A few weeks ago I posted that Rafa would stay No 1 – he still can, with a little help from a friend.
I had picked that Rafa Nadal would win Rome and Roland Garros and therefore hold on to the ATP No. 1 ranking until at least the beginning of Wimbledon.
Unfortunately I underestimated Novak Djokovic, who continued his amazing run of form to beat Rafa in Rome.
But now it is Paris. Five sets, Grand Slam tennis.
And Rafa has a trump card this time in… Roger Federer, who could be the one to knock Nole off his perch in the semis and allow the Mallorcan to stay atop, just… just…just maybe… a little longer.
Here is the calculation, should Nadal win, and Djokovic fall in semis:
UPDATE – Result was that Roger Federer beat Maxime Teixeira by 6-3, 6-0, 6-2
Maxime Teixera from France is ranked 181 in the world, and has never played Roger Federer before.
In fact he seems to be so unknown that his ATP Profile lacks a photo, and basic bio and stats! Maybe tomorrow is his chance to make his name…nah, probably not .
Below are the best links for free TV streams over internet that we could find in our wide scan and evaluation of available sources.
Roland Garros – Live Tennis on TV Streams (Free)
Roger Federer vs Maxime Teixeira, Wednesday 11am (9am GMT)
Option 1 – French Open – Tennis – Live TV - English
Option 2 – French Open – Tennis – Live TV- English
The French Open draw is out and Nadal shares one side of the draw with Murray, while Federer and Djokovic are on the other half.
So that’s got to be good news for Rafa, tougher for Roger, and great news for those of us wanting to see the very best tennis in Paris.
Rafa’s biggest hurdles along the way could be Davydenko in the third round, followed by Verdasco and Soderling in a possible replay of the famous quarterfinal of two years ago when the Swede upset Nadal.
Federer on the other hand has a potential banana skin first up in Feliciano Lopez but then easier matches and possibly Wawrinka and Ferrer later in the draw.
Here is who I pick Roger and Rafa will have to face if they are to meet in the final in two weeks time:
Rafael Nadal potential opponents:
First Round: John Isner Second Round: Pablo Andujar Third Round: Nikolay Davydenko Fourth Round: Fernando Verdasco Quarterfinal: Robin Soderling Semifinal: Andy Murray Final: Novak Djokovic or Roger Federer
Roger Federer potential opponents:
First Round: Feliciano Lopez Second Round: Vincent Millot Third Round: Janko Tipsarevic Fourth Round: Stanislas Wawrinka Quarterfinal: David Ferrer Semifinal: Novak Djokovic Final: Rafael Nadal
If all goes to seed we are in for a scintillating last four. Going to be a lot of fun!
The French Open first round kicks off on Sunday May 22nd, and the seedings have already been announced (following the ATP rankings). The draw will come out today and be available here as soon as it is released.
Rafael Nadal will be looking at notching up his sixth Roland Garros title, to equal Bjorn Borg at the very top of the clay major mountain.
He will face tough competition though, most obviously from the seemingly unbeatable Novak Djokovic, but also let’s not count out Roger Federer, Andy Murray and Robin Soderling as possible winners.
According to the tournament website, Rafa practiced yesterday and his back was playing up a little, and he was less than happy with the way he was hitting the ball – let’s hope that the next 3-4 days training and rest will get him in shape.
Roger Federer has been putting in the hours – training on the main court since Monday and feeling comfortable with the surface and new balls. He must benefit from the lighter playing schedule than his other top four colleagues who played tough matches into the semifinal weekend at Rome last week.
This must be the most open Roland Garros in many years.
Who is your pick? I’m of course picking Rafa in the final over Nole, in five sets .
Rest easy Nadal fans – Rafa will stay on top until at least after Roland Garros…
There has been a lot of talk of Novak Djokovic’s chances of taking over the ATP No 1 position from Rafael Nadal either at the Rome Masters or at the French Open.
But that possibility requires one massive assumption – that he can outscore Rafa at either Rome or Roland Garros.
Let’s not forget something – Nadal has won the Rome title in 5 out of the last six years, as well as Roland Garros in 5 out of the last 6 years. He is perhaps the best clay court player of all time, and unlike the Madrid Masters which is played at altitude, these courts are perfect for his style of play.
So even if Nole makes it to the final in both, Nadal is favourite to win both titles. And in that case after Roland Garros he will retain a lead over the Serb of…365 points!
Here is the calculation:
Nadal
Djokovic
Balance 11th May
12470
10665
less Madrid points 2010*
-1000
0
plus Rome 2011
+1000
+600
less French 2010
-2000
-360
plus French 2011
+2000
+1200
After Roland Garros
12470
12105
Note – Madrid 2010 points drop 16th May, and Rome 2010 points already deducted from balance due to change in tournament calendar since last year.
