French Open 2017 semi-final preview: Rafa-Thiem revenge clash on the cards
It’s time for the true deciders at Roland Garros, and we’ve already seen the WTA semi-finals played down to the wire, with 2014 finalist Simona Halep finally pushing through as she aims to finish what she was on the cusp of three years ago.
But today is perhaps the biggest clash of them all – Rafael Nadal vs Dominic Thiem. The two played each other only recently and as it stands, Dominic Thiem is the only player to beat Nadal on clay this year.
Rafael Nadal vs Dominic Thiem
This will likely be even bigger than the final. Nadal leads this head-to-head record at 4-2, but Thiem has the most recent victory. That win came over Nadal, and not any Nadal but an in-form Nadal on clay this year at the quarter-finals of the Italian Open. Many had expected the Spaniard to take that title fairly easily – and given he has already won it seven times before, that would not have been such a stretch of the imagination.
Not only did Thiem of The Cross-Court – or if you like, Thiem of the Heavy Groundstrokes defeat Nadal, he defeated Nadal in straight sets. That loss had prompted Nadal to admit that Thiem was a definitive “Roland Garros winner, I just hope it is not this year.” That followed after Nadal defeated Thiem at the finals of the Mutua Madrid Open – another Nadal stronghold, but Thiem put up quite the fight. THAT followed a Barcelona Open final where the Austrian had gone down relatively tamely – but 23-year-old Thiem’s prowess has only grown with each final. Straight sets, to tiebreaks, to a round defeat altogether.
Once Austria’s ‘NextGen’ hope, Thiem is surely now a NowGen player – with repeated defeats of Big Four players on their pet surfaces, most recently Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinals.
Interestingly, the two have only ever played each other on clay courts – so this will continue that 6-match trend. Thiem has some big groundstrokes, but his forehand – even against Novak Djokovic, was a bit out of control; the 23-year-old sent shots wide on more than a few occasions, but he is definitely a clay-court player to watch out for regardless.
Nadal is currently perhaps the fittest player on the court – and on the Tour, and now moves up to World No. 2 after Thiem’s defeat of Djokovic. The intent is there from both players and so is the aggressive play. But Nadal at Roland Garros is like a lion defending its den – and that aggression will amplify his already top-level gameplay multiple times, we think. There is a very real possibility that Nadal will defend his title here – meaning he can beat Thiem – but we’re fully expecting this one to go down to the wire.
Players have previously taken Nadal to five sets and beat him – but that was the old Nadal, who could be ‘tired out’ – not the Rafael Nadal of 2017, looking to demolish any opponent in his path. Even if it does go to the end, Nadal will fight for every point – much as he did at the Australian Open this year.
Prediction: Rafael Nadal to win in five sets