The world’s two best clay-court players of the last two years will contest the French Open final on Sunday after Rafael Nadal and Dominic Thiem won their semi-finals here in convincing fashion. Nadal, who is chasing his 11th French Open title, crushed Juan Martin del Potro 6-4, 6-1, 6-2, while Thiem, who will be playing in the first Grand Slam final of his career, ended the remarkable run of Marco Cecchinato, beating the 25-year-old Italian 7-5, 7-6, 6-1.
While Nadal has appeared all but unstoppable for most of this clay-court season, Thiem is the only man to have beaten the Spaniard on his favourite surface in the last two years.
Del Potro had been an injury doubt the week before this tournament after suffering a groin problem in Rome. Although he had come through his first five matches here without any major issues the 29-year-old Argentinian appeared to suffer a physical setback in only the third game of the semi-final.
Having hurt his hip as Nadal hit a wrong-footing forehand winner into the corner, Del Potro grimaced despairingly towards his entourage at the end of the game. Although the world No 6 fought hard throughout a high-quality opening set, he won only three of the last 17 games as Nadal completed his victory in two hours and 14 minutes.
It was a disappointing end to what had promised to be a memorable afternoon, with Del Potro playing in his first semi-final here for nine years and Nadal aiming to preserve his unblemished record in his 11th semi-final on Court Philippe Chatrier.
Del Potro, nevertheless, refused to blame his defeat on any physical issues and said that Nadal had simply been the better player. “It was a bad movement with my hips but it was nothing dangerous,” he insisted afterwards. “I finished the match. I ran everywhere and I finished in good shape.”
Throughout the first set the atmosphere in the stadium was as hot as the sun that shone brightly out of a clear blue sky. Del Potro’s return to the top after so many years battling injuries has captured the hearts of tennis fans the world over. Nadal may have won this title 10 times, but the majority of the crowd seemed to be behind the Argentinian.
Del Potro made an excellent start, holding his serve to love at the first attempt with some big hitting and then going 40-0 up in Nadal’s second service game. However, the Spaniard levelled to deuce and then went to game point with the wrong-footing forehand winner that left Del Potro leaning over his racket in pain. At the changeover two games later Del Potro sent for the trainer and doctor, who appeared to give him some medication.
Nevertheless it would have been hard to conclude that Del Potro was struggling given the quality of his tennis in the rest of the first set. With both men striking the ball superbly there were some excellent rallies, the thunderous stroke-making interrupted only by some delightful drop shots by Nadal.
At 4-4, to huge roars from the crowd, Del Potro went 40-15 up on Nadal’s serve, but a drop shot winner and a mishit forehand by the Argentinian kept the defending champion in the game. After another shanked forehand on a third break point, Nadal finally held serve with a scorching backhand cross-court winner and another deft drop shot.
That proved to be Del Potro’s high point. In the following game Nadal created two set points with a forehand winner after cleverly opening up the court and converted the second of them when Del Potro netted a backhand.
By the time Nadal had broken to love in the second game of the second set it was clear that the Spaniard was hitting top gear. Del Potro lost five games in a row en route to losing the second set, while the third set took just 34 minutes.
“The first set was very difficult,” Nadal said afterwards. “Juan Martin had a lot of chances. I was a bit fortunate to win the first set, but after that I played more aggressively and played a good match.”
Nadal described Thiem as “an amazing player”. The Spaniard added: “He beat me this year in Madrid. He has a lot of power and he’s playing with a lot of confidence. He won a tournament the week before Roland Garros and he’s been playing some great matches here. I know I have to play my best.”
Thiem has been the king-of-clay-in-waiting for the last two years and will finally have a chance to make a claim to the crown. The 24-year-old Austrian went out in the semi-finals here in 2016 and 2017, losing to the eventual champion – Novak Djokovic and Nadal - on both occasions. The world No 8 will become only the second Austrian to play in a Grand Slam final, Thomas Muster having won the title here in 1995.
Cecchinato, who had already knocked out three seeds in Pablo Carreno Busta, David Goffin and Djokovic, was attempting to become the lowest ranked finalist here for 19 years and the first Italian man to play in a Grand Slam singles final for 42 years, but this was a challenge too far for the world No 72.
Thiem, hitting the ball with his customary precision and power, was relentless. If he was not pulling the Italian from one side of the court to the other he was also mixing up his game with some delicate angles and drop shots.
For two sets, nevertheless, Cecchinato made a fight of it. He retrieved an early break in the opening set but dropped serve again when Thiem played an excellent game at 5-5.
The second set was tight and was decided by a dramatic tie-break. Thiem went 6-3 up but lost the next four points. At 6-4 he had the chance to put away an easy volley only to put the ball in the net. Thiem had to save three set points and had failed to take four of his own until Cecchinato’s missed forehand saw the Austrian win the tie-break 12-10.
That seemed to knock the confidence out of Cecchinato, who went 5-0 down in the third set before finally getting on the board. The Italian had two break points in the next game, but Thiem saved them and went on to convert his first match point with a forehand winner after two hours and 17 minutes.
Thiem said afterwards that the second set had been crucial. “It was a really tough and close tie-break,” he said. “If I had lost it I think it would have been a really close match.”
