French Open semi-finals: Djokovic v Tsitsipas, Nadal crushes Schwartzman – live! – The Guardian

Break points won:

Novak Djokovic – 2/2

Stefanos Tsitsipas – 0/7

Sometimes tennis is as simple as this.

Second set: Novak Djokovic 6-3 4-2* Stefanos Tsitsipas

Djokovic breezes through a quick hold to consolidate the break, sealed with a big service winner down the T. Djokovic has now won 9 of the last 11 points since.

Second set: Novak Djokovic 6-3 *3-2 Stefanos Tsitsipas

Tsitsipas seemed to be cruising up 40-0, then after a loose error on the first point, Djokovic’s unrivalled defence burst into life. First he nailed an incredible crosscourt backhand passing shot, then on consecutive points he threw up two excellent defensive lobs. Tsitsipas let the first overhead bounce, his effort flying just wide. He took the second in the air, which dropped into the net. From 40-0 to 40-AD, Tsitsipas completed the miserable game by shanking a forehand off a shot that struck the net cord. This is becoming an uphill battle now.

Second set: Novak Djokovic 6-3 2-2* Stefanos Tsitsipas

This time, Djokovic recovers from 15-30 down to secure a far easier hold of serve. Djokovic found an excellent running angled forehand when he needed it at 15-30, but Tsitsipas ended the game with a missed backhand second serve return and then a netted forehand. Not quite good enough there.

Second set: Novak Djokovic 6-3 *1-2 Stefanos Tsitsipas

In the first set, Tsitsipas immediately dropped his serve after failing to take early break points. Much better work from the Greek this time.

He rallied from 15-30 down with a nice sequence: serve-forehand 1-2 punch, an excellent crosscourt forehand winner after a medium length point and then an unreturned serve.

Second set: Novak Djokovic 6-3 1-1* Stefanos Tsitsipas

After establishing a 15-30 lead, Tsitsipas chased down a big Djokovic forehand and his defensive forehand landed shot, bringing Djokovic into the net. There was a massive gap for a crosscourt passing shot, but Tsitsipas chose wrong and screamed to the skies after Djokovic finished off the point with an easy volley.

Djokovic has started the second set just a couple more errors and he handed over two break points at 30-40 and 40-AD. Both times, Djokovic found a big first serve, sweeping up the forehand that followed. Despite plenty of friction from Tsitsipas, Djokovic held on.

Incredibly, Djokovic is now 7/7 on break points today.

Second set: Novak Djokovic 6-3 *0-1 Stefanos Tsitsipas

Great serving from Tsitsipas to open the second set with a love hold. Aside from one poor service game in the opening set, he is playing well himself.

First set stats:

Djokovic – 75% first serve points won, 53% second serve points won, 12 winners, 13 unforced errors

Tsitsipas – 70% first serve points won, 50% second serve points won, 33% return points won, 7 winners 9 unforced errors

A top class set of tennis from Novak Djokovic, who handled the tense moment on his serve incredibly well.

Djokovic looked to be strolling to a hold with two lovely drop shots behind his serve, then he quickly moved to 40-0 behind a serve-forehand down the line 1-2 punch. Then, confusingly, he lost focus and hit three unforced errors in a row.

A tense point followed at deuce, with Djokovic’s forehand clipping the tape then landing very close to the line. After eventually making a backhand error, Tstsipas returned to the mark and complained to the umpire, claiming it was out. Too late. Djokovic found a big serve on his fourth set point to close it out.

First set: Novak Djokovic *5-3 Stefanos Tsitsipas

After Djokovic opened the game with a lovely drop shot winner, Tsitsipas rolled through another hold to 15. Djokovic will serve for the first set.

Q. Fans always love to compare the big three. As someone who has faced all three of them, talk about briefly what the challenges of the three of them are, and really who do you think is the best tennis player out there?

DIEGO SCHWARTZMAN: I’m not going to say who is the better. But I can say the most beautiful thing about these three guys is how different are these guys on court and outside the court. They are really different.

If you see, I don’t know, the food from Nole, the food from Rafa or Roger, then how they play on court. One like play on clay, the other one on grass… You know, they are different. Also one lefty, the other one aggressive, the other one is sliding like nobody.

I think the most beautiful thing it’s for sure how different these guys are. So that’s amazing. From me, is the best part to play with these guys. I’m enjoying a lot because at this time I can play against these three guys in different tournaments, so I’m enjoying a lot to see these guys on tour and playing against them.

First set: Novak Djokovic 5-2* Stefanos Tsitsipas

Djokovic holds to move to within a game of the first set, but what started as a sloppy game ended as one of the best. Both players opened the game trading poor errors as they progressed from 15-30 to 40-30 and then to deuce.

But at deuce, Tsitsipas showed everything that he is capable of. First he soaked up some big blows from Djokovic, recovering with an excellent defensive forehand down-the-line, then moving into the net and killing the ball with a beautiful drop volley.

