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[[[[You can watch the match on NBCSN or Tennis Channel.]
Why everyone is so excited about this game
Other tennis players have faced each other more, but there is no rivalry in the sport like Roger Federer against Rafael Nadal. The 37-year-old Swiss right-hander Federer has won 20 Grand Slam singles titles, a record for men. Nadal, the 33-year-old Spanish southpaw, is second with 17 points. Their contrasts in style, their classic matches, their camaraderie have divided fans' bases and electrified their sport since their first participation 15 years ago.
Who knows how many times they will face the Grand Slam? The Friday meeting will be their 39th career game, but their first in about 18 months. They have not clashed at Roland Garros for eight years.
Keep an eye on the weather.
All of Wednesday's games were postponed due to rain, which resulted in a deadlock in singles matches. Normally, only the semi-finals of the men's singles are played that day at Roland-Garros. But because of the rain, the women's singles semi-finals happen when I type this.
While the men are on the main court Philippe Chatrier, the women were relegated to two smaller stadiums, anger the WTA.
But the weather is one of the reasons why audiences are unusual. There was a slight drizzle – not enough to stop playing on clay – but it is expected to rain until 15:00. local time, and strong winds are expected later in the day.
It is convenient not to start a match on clay when it is raining.
For the tournament to end Sunday, officials want the four semifinals to end on Friday. Women's matches are particularly important to finish because the final is supposed to be Saturday. The tournament also wants the two men's finalists to have a rest day before Sunday's final.
Rafael Nadal is on a roll after a difficult period.
Nadal won 11 French Open, so it's no surprise to see him in the semi-finals at Roland Garros. But according to his coach, Carlos Moyá, Nadal reached a low point in March after having to withdraw from his semi-final against Federer at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California, due to a recurrence of his tendonitis Knee.
Moya told Christopher Clarey of the Times that it had taken Nadal several weeks to regain his optimism. When the tour moved to Europe for the clay season, a period when Nadal usually wins titles, he lost consistently in the semi-finals.
"It was not about mistakes; it was the attitude, "Moyá said. "It's something you do not often see in him: negativity."
But after "a lot of team discussions and some hearts at heart," said Moyá, Nadal won the Open of Italy, its first title of the year. He is on a run of 10 consecutive wins.
[[[[Read more from Christopher Clarey interview with Carlos Moyá.]
Rafael Nadal owns Roger Federer at Roland Garros.
Nadal has lost his last five meetings and has not beaten Federer in major since the Open in Australia 2014. But they have not clashed on clay – where Nadal is king – since May 2013 .
Nadal has a 23-15 lead over Federer, mainly because of his 13-2 mark on clay. Federer never beat him at the French Open in five tries and won only four of the 19 sets played at Roland Garros. The destruction of Federer by Nadal 6-1, 6-3 and 6-0 in 2008 was one of the most unbalanced finals of man.
And by the way, Nadal has never lost a semifinal to anyone at the Open de France.
So, yes, Federer is the underdog.
[[[[Lily Cover by the Times of his last five French Open matches.]
Roger Federer has not played at the Open de France for four years.
Of the 20 titles won by Federer in Grand Slam, only one arrived at Roland Garros in 2009, and he did not need to beat Nadal to do so. Nadal lost in the fourth round against Robin Soderling, whom Federer had beaten in the final.
Nadal has been a constant hurdle for Federer on clay, but despite that, Federer has the third highest percentage of surface wins among active players.
It's easy to forget that when fans have not seen Federer play very often on clay. He retired from the 2016 French Open before the start of operations due to an injury and had not returned before this year. He totally ignored the clay courts season in the past three years to preserve his body and prepare for his favorite surface: the grass.
"I think I can now play without pressure, because what is there to lose? Nothing really, " Federer told Christopher Clarey before the start of his clay season. "I have not played on clay for three years, so maybe for the first time in 15 years, I can go in French and say," Let's see what happens. "And maybe that's exactly what will make a good result, and if it's not the case, no problem.
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