The defending champion will not be a part of the French Open semifinals. A 23-year-old will.
That is no real surprise based on their respective overall bodies of work throughout this season, but how it happened is particularly notable. Less than two weeks ago, Novak Djokovic destroyed Dominic Thiem 6-1, 6-0 in the Rome semifinals. Roles, however, were completely reversed this time around. Another straight-set beatdown was issued, and this time it was Thiem coming out on the positive end of a 7-6(5), 6-3, 6-0 scoreline.
The Austrian, ranked seventh in the world and third in the 2017 race to London, is through to the Roland Garros semis for a second straight year after triumphing in two hours and 15 minutes.
“It’s great for me to be in the semifinals again, to defend that,” said Thiem, who had previously been 0-5 lifetime in the head-to-head series. “The first set I could easily [have lost], and I think it was the key for [my] first victory against him–to win this close first set and then have a good start to the second set, as well.”
Thiem raced to a 3-0 lead in the second and also broke to begin the third, capitalizing on his third break point for a 1-0 advantage. From there it was all over for Djokovic, who went away with a whimper by winning a mere total of four points the entire rest of the match.
“It’s hard to comment (on) the third set,” world No. 2 admitted. “Obviously nothing was going my way and everything his way; just (a) pretty bad set. All in all, it was decided I think in the first set…. I lost that crucial break in the beginning of the second (set) and he started serving better, (and) backing it up with the first shot. He deserved to win. He was definitely the better player on the court today.”
Rafael Nadal was the better player in his quarterfinal date with Pablo Carreno Busta before it ended long before the anticipated finish line. Coming off the biggest victory of his career over Milos Raonic in the fourth round, Carreno Busta retired due to an abdominal injury while trailing his fellow Spaniard 6-2, 2-0.
It lasted only 51 minutes.
“I felt (it) when I served [at] 5-2; I felt pain when I serving,” Carreno Busta commented. “And I tried to continue, but I preferred to stop because I felt the pain all the time.”
“Obviously (it) was not the perfect way (to advance) and especially against a good friend,” Nadal said. “Sorry for him. He was playing great. He had a great event. Is tough when these kind of things happens, but he had a great event.”
Nadal’s event will continue against Thiem on Friday. The other semifinal will feature top-ranked Scot Andy Murray and 2015 Roland Garros champion Stan Wawrinka.
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Murray in 4 Nadal in 3
Nadal in 4, Waw in 3
Thiem in 4
Stan in 4
It’s always not easy to see the Great champion falling down like this.. exactly like Rafa has suffered in 2015..It makes me really sad…but,like Rafa who arise victoriously from his own dark hole…Rafa took 2 years to defeat his own demon…not sure how long for Novak…but,i believe he will too someday…he’s too great a champion to not emerge victorious with his own battle…I wish him the best of luck for his recovery…Ajde Nole!!
Mira Andi (AT 2:12 AM),
Rafa had a left wrist injury in 2016, not a ‘demon’. He injured his wrist in spring and skipped the end of the season because of his wrist problem.
Rafa in three; Stan in four.
As for Djoko, it all depends on his desire and motivation. His basic game will always be there, it’s a matter of getting back his precision, his sharpness when executing his shots, be it his serve, his returns or his FH/BH groundstrokes etc. If the desire (to be at his best again) is still there, then I believe putting in the hard work to get back his sharpness, and then the consistency, will be key for his return to the top of his game. If his heart is not there, then there’s nothing much anyone could do to help him.
The Djoko vs Thiem story, it sounded familiar. I remember in 2009, the defending FO champion was destroying a certain hard hitter 6-1, 6-0 at Rome. It turned out that at RG, that hard hitting fella ended up defeating the FO defending champion, in four tight sets though and at R4, not QF stage.
I think Djoko and that 2009 defending champion were both having issues before playing at their respective FO. Time will tell whether Djoko will or will not do well again after this FO; the 2009 defending champion did come back to have some more good and great seasons after that defeat.
Lucky, I hope that is where the similarity ends. Else another player who had a losing record in GS finals against the FO defending champion took advantage and won the whole thing. So that will be Murray in 2017 :O
Murray? I give Stan a better chance!
Still, there’s a nine time champion standing in the way of Thiem and Stan/Murray, unlike in 2009!
An interesting fact about the FO, since 2005, no defending champion except a certain Rafael Nadal, has/had managed to retain or defend the FO crown successfully – not Fed, not Stan, not Djoko.
The failure to defend a French Open title goes way beyond 2005. The only one in the last decades I can remember defending his title and winning multiple RG crowns (three – although only two were consecutive) was the great Guga Kürten. In the 1990s only Sergi Brugera and Jim Courier managed to win two RG crowns each. Even when Guga’s lanky body betrayed him far too early he was able to eliminate in three sets a certain Goat in the making who was by then already a slam winner, reigning No 1 and certainly not a slouch on the red dirt. After falling to a Guga who was already diminished and a shadow of his former self, Fed had to postpone his RG ambitions for five more years. If I recall correctly that was in 2004 – one year before Rafa’s rule started. That year was Roger’s chance to win a RG title before Rafa became the main obstacle, and Guga dashed it. Unfortunately we never saw a contest between Guga Kürten and Rafa. I would’ve paid good money for seeing a match on clay between Guga in his prime and young Rafa. While Rafa would probably have won due to his greater fire power, I think, Guga who was a crafty and strategically shrewed player would’ve made it a match. When he won against Roger a reporter compared him to a formidable Roman general marching in front of his well placed legions. Btw, Guga was pleased mightily by his prestige win against Roger who had come into his own and was already mostly untouchable by then. Unfortunately Guga fell in the next round against the later winner of the whole shebang.
Guga and Rafa actually never played against each other because 2004 was the last year where Guga was somewhat competitive, although he was already a shadow of his former self by then. Guga dropped hints later that he would’ve known how to play Rafa. Unfortunately we will never know if that was just the fantasy of a formerly great player. For some reason Guga who normally wasn’t spiteful, never warmed to Rafa.
Knowing how to play Rafa and actually beat Rafa is two separate issues. The SHBH vs Rafa’s left handed topspin FH is always an issue. Rafa was beaten at the FO by two guys, whom both hit with DHBH.
Fed, Stan, Thiem and Cuevas did beat Rafa on clay but they only managed to do it once or twice and only in BO3 events. We’ll see whether Thiem or Stan can do it this time.
Well, Wilander wasn’t warm to Rafa either. Perhaps, they’re not happy that Rafa is the new king of clay, taking over from Borg, when they themselves couldn’t! Also Rafa having Fed’s number may not sit well with this guys who hail Fed as the Goat.
Rafa also isn’t their orthodox type of player, with his leftiness and unique topspin FH plus a DHBH, not their traditional SHBH player.
If you dig further, there was Lendl in the 1980s and of course Borg who defended his FO titles time and again, from the 1970s right up to 1980/81! It’s not easy defending the FO title.
Nah, wrong analysis, Murray only lost to Djoko once at the FO final, unlike a certain great who lost a few FO finals to the defending champion.
I was talking about all sorts of GS finals 🙂 Anyway it is all moot. Vamos!