Thiem's next test: Defeat Nadal, in best of five, in 'his living room'
After upsetting Novak Djokovic, the 23-year-old discussed his sem
After defeating Novak Djokovic in straight sets, 23-year-old Dominic Thiem stopped by the Tennis Channel set at Roland Garros to discuss his next match, a semifinal clash with Rafael Nadal. An encore presentation of the match will air on Tennis Channel at 2 p.m. Eastern Time.
This match is appropriate: in Nadal and Thiem we have the two best players of this year’s clay-court season facing off for a chance to play for the French Open title. Nadal is 4-2 lifetime against Thiem—all of their matches have been played on clay—and 2-1 this spring. He won a hard-fought final in Barcelona and an even harder-fought final in Madrid—neither of the straight-set score lines indicated how tough those matches were. In Rome, Thiem finally got the better of Rafa, also in straight sets.
If anything, both men have raised their levels even higher in Paris, where neither has dropped a set in 10 collective matches. Thiem is reaching new heights while Rafa is turning back the clock. That means, as far as their current form goes, this one is a toss-up. Both men have the shots and the legs to take control of the match. After beating Nadal in Rome and Djokovic in Paris, Thiem knows he can stay with anyone. But Rafa remains the favorite because...he’s Rafa, and this is Roland Garros.
Winner: Nadal
On Friday, watch live coverage of the men's semifinals on Tennis Channel, home of the 2017 French Open.
