French Open 2012: Nadal Versus Ferrer - Preview

Rafael Nadal takes on the challenge of compatriot David Ferrer in the semi-finals on Friday, the 8^th June. Both had reached the quarterfinals without dropping a set. Ferrer dropped a set to Andy Murray in the semi-finals, but was more impressive in his victory since defeating any one of the top four is a remarkable feat in itself. Nadal had an untroubled victory over Nicolas Almagro in the semi-finals.

In Ferrer, Nadal will find a mirror image of himself on the other side of the net. Both play similar styles of tennis, retrieving all balls and running everywhere on the court in endless rallies. In this encounter, one can expect Nadal to be the first to pull the trigger in a rally since he has a killer forehand. He might therefore commit more unforced errors than Ferrer, but will also force errors from Ferrer’s racquet. On his part, Ferrer does not let short balls from Nadal go unpunished. He keeps Nadal pinned on his backhand and whenever the ball falls short, he blasts it to the forehand corner. However, his aggression cannot last for five sets. If he has to defeat Nadal, it should be in three or four sets. It is a tall order.

Among the fellow Spaniards, it is Ferrer who has the belief that he can defeat Nadal. In the previous rounds, Nadal has not faced quality opponents. Sometimes the tactics that work with lower ranked players do not work with the top ten players. One has seen Nadal more in a defensive mode, content with returning balls and playing stamina tennis. As regards Ferrer, he might play the same game he played in the first set against Nadal in Rome last month. He appeared the better player in that set, but after he lost the tie break, his spirit was broken and he lost the second set 6-0. He played Nadal with the same aggression when he defeated him in the Australian Open last year, though what was the contribution of Nadal’s physical discomfort is not assessable.

Ferrer will have the advantage of being the underdog, play with nothing to lose. He can run a marathon with Nadal. He gives no free points whatsoever. He is going to give a lot of trouble to Nadal, but can he cause an upset? Only the uncontrolled aggression of Robin Soderling could defeat Nadal at Roland Garros. Ferrer does not play a Soderling. He has been a poor man’s Nadal so far. He will be out to prove that poor can teach a lesson or two to the rich. Nadal will be there to ensure that even two lessons cannot win a five set format.