2013 French Open: Men's Singles semi-final preview

And so the French Open men’s tournament is down to four men. I have a feeling that there may be some history created in the semi-finals.

Either way, there will be history made in the bottom half of the draw as there will be a first-time French Open finalist in the bottom half of the draw.

The top half of the draw features the most fiercest rivalry in the ATP, which was only revived in Monte Carlo this year when Novak Djokovic put an end to Rafael Nadal’s dominance at the clay court precinct back in April.

The big question will be whether Djokovic can repeat those feats, or whether Nadal can finally get his revenge for that defeat which denied him the chance to potentially win ten titles in a row there.

Without further ado, here are the men’s semi-finals previews:

Novak Djokovic versus Rafael Nadal
Head-to-head: Nadal 19-15
Last meeting: Djokovic 6-2, 7-6 (7-1)

11 of the last 12 meetings between Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal have come in the championship match, but this time they’re going to have to settle their differences a round early after being drawn in the same half of the draw at a Grand Slam tournament for the first time since the 2010 French Open.

This will be their first non-final meeting since the 2009 ATP World Tour Finals, and their first non-final meeting at a Grand Slam tournament since the 2008 French Open.

Fans will probably be unhappy that these two have to meet this early, but that’s how the draw panned out.

Novak Djokovic in his bid to complete the career Grand Slam has thrown into the rubbish bin his poor build-up to Paris by dropping only one set in his run to the final four, that being against Philipp Kohlschreiber in the fourth round.

Against Tommy Haas, he was relentless as he avenged a fourth round loss in Miami from earlier this year.

Nadal on the other hand had to endure two four-set matches in his first two matches but since then he has not relented as he seeks to win an eighth title in Paris.

Against Stanislas Wawrinka, Nadal never relented and completed a straight sets victory to get to where he is now.

If Novak Djokovic is to win through to his second straight French Open final, he’ll have to overturn a poor record against Nadal at the Grand Slam tournaments.

In Grand Slam play, Djokovic is 3-6 against Nadal, four of which were in Paris alone.

As well as this, he needs to be aware that Nadal has only lost one best-of-five match on clay – and that came against Robin Soderling right here in 2009.

But he can take heart that all three of his wins came in the championship match during his most dominant patch (Wimbledon 2011 to the 2012 Australian Open), and that he achieved his most significant win against Nadal on clay at the Monte Carlo Masters just recently.

But I think Nadal will win through again, and continue to smash the record books.

Key: Can Novak Djokovic challenge Rafael Nadal through the course of five sets?

Tip: Nadal in four sets.

David Ferrer versus Jo-Wilfried Tsonga
Head-to-head: Ferrer 2-1
Last meeting: Ferrer 6-2, 7-5, quarter-finals, 2012 Paris Masters.

For Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, this will be a defining moment in his career. He will enter this match hoping to become the first home player to reach the French Open final in recent history.

In the past decade, the performances of home players in men’s tennis has suffered – since Andy Roddick won the 2003 US Open, their performances have suffered under the heavy weight of expectation.

Lleyton Hewitt, for example, only reached the quarter-finals (or better) of his home Grand Slam tournament once – that coming in 2005 when he ultimately reached the final, losing to Marat Safin.

Andre Agassi and Andy Roddick have also reached US Open finals in the same time, both losing to Roger Federer in 2005 and 2006 respectively.

And it just doesn’t happen in the men’s sport as well.

During the twilight of Amelie Mauresmo’s career, where she was seen as France’s biggest hope of a home women’s champion, she faltered under the weight of expectation, never going beyond the quarter-finals of the French Open and producing some of her worst results there.

Her homes struggles compare to that of Samantha Stosur at the Australian Open, whereby she has never gone past the fourth round at home.

No such problems for Serena Williams though, who thrives in playing in front of her home fans in New York.

The task facing Jo-Wilfried Tsonga this Friday will be very difficult.

As well as trying to become the first Frenchman to win through to the French Open final, he’ll be facing Spain’s David Ferrer, who himself will be trying to reach his first Grand Slam final after more than a decade’s service to men’s tennis.

Ferrer leads their head-to-head 2-1, and won their only meeting on clay back in 2010. Tsonga, though, won their only Grand Slam meeting to date, at Wimbledon in 2011.

Both men have reached the semi-finals without the concession of a set between them.

The moment has finally arrived. Can Jo-Wilfried Tsonga reach his first Grand Slam final since 2008, or will be buckle under the pressure like he did against Novak Djokovic in last year’s quarter-finals?

Key: If Ferrer is to win, he’ll have to try to block out the home crowd’s support and try to focus on his own game.

Tip: Ferrer in five sets.