Well let’s not take this lightly, Nadal will have to play brilliantly to achieve the above, but so will Djokovic, and Rafa has history and experience in his favour. Odds are on him.
On the other hand, the really big challenge will be Wimbledon where things are no longer in Rafa’s hands. If as above Nadal wins on clay and Djokovic loses the finals, then even a Wimbledon title may not be enough if Nole does indeed make it to the third consecutive final. So THERE is his chance – but truth is, I back Rafa to win all three, but think the Serb will fall short at either the French or Wimbledon .
After Roland Garros
12470
12105
less Wimbledon 2010
-2000
-720
plus Wimbledon 2011
+2000
+1200
After Wimbledon
12470
12585
Note – Queens left out of above for simplification, but it could also come in to play. Rafa defends 45 points and Nole 20 points.
Then for July and August… not so many points to defend and he could make up points on the hardcourt tour of North America before defending his title at the US Open.
My pick is that Rafa will be at No 1 until the end of the year!
Rafael Nadal beat Robin Soderling of Sweden 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 to reclaim his French Open crown, and the ATP world Number One ranking.
If a year ago the world seemed to change when Nadal lost to Soderling in the fourth round of Roland Garros, today it took another turn.
Revitalised and with a redesigned game, Rafa came out firing and completed the victory over the Swede with complete control and conviction.
In so doing, he managed to repeat his 2008 performance of winning the crown without dropping a set, and has proved without a doubt that he is deserving of the number one ranking which will be his again on Monday.
Felicidades, Rafa, grandissimo!
P.S., that makes 19 out of the last 21 Grand Slams for Rafa and Roger!
SEE FREE LIVE TENNIS OVER INTERNET LINKS AT END OF THIS POST
Final starts Sunday 3 pm local time, 1 pm GMT.
If you cannot have a Nadal vs Federer at the French Open, then surely in 2010 Nadal vs Soderling is the best of the best. Not only did the Swede bundle Rafa out of Roland Garros last year for his only ever loss at the event, he has shown he is in top form this year by humbling the great Roger Federer.
The outcome tomorrow is 50/50 to me. Rafa is 3-2 up in the head to head, with the losses coming in the last two meetings – Roland Garros last year and at the year end finals in London.
So what will it come down to? If Soderling can pound and expose Nadal’s forehand, and keep the points short he will be in for a fighting chance. If we get rain on Sunday as the forecasts predict, that will make the court heavier, suiting the Swede.
Finally though, I think this one will come down to nerves, endurance and sheer determination. Neither player is lacking on these counts, but surely the experience and intensity of Rafa could be the trump card. I pick Rafa in five, an epic blockbuster of a match. Get the popcorn, beer or champagne ready, we’re in for quite a ride!
Here are the best links for free TV coverage over internet. We’ll check and update these when the match starts.
If none of these are working, or to find one that works better, do try the listings at SPVod, Myp2p, RojaDirecta, Atdhe, Fromsport , Channelsurfing.
Also refer to this post for more information on watching TV over the internet, or feel free to leave a comment to report good or bad links (no registration required).
Roland Garros 2010 – Live Tennis on TV Streams (Free)
Rafael Nadal vs Robin Soderling
Started about 3pm local time, 1pm GMT
Option 1 - French Open Tennis Live TV- RECOMMENDED – English, Use Internet Explorer and allow installation of small software when requested
SEE FREE LIVE TENNIS OVER INTERNET LINKS AT END OF THIS POST
Started about 5pm local time, 3pm GMT.
Jurgen Melzer ATP Profile
Two unexpected encounters at the semifinals today in Roland Garros.
If all had run to form we would be seeing Federer against Murray and Nadal against Djokovic. Of the four, only Nadal managed to keep his date at the main table this year, and he should have a straight forward win over the Austrian veteran Jurgen Melzer.
Roger Federer was of course knocked out by Robin Soderling, who has just beaten Tomas Berdych to repeat his final appearance of last year.
I pick Nadal in three.
Here are the best links for free TV coverage over internet. We’ll check and update these when the match starts.
If none of these are working, or to find one that works better, do try the listings at SPVod, Myp2p, RojaDirecta, Atdhe, Fromsport , Channelsurfing.
Also refer to this post for more information on watching TV over the internet, or feel free to leave a comment to report good or bad links (no registration required).
Roland Garros 2010 – Live Tennis on TV Streams (Free)
Rafael Nadal vs Jurgen Melzer
Started about 5pm local time, 3pm GMT
Option 1 - French Open Tennis Live TV- RECOMMENDED – English, Use Internet Explorer and allow installation of small software when requested
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