Rafael Nadal has survived a trio of three-setters and will face Richard Gasquet in the Basel semifinals on Saturday. Another intriguing semifinal showdown pits Roger Federer against an in-form Jack Sock.
(3) Rafael Nadal vs. (5) Richard Gasquet
Nadal and Gasquet will be going head-to-head for the 14th time in their careers at the ATP level when they collide in the semifinals of the Swiss Indoors Basel on Saturday. All 13 of their previous encounters have gone Nadal’s way, including five on hard courts (two indoors). The Spaniard has won 21 consecutive sets at Gasquet’s expense dating back to the 2008 Canada Masters. Gasquet actually once got the best of his nemesis, but that came via retirement after the opening set at an indoor Challenger event in France back in 2003.
The Frenchman is unlikely to benefit from that kind of luck this time around because Nadal appears to be heating up as the season comes to a close. The world No. 7 reached the Beijing final and the Shanghai semis, and so far this week he has survived Lukas Rosol, Grigor Dimitrov, and Marin Cilic all in three sets. Gasquet escaped a thriller of his own on Friday, when he saved one match point to scrape past Ivo Karlovic 6-4, 6-7(2), 7-6(6). The fifth seed preceded that victory by taking out Jiri Vesely in three sets and Dominic Thiem in straights. Gasquet is an awesome 41-15 for the year and appears to be on his way to London as an alternate. This matchup, however, is quite clearly a disaster for him. He is unable to hit his opponent off the court with Nadal’s heavy forehand consistently getting the best of his one-handed backhand. Count on more of the same continuing, although this one should at least be competitive.
Pick: Nadal in 2
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(1) Roger Federer vs. Jack Sock
Federer and Sock will be squaring off for the second time in their careers and for the third time this season on Saturday. Their only previous meeting came in Indian Wells, where Federer coasted 6-3, 6-2. This is not exactly the setting Sock would choose in order to exact some revenge. After all, Federer is a six-time champion of this tournament, has been to nine consecutive finals, and boasts a 59-9 lifetime record. So far this week the 34-year-old Swiss has defeated Mikhail Kukushkin, Philipp Kohlschreiber, and David Goffin–surrendering sets to Kohlschreiber and Goffin in the process.
A red-hot Sock finished runner-up in Stockholm six days ago and he has not looked back. The 29th-ranked American rolled over Denis Kudla and John Isner before beating yet another countryman, Donald Young, 5-7, 6-4, 6-2 on Saturday. Sock is 35-16 for his 2015 campaign and he all but clinched a seed for the upcoming Australian Open. The underdog will be able to pepper Federer’s backhand with his own forehand that has been calculated at more revolutions per minute than that of Nadal. But Sock has played a ton of recent tennis and either fatigue or simply an overall dip in form showed up against Young. Unless Sock picks it back up and Federer plays like he did in set two against Goffin, this should be mostly straightforward.
Pick: Federer in 2
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Knee problems again!
#HowManyTimes!!!!
Yes, Annacone and Shiras just said something about it. Oh please don’t let anything be wrong with Rafa’s knee.
pheww! that was scary! I thought he hurt something there….
A very good game though! struck his forehand with real authority… he is getting plenty of action on his CC forehands and flattening out his inside out..
OH NO the trainer is here!
Jason Goodall saying before the match that Rafa had a slim chance of winning the tournament.
He’s in the semis FCS.
They just showed a replay of Rafa sliding in his left knee and then grabbing his right knee.
The trainer?
no no it looks good now..
not too happy with his tennis though…. he better win this in 2 sets! he’d want to be fresh going into the final…
2-4 deuce!
rafa’s playing poor tennis in return games….. landing so many balls short ! giving too much air
How epic would it be if gasquet won Basel and won bercy and qualified?
It’s still possible lol.
So is trainer coming out or what?
Gasquet is playing really well. I hope that Rafa is okay
So Rafa had the trainer out and took a pill?
Rafa breaks.
fantastic tennis to win that 30-30 point! BP for rafa! BIG backhand ROS andddd he draws an error! vamos! 4-4!
p.s, I wish rafa’s backhand slice becomes a more aggressive shot. It is pretty safe :/
That’s something that Rafa will still have to work on. He’ll get there.
Yes! Rafa breaks back. Much better length on his groundstrokes and more aggressive in that game. He’s got the knee taped, but maybe that’s just precautionary because he seems to be moving well.
agreed! seems precautionary
Annacone said that there seems to be a drop off with Gasquet. Rafa holds and is up 5-4.
I really want him to win this first set and if possible, get this done in straight sets with that knee.
WOAAAHHHHH ! WHAT A FOREHAND DTL! set point!
niceeeely saved by Gasquet! he has hit some incredible backhands in this game…. deuce!
Poor gasquet.? that forehand down the line from Rafa was just mean.
That’s the closest call I have ever seen.
Why didn’t he go down the line! kept pounding his backhand! I guess he could not find the angle he wanted and Gasquet took advantage
vamosrafa,
That was exactly what I said to Rafa out loud while watching! Go down the line on that one! I think you are right about not finding the angle. It’s easy to sit back and watch and say what he should have done.
But that last game to break Gasquet for the set was just a thing of beauty.
Yep, he’s not going to break down Gasket’s money shot.
Exactly my thought! Why does Rafa always attack opponents’ BH all the time? Not everyone is like Fed! Its like Rafa isnt thinking clearly out there.
Rafa plays scary tennis, scary as in he’s always at knife edge, and happens to him, always struggles in his first service game of each set??
I think he is doing a decent job at spreading the court in this match… Gasquet is not federer but Gasquet’s also suffers quite a lot at the hands of rafa’s CC forehand
1st set Rafa
Vamos!
Boss as usual
That’s it!! Rafa’s best game of the match so far. Brilliant aggressive play. Hitting that DTL backhand winner from inside the baseline. Stepping up to the baseline on Gasquet’s second serves.