Reuters - Fri, 04 Jun 20:17:00 2010
Rafael Nadal powered into the French Open final with a commanding straight sets victory over surprise semi-finalist Jurgen Melzer on Friday.
The Spaniard produced another near-faultless display on his favourite stage to beat the Austrian 22nd seed 6-2 6-3 7-6, celebrating his victory by kicking a ball into the crowd and leaping high into the air.
A routine-looking win got a little sticky at the end as Melzer launched a late fightback but it clearly meant the world to Nadal who now has the chance to set the record straight with Sweden's Robin Soderling in Sunday's final.
Soderling's shock victory over Nadal in last year's fourth round is still the Spaniard's only defeat in 38 matches at Roland Garros which have brought him four titles.
A fifth is now looming after reaching the final without the loss of a set as he did in 2007 and 2008, although for a while near the end Melzer did threaten to blot Nadal's copybook with soem brave attacking play in a late fightback.
Serving for the match at 5-4, Nadal was broken to love and was reduced to laughter when his second serve on break point bounced before it even reached the net.
Temporarily thrown off his stride in the early evening sunshine, Nadal had to dig deep to finish off an opponent who was determined not to depart his first grand slam semi-final without putting on a show.
In the end Nadal, as he usually is on clay, was just too powerful and too accurate and he regained his rhythm to win the third set tiebreak despite squandering two match points.
French Open: Saturday 1.30pm LIVE on British Eurosport (Sky 410 / Virgin 521) & on the Eurosport Player.
Comment 59 - 78 of 78
OK so , now we all now who stands behind this, obviously the same lunatic known as b,i,t,c,h,
I was absent, my last post was on Fri 4 Jun 8:43PM ..and Sat 5 Jun 2:37PM
I didn’t write all this previous @#$%, of course. Sorry if anyone is insulted and think it was me, no !
so finally my nick is stolen..
Honestly I expected this to happen much earlier ?! :-)
Sadly this is done by people who were chasing me on this forum for a long time, with some breaks.
I’m sorry that I insulted Federer`s fan`s with my “predictions”, but there were some fans who appreciated my later words of admiring towards Federer, and saw it as a sign that people can change.
After that, you could hear from me mostly positive words towards him, but also discussions yes, and passion… but this is all about it ha ? Sharing the opining.
but I can not remember I have ever used some ugly words after all, like they are doing for my favorite..
So b,i,t,c,h, if you think you have won this, no you ain`t !
I will never stop believing. It is my right to believe.
Some good posters will recognize me here again, after some time.. thanks for your support !
*** This is last post from Igor K ***
You got to hand it to Raffa, he is one of the best. I never really warmed to him until lately, he is literaly the only man who can stop federer in the majors so that immediatly makes him something special on top of the six major titles he already has it his age. I cant wait for the final, i dont mind who wins since both nadal and soderling desserve it.
#100 - "Tennis world thinks Rafa has got his 5th RG."
is that so? don't think so from what i read here. so many rafa haters. not surprising after 2 fan bases merge into 1. endless theories, assumptions, bla, bla. just wait for the game.
Rafa has been preparing this final sInce the quarter finals and his developing his agressivness, which is a great sign.
He was no match to Jurgen, although we must credit the fighting spirit of the austrian player. Soderling-Berdych was a good contest but lacked some emotion in the end. Berdych almost scapes through the final, but Soderling wished it more, his fitness and thoughness prevailed at the end of the contest. His a great player and deserves this final too.
I expect a difficult match for Nadal, but I still believe that it's possible to lift the trophy for the 5.º time.
Good luck Rafa
******************************************************* ***************************************
It will be very difficult for Rafa. Analysis
1. The pressure is on Rafa and that is great for Soderling.
2. Soderling has super confidence after winning against his nightmare, Roger Federer. And remember Soderling has already won against Rafa, he doesnt think Rafa is impossible.
3. Soderling is over that " I played against great player and lost "phase. He is not there to be second.
4. Rafas game has to be perfect. Nobody would blame him if he lost against Federer but the situation is different here. Tennis world thinks Rafa has got his 5th RG.
5. Losing first set doesnt mean anything to Soderling anymore. Roger did that but Soderling is not going home without a fight.
Nicholas: don't woryy. Le Sod is anything BUT a complete player. He only has a booming serVe and sledgehammer forehand. When that is countered, or fails on its own account, he's vulnerable. That's why he gets so nervous. Even Berdych, who's court coverage and returning skills are way below Rafa's was able to break him several times. And perfection like against Fed is highly unlikely: Nadal won't let him.
Go for it Rafa - KING OF CLAY and get you CLAY SLAM TITLE for 2010 - and your number 1 status on the ATP rankings !! Vamos Rafael !
All tennis players who break and dash their tennis racquets should be penalised ! They do not set a good example to the younger ones for sure. That includes Soderling and Djokovic !!
I am a massive nadal fan and nothing pleases me more than to see, that nadal made it to his fifth french open final, I can only hope by some miracle now nadal can win. For there is some reasons although nadal reaching the final not dropping a set is impressive, I still see alot of problems with his game. Ever since the loss last year and injuries he has not been the same something is clearly missing and until that returns am not sure whether he can be as dominating as before. As much as it pains me to say this as would be thrilled to see him lift his fifth roland garros title and seventh grandslam, I think Robin soderling will be the next French open champion on sunday and nadal will only manage runner up. I suspect a four possible five set match with soderling digging down deep to produce the win. I still dont see nadal doing enough in his game to really trouble soderling and like I said believe it to take something extra special for nadal to be able to win. I hope rafa can do something truly spectacualar and win the title but at this time see soderling as the complete player who has looked at times just too good. I will end with I hope nadal prooves me wrong and that he has got something there to win this title, so for sunday and the last time in this grandslam this year Vamos Rafa please proove me wrong
@Igor K,, I think this tyrone100smith19** is the one who impersonated you
I knew it was not u to write such comments.. cheers..
Nadal winning RG this year won't be that easy as some believe. I suspect that he would have prefered Fed. Two problems he needs to overcome against Robin: mental since he has already lost to him at RG plus they don't like each other much. Second, top spin won't work since balls bounce perfectly for Robin.
May the best win.
would like to watch some good tennis who ever it is the best on the day will be rewarded
Nadal will regain his French crown in three sets over Soderling. I am more interested when the Mr. Nice Guy of Tennis meets the King of Wimbledon who is now preparing for the defense of his title. Will the Grand Slam Leader give way to the King of Clay on GRASS?
#102, evenmike.. wait.. Ljubicic??? i never mention him. what calculation and comparison? scratch head. must have been a diffrent 'Iris'.
talk is cheap we can all say what we think is gonna happen but will have to see on sunday being a nadal fan im hoping he is gonna win he is playing well enough to win and this win will boost his confidence for wimbledon come on RAFA make us all rafa fans proud xx
Iris, Nadal lost to Ljubicic, aged 31, at Indian Wells this year. I think you have to go back 5 years since Ljubicic won over Federer, but I guess you are saying, Ljubicic is getting stronger and stronger. According to your calculations and comparisons we will have Ljubicic announced as Wimbledon title holder at the age of 42.
#83 hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah
good 1 dude, I bet this is exactly what idiot Igor wants to say but he just couldnt coz he doesnt wanna show us how stupid he is
Hope Soldering will teach Nadal a lesson!
James W, re confession. I wound not loose any sleep over the miss in prediction. Very few people cares about what you said or believed 12 months ago. Sport is very much about right now. Anticipation and feelings is all that matters now. On Monday most of us will forget about RG. Enjoy the game.
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