French Open Final: Novak Djokovic vs Rafael Nadal and the Keys to the Match

By
at Internationaled.org

Published: June 9, 2012

commentComment        

History will be made on Sunday at Roland Garros.  That much we know.  

The only question is: Who will be making it?

In a French Open finals matchup that comes a year later than originally expected, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal will square off, each hoping to add a unique chapter to already compelling legacies.

For Novak, it's a chance to complete the "Novak Slam," or non-calendar year grand slam sweep, something that hasn't been done since Laver back in the Paleozoic era.  A victory would also give him a career grand slam and, perhaps more impressively, make him only the second player ever to pull off the hardest trick in men's tennis—beat Rafael Nadal at Roland Garros.

Federer's never done it.  Probably never will.  

And with apologies to Robin Soderling, the only other player to beat Rafa in Paris, a finals victory by Djokovic against a healthy, confident, seemingly unbeatable Nadal at the height of his powers would be the ultimate coup de grâce.  It's never been done.  

We don't even know if it can be done.

For Rafael, the stakes are equally clear.  Win the final, and Rafa will have an unprecedented seven French Open titles under his belt (or one more than Borg) and will officially end the debate as to who is the greatest clay court player of all time.  Also, it will also put him back on track with eleven major titles overall and within shouting distance of Roger Federer's career record of sixteen.  

Anyone who thinks Nadal will be satisfied as the greatest clay court player of all time clearly underestimates Nadal's pride and drive to lay claim to the title of greatest player of all time, period, no qualifiers added.  If he just happens to win nine or ten French Opens out of, oh, say, eighteen or nineteen majors before all is said and done, well, don't blame him for showing up.  

 
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Tennis

Latest News


Comments

Comments are closed.

Sponsors

Bruins Tickets The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League.

Red Wings Tickets The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League.

Penguins Tickets The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League.

New York Rangers Tickets play their home games at Madison Square Garden, they are one of the oldest teams in the NHL, having joined in 1926 as an expansion franchise, and are part of the group of teams referred to as the Original Six.

San Jose Sharks Tickets The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California, United States.

Toronto Maple Leafs Tickets The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League.

New Jersey Devils Tickets The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League.

Washington Capitals Tickets The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C.

Buffalo Sabres Tickets The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League. Get the Sabres and all of your NHL Tickets here.

NASCAR season is on of the most attended sports in the world. NASCAR Tickets to the best tracks is a must every year. Some of these tracks are: Talladega Tickets, Lowes Motor Speedway Tickets, Pocono Raceway Tickets, located in Ridgeway Virginia you have Martinsville Speedway Tickets and southern US you have two of the most popular Atlanta Motor Speedway Tickets and Texas Motor Speedway Tickets. Don't miss all the racing events this year!

Boston Red Sox Tickets The Boston Red Sox are a member of the Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Since 1912, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park. This is one of the hottest MLB Tickets sales of any team in the major league.

New York Yankees Tickets The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the borough of the Bronx, in New York City, New York and are a member of Major League Baseball's American League East Division. Get tickets to one of the hottest games of the season Yankees Red Sox Tickets.

Chicago Cubs Tickets The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League.

Phillies Tickets The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883.

Orioles Tickets The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland.

Do you love wrestling? Get your WWE Tickets and WWE Survivor Series Tickets today!