Djokovic responded in kind, handling so much offensive pressure from the Greek, then chasing down a really well executed drop shot before playing a perfect forehand stop volley of his own ion the 23rd stroke.

But Tsitsipas blinked at deuce, sending a forehand long, and Djokovic closed off the game with a quick serve-forehand 1-2 punch.

First set: Novak Djokovic *4-2 Stefanos Tsitsipas

Tsitsipas makes it through another quick, tidy hold to 15, sealed with some great serving and then a serve-forehand 1-2 punch on game point.

Novak Djokovic is already winning 10/11 points behind his first serve.

First set: Novak Djokovic 4-1* Stefanos Tsitsipas

This is so good from Djokovic, who has started at such a high intensity and he also is serving really well. At 30-15, he mixed things up on serve with a kicker to Tsitsipas’s backhand before crunching a forehand winner behind it. Then he closed off the hold to 15 with an unreturned 109mph second serve.

First set: Novak Djokovic *3-1 Stefanos Tsitsipas

Much better work from Tsitsipas, who pieces together a decisive hold to 15 to put himself on the board. Great serving and he finished with a searing crosscourt forehand.

First set: Novak Djokovic 3-0* Stefanos Tsitsipas

Djokovic flits through a love service game with some great serving to consolidate his break. Tsitsipas is trying to take the first strike, but he is making too many errors now. That escalated very quickly.

First set: Novak Djokovic *2-0 Stefanos Tsitsipas

After being unable to take his chances in the opening game, Tsitsipas opened with a poor service game and numerous double faults to find himself down 15-40.

Unlike Tsitsipas, Djokovic only needed one. On the first break point, he came up with a magical shot, chasing down an excellent Tsitsipas crosscourt forehand and redirecting it for a running forehand winner.

First set: Novak Djokovic 1-0* Stefanos Tsitsipas

Well, that was some opening game. Djokovic saved four break points to open with a hold. Even more importantly, the level is already so high and both players are sharp and aggressive.

From 0-40 down, Djokovic saved the break points well. He found two big serves from the left side and he slotted a backhand down-the-line winner after an intense point.

Tsitsipas maintained pressure, drilling a crosscourt forehand to generate a fourth break point. From the fourth break point, Djokovic fired two forehand winners in a row to bring himself to advantage. He eventually took the game with a lovely bit of skill, curling a backhand passing shot around Tsitsipas after bringing him forward with a drop shot.

Stefanos Tsitsipas was so impressive in his quarter-final against Andrey Rublev and he clearly has everything he needs to cause Djokovic many problems today. He is serving extremely well, his movement has been incredible and he continues to be so committed to moving forward to the net behind his aggression. Tsitsipas hasn’t dropped a set since losing the first two sets of his tournament. He is easily in some of the best form of his career.

Rafael Nadal on how the match changed in the third set:

A couple of points. I had a couple of mistakes, yeah he played some good points and then I had one volley here… I know with Diego it’s very difficult until the end. He’s one of the players who makes more breaks on the tour without a doubt. But I know how the match is. A few weeks ago, I lost in Rome so I expected a very tough match. Happy the way that I played. I think I have been improving and today has been a very positive match for me.

Rafael Nadal is now 99-2 at Roland Garros. Please let that sink in.

That was some detour from Nadal in the third set after an otherwise solid performance, but he got it done in the tiebreak. He is into a record-extending 13th final and he is still yet to drop a set.

Third set: Rafael Nadal 6-3 6-3 6-6 Diego Schwartzman

To his credit, after all the struggles in this set, Nadal opened the tiebreak by stealing two points with a couple of touches of brilliance. On the first, Schwartzman flitted into the net behind a couple of huge forehands, only for Nadsl to slip a backhand passing shot behind him.

Then Nadal was stranded at the net and demonstrated his great hands by reacting to a ball flying straight at him before putting away the second volley for 2-0. That was enough to wrestle away the momentum and now he stands at 6-0.

Third set: Rafael Nadal 6-3 6-3 6-6 Diego Schwartzman

An incredible hold from Diego Schwartzman, who is suddenly on fire. From 15-15, he produced three top class points in a row: a screaming forehand down-the-line winner, an outrageous angled backhand winner after a long point and then a point-ending inside out forehand. A tiebreak will decide this interesting and confusing third set.

Third set: Rafael Nadal 6-3 6-3 6-5* Diego Schwartzman

Nadal holds, but this has become so much more complicated than expected. He opened the game with a couple more inexplicable errors to find himself down double break point.

From 15-40 down and a possible fourth set looming, Nadal came alive again. He saved the first break point with a searing forehand down-the-line, then he connected with a quick serve-forehand 1-2. At deuce he produced a third consecutive forehand winner.

On advantage Nadal, it was Schwartzman’s time to step up with his forehand, burying two consecutive huge point-ending forehands to create a third break point.

On the third break point, Nadal changed things up completely, scuppering it with a brave serve and volley. After a couple more deuces, Nadal finally found a good unreturned swerving wide serve on game point to seal the hold.

Third set: Rafael Nadal