3 things that could determine the outcome of Rafael Nadal's SF clash with Alexander Zverev at French Open 2022
Fifth seed and 13-time champion Rafael Nadal will face third seed Alexander Zverev in the semifinals of the French Open on Friday. Nadal will be the third consecutive Spanish opponent Zverev faces in the tournament.
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The German beat teenage sensation Carlos Alcaraz in the quarterfinals, whereas Nadal got the better of Novak Djokovic. The 36-year-old will look to move one step closer to a record-extending 14th French Open title on Friday, which also happens to be his birthday.
On that note, let's take a look at three factors that might determine the fate of the match:
#1 Nadal’s ability to put pressure on Zverev’s forehand
Nadal succeeded in putting pressure on the forehands of Felix Auger-Aliassime and Djokovic, his last two opponents, with great results. The Spaniard used his down-the-line forehand and crosscourt backhand to good effect and did not allow his opponents a lot of time to hit their forehands.
He might employ the same tactic against Zverev, as the 25-year-old evidently has a weaker forehand than backhand. Nadal is likely to direct most of the traffic to Zverev’s forehand wing and the German should be prepared to counter that.
#2 Zverev’s ability to maintain a high first-serve percentage
Alexander Zverev boasts a blistering first serve and it is of paramount importance for him to maintain a healthy first-serve percentage against Nadal. Zverev managed to do that against Alcaraz and the Spaniard found it difficult to get a break of serve.
Rafael Nadal will be ready to put pressure on the German’s second serve, making it vital for Zverev to ensure that the Spaniard gets as few chances to do so as possible. Should the German not be able to land his first serve consistently, Nadal would fancy his chances of breaking.
Nadal will take up a deep position on the court to deal with Zverev's massive first serve. The World No. 3 could look to counter this by serving out wide and coming to the net more frequently.
#3 Nadal’s willingness to move forward and not play too many drop shots
In the last few matches, Rafael Nadal has shown a tendency to rush the net frequently as the match progresses. Nadal's ability to play probing approach shots means that he is usually able to finish points with a straightforward volley. He might follow the same approach against Zverev and the German should be prepared to deal with the tactic.
Another key aspect is Nadal's drop shot. The Spaniard has not been able to play the drop shot very well in the tournament so far. He employed it with undesirable results against Djokovic and might opt against using it frequently against Zverev.
Alcaraz used the tactic against the German on quite a few occasions, but the latter was able to chase the ball down most of the time, using his great footspeed.