Rafael Nadal is undoubtedly one of the greatest tennis players on clay, especially at the French Open. The Spaniard has won 106 of his 109 matches at the Rolland Garros with 13 Major titles in Paris. Nadal debuted in Paris and won his first Roland Garros title in 2005, claiming his first Major title when he was 19. Since then, he has emerged as the King of Clay and the toughest player to beat in Paris.
Nadal has achieved a lot of milestones and has an impressive record in the clay Major. Last year, he set another percent at the Roland Garros by reaching his 14th semi-final at a single major. He joined the likes of Roger Federer with 15 semis at the Australian Open and Jimmy Conners with 14 semis at the US Open. Rafa became only the third player with more than 14 semi-finals at a single Major tournament. He fought hard to beat Diego Schwartzman by 6-2, 4-6, 6-4, 6-0 to move to the semi of the French Open 2021.
Having suffered only one loss in the Paris quarter-finals, Nadal battled to avoid his second loss against the Argentinian tennis player, who did not lose a single set before the quarter-finals encounter. The game went deep with 4-4 in the third set before Rafael turned the match around to advance into the semis. A similar thing happened in the 2019 finals when Rafa lost a set for the first time in Paris, ending his 36-set winning streak. He still emerged on top to secure his 13th title.
Rafa Beat Schwartzman To Reach Another Milestone In Paris
In that game, Diego clinched three out of four breaks early. However, the Spaniard responded with seven return games driving him to a victory. Nadal showcased a marvelous effort in the shortest range, up to four strokes. The duo traded several breaks in the sixth and seventh games in the opening set. Further, Nadal secured another at 4-3 when Diego made a forehand error. He placed a forehand winner to clinch the set by 6-2 after 42 minutes.
The Argentinian showcased a high level of tennis in the second set with a 3-0 advantage. A little later, Nadal pulled a break back in a game five to stay in the fight. However, Schwartzman got a break at 5-4, becoming the first player to take a set from Nadal in two years. Diego continued to build in the third set and challenged Rafa to stay in the game. However, the Spaniard clinched a crucial break at 4-4. Eventually, Rafael won the set by 6-4 before taking the final set by 6-0 and entering the semi-finals. Undoubtedly, Nadal is going strong in this year\’s French Open. He recently prevailed in the second round to enter the third, where he will face Botic van de Zandshulp tomorrow.