Australian Open victory and his tournament win in Indian Wells. He was tired and a little ill.
In April this year, at the same tournament in Key Biscayne, they met for a second time, on this occasion in the final, with the Spanish teenager two points from victory in the third-set tie-break, the Swiss battled back to win 2-6, 6-7, 7-6, 6-3, 6-1.
”In the beginning I didn’t play very well that day, and I think I learned how to play him,” said Federer after his routine quarter final against Hanescu. What surprised the Swiss on that occasion was the way Nadal faded physically. ”On clay the rallies can be even tougher and I think you’re going to see a lot of hard hitting.”
Nadal’s victory over Ferrer was his 22nd consecutive win on clay, a run that has encompassed the Monte Carlo, Barcelona and Italian Open titles. ”Roger will be the favourite, but I think I can win if I play my best, and he doesn’t play his best,” said Nadal.
Obviously it is a hugely important match for both of them. For Federer, victory would put him on the verge of becoming only the sixth player to have won all four grand slam titles. For Nadal, playing in his first French Open, a win would open the door for an opening grand slam title.
”I don’t want to think about it too much because I don’t want to put too much pressure on myself, but obviously it will be a wonderful match to play in,” said Nadal, who against Ferrer displayed moments of high-octane brilliance, even though the latter had a bad back.
Before this year Federer had won only nine matches at Roland Garros in six years, losing in the first round in two of the last three years, having reached the last eight in 2001 when he lost to Spain’s Alex Corretja.
Federer knows the pressure he will face on Friday, and his perceptions have changed over the past 12 months. ”It’s pure experience. The big matches, the big occasions I’ve faced. It’s about believing in my game, not only my clay-court game, my game in total.”
And so the wait begins, the anticipation immense. As Federer says: ”We’ll play the game like there’s no tomorrow.” — Â