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Rafael Nadal vs Juan Martin Del Potro: French Open men's semi-final live scores, blog

8th June, 2018
Start time: Around 11:30pm (AEST)
Court: Philippe-Chatrier
TV: Live, Fox Sports, SBS
Online: Live, Foxtel app or Foxtel now
Overall record: Played 15, Nadal 10, Del Potro 5
Betting: Nadal $1.12, Del Potro $6

Rafael Nadal last 10 matches last ten matches: won 10, lost 0
Juan Martin Del Potro last ten matches: won 7, lost 3
Spain's Rafael Nadal returns a shot during a French Open match. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
Expert
8th June, 2018
179

Tennis fans witnessed a rarity in the quarter-finals when Rafael Nadal lost a set, but things won’t get any easier when he takes on an in-form Juan Martin Del Potro for a spot in the final. Join The Roar for live scores and coverage from 11:30pm (AEST).

Nadal took on Diego Schwartzman in the quarter-finals. It was looking like he was going to cruise through the entire tournament untouched for a second year, with his record at Roland Garros bordering on the ridiculous.

But then Schwartzman broke his run of 33 straight sets at the second grand slam of the year – being 21 last year and another 12 this year.

The plucky 11th seed Argentinian won the first set against Nadal and was travelling along solidly in the second set before rain broke play. Nadal came back the next day and won 13 games to 4, advancing with ease to the semi-final.

While the rain break could have potentially saved Nadal, it might also leave him vulnerable ahead of what is likely to be an extremely physical match against Del Potro. While his opponent is in the same boat, they have had less than 24 hours to recover and so the man who makes the final will play three matches in four days – compared to the other side of the draw who have had six days for the same amount of matches.

Nadal obviously hadn’t lost a set and looked untouchable in the lead-up, so there’s no point rattling off his form line yet again.

Del Potro though, has surprised many by making it this far. While he came in as the fifth seed, he has only lost two sets and got the better of big-serving American John Isner in the fourth round. Isner was thought to be one of the key challengers to Nadal at this year’s Open.

The last round saw the Argentinian blast past Marin Cilic in four sets, with his power and precision in shot making coming into play throughout.

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Del Potro will need similar levels of accuracy in this match, with Nadal being the best defender in the game. If he can shorten points on serve and get a break here and there though, you just never know.

Prediction
This is going to be Nadal’s toughest challenge of this year’s tournament so far. He should win, but none of these sets are going to be easy freight train runaway sets like the king of clay so often has on his favourite court.

Nadal in four sets.

Join The Roar for live coverage of the second men’s semi-final at the French Open from around 11:30pm (AEST) or at the conclusion of Marco Cecchinato versus Dominic Thiem and don’t forget to add a comment in the section below.

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