Archive: rafael-nadal
Watching the progression of play at a tennis tournament is rather like opening a present that reveals yet another mystery package and yet another, until the final match is at hand. The time finally arrives where it is a surety that the last ribbon will be untied, and the unknown becomes a statistic in the record books.
I can't imagine anyone who is not enthused for next season when there are three weeks in between the French Open and Wimbledon instead of the current two. I'm certainly looking forward to it.
Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal must feel as if they had slipped back in time, but only partially. It is Thursday at the Gerry Weber Open and both men contested their first match of the tournament, that could move them up the ladder in giant steps, without so much as having to strike a ball during actual play until this afternoon.
Rafael Nadal's first match since the French Open, which will come just three days after he captured a ninth Roland Garros title by defeating Novak Djokovic last weekend, is set for Wednesday against Dustin Brown during second-round action at the Gerry Weber Open.
Andy Murray will work with two-time women's grand slam winner Amelie Mauresmo for the four-week grass season starting next week, the world eight announced. Murray's surprise decision took some of the emphasis briefly away from the French Open final between eight-time winner Rafael Nadal and world No. 2 Novak Djokovic.
It was Maria Sharapova holding the trophy at the finish of the women’s singles at Roland Garros. It was the second longest women’s final in the history of the tournament. Sharapova and her opponent Simona Halep traded the lead throughout the long sets. It was an extraordinarily exciting final after last year’s romp by Serena Williams.
Trading shots is what Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic do when they have a business meeting. They’ve been at it for more than a few years and including today’s match, they have met 42 times, which is the most head-to-head encounters in tour level play in the Open Era.
Andy Murray and Ernests Gulbis are part of another outstanding field at the Queen's Club's Aegon Championships, which begin on Monday. They are coming off semifinal showings at the French Open, where Murray and Gulbis lost to Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, respectively.
The grass-court season may be short, but to say it is also sweet would be an understatement. Two of the four weeks, of course, are spent at the All-England Club.
The final Friday of Roland Garros is like a day of reckoning for the men competing in the singles. For the duration of the tournament, up until then, it is like a winnowing process.
Here are some of today’s EPA photos of the day. Enjoy!
Maria Sharapova and Simona Halep have a date on Saturday. They will meet in the women’s singles final.
Only two of the top four seeds are still alive for semifinal action on Friday at Roland Garros, but three of the so-called "Big 4" have advanced. Ernests Gulbis is joining Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Andy Murray for what is an intriguing lineup.
Rain began in the wee hours of Wednesday morning and it continued most of the day, putting quite a hitch in the plans for quarterfinal play at Roland Garros. An umbrella was the most popular accessory.
Click here to see EPA photos of the players @ the French Open.
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