It is 1:26 in the night from Tuesday to Wednesday. Relieved after a final winning smash, Rafael Nadal takes off his red band and goes to the net. By dominating the great Italian hope Jannik Sinner (7-6 (7/4), 6-4, 6-1 in 2h49), the Spaniard, in addition to a 98th success for his 100th match on Parisian clay, has just signed a new record. That of the latest victory in the history of Roland-Garros.
At the end of the longest day, yet started at 11 am, the world n ° 2 indeed started his match at 10:37 pm! The Polish Swiatek, who had just qualified for the semi-finals, was even astonished to see the Mallorcan tumbling in the cold and the wind with his bag at late tapas time.
Nadal: “It’s dangerous for our bodies to play in these conditions”
“Thank you very much for staying so late in such circumstances,” Nadal smiles to a handful of devastated enthusiasts. It was really, really hard. With these conditions, my lift does not really take, but I was able to find aggression. I’m very happy to be in the semi-finals again, it’s the most important tournament for me. “
In front of all his clan bundled up, masked and carefully dispersed in the open stands to respect barrier gestures, Nadal passed his first real test of the tournament in his quest for a 13th coronation. For two sets, Sinner, at the height of his 19 years, more than even game.
With a power and a relaxation that sometimes reminded Robin Söderling, one of the two men (with Djokovic) to have defeated the monster of the earth in his lair of the Porte d’Auteuil. The 75th in the world served for the first set at 6-5, led 3-1 in the second, but suffered the wrath of Manacori in key moments. We call it the experience… “I had so many chances that I couldn’t seize,” sums up the Transalpine. Him, he seized them! “
At 2 a.m., Nadal shows up in front of the camera in the press room for his virtual conference. “It’s not ideal to finish at half past one in the morning, but the problem is really the temperature,” he blurted out. It’s too cold to play tennis. I know footballers play, but they keep moving. We have a lot of downtime and it’s dangerous for our bodies to play in these conditions. “
A bit fatalistic and without wanting to argue, the man with 19 major titles wonders why five games were scheduled at the Central. “There were still risks that it would happen like that, he breathes. You just had to be patient and accept. “
Schwartzman: “This week I can beat him”
In the semifinals, Nadal will find Diego Schwartzman, who created a sensation by unceremoniously leaving the tournament in Rome three weeks ago. The Argentinian defeated Dominic Thiem after an uneven but brutal showdown of 5:08 (7-6 (7/1), 5-7, 6-7 (6/8), 7-6 ( 7/5), 6-2) and is invited for the first time in the last square.
Recent winner of the US Open and finalist of the last two Roland Garros, the Austrian partly paid for his debauchery of energy from the previous round against the French revelation Hugo Gaston. “I had already exceeded my limits”, summarizes the world n ° 3. After his fight, Gladiator Schwartzman did not miss a beat of Nadal’s quarterback despite daylight saving time.
“The point is, he beat me nine times and me once,” smiles the tireless marathoner. I don’t know if I will be extremely confident. I know this week I can beat him. But I’ll just think about the tremendous victory I just won. I’m delighted and don’t want to think of anything else tonight. “
See you on Friday afternoon at the Central for a match that already smells of sweat and dust. “I thought I had two days off, calculates Nadal leaving the stadium. It will be a day and a half… Diego leaves with a slight advantage, it’s a reality. The conditions are rather favorable to him. It’s up to me to find the way to hurt him. If I continue on my level at the end of the game, I will have options. »Especially if it is a little less cold …
