As the summer shadows lengthened on Monday evening the French Open delivered the quarter-final the draw had promised: the world No1, Novak Djokovic, against the slightly vulnerable nine-times champion, Rafael Nadal – and it is still difficult to be sure who will win the match on Wednesday.
The Serb, most likely, will start a slight and sacrilegious favourite and looked sharp again beating Richard Gasquet, who tried so hard on Court Philippe Chatrier to deliver for the home fans while it is increasingly obvious his days in the sun, after much early promise, have dwindled.
A little earlier Nadal overcame the minor embarrassment of dropping a set against the unseeded young American Jack Sock – who had thrashed two fellow young lions, Grigor Dimitrov and Borna Coric, on his way to his first major fourth-round experience – winning 6-3, 6-1, 5-7, 6-2 in two hours and 52 minutes.
That was a minute longer than Andy Murray took to dispose of Jérémy Chardy just before him on Court Suzanne Lenglen but the Spaniard, whose two time violations on Monday might play on his mind when he is under pressure against Djokovic, now has a much tough challenge than the Scot, who plays David Ferrer.
Djokovic is yet to drop a set and, not long after Nadal headed for the locker room, he brought his workout against Gasquet to a conclusion in exactly two hours, winning 6-1, 6-2, 6-3.
Of the serious contenders Roger Federer has had the easiest matches, although Djokovic has looked the most consistently impressive, with Nadal rediscovering the form that deserted him during four defeats on European clay before this tournament, a slump that sent his world ranking tumbling to seventh – which is how he has come to be pitched in against Djokovic ahead of schedule.
At times it was difficult to know where to look on day nine. The draw, tickled a little by the weather, served up a cornucopia of delights, and none was more delighted than Federer, who survived his overnight scare against Gaël Monfils in style, winning 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 in a little over two hours, a disappointing conclusion to a match that hit such a pitch of excitement in the fading light on Sunday.
Federer said he had no complaints about having his match split, meaning his quarter-final against his compatriot Stan Wawrinka on Tuesday will be his third in three days.
“I kind of didn’t expect it to end last night,” he said on Monday. “Even though I thought after two sets we were going to continue a little bit, I still think it was the right call by the referee.”
Not a lot disturbs the Federer equilibrium and Monfils, eccentric as he can be on a tennis court, was not up to that task here.
Asked what it would be like to win a tournament that has provided more disappointment for him than any other major, Federer said: “It would be unbelievable, no doubt. Clearly those thoughts also creep into my mind some times and I go, ‘How would that feel again?’ Then again, you’re, like, ‘Whoa, let’s not go that far down the tournament yet.’ At the same time, sometimes I think: ‘How does it feel if I take the plane tomorrow and go home if I lose today?’”
Ferrer reckoned his win over the reigning US Open champion, Marin Cilic, was his best so far and “easier than expected”. He said: “Cilic is a very difficult player to play against but I was comfortable until the very last point.”
Ferrer, who seems destined always to be taken for granted and parked on an outside court away from the fizz and pop of the big courts until finally noticed, added ominously that he felt in perfect shape to play his “best tennis” against Murray. Still, humble as ever, he reckoned the Scot was “much more aggressive on clay and when he uses his different shots, he’s one of the best in the top three. He’s much more serene and calm.”
Ferrer, who has been hitting with Nadal, still regards his fellow Spaniard as the favourite, despite Djokovic’s seamless progress. It is not a view widely held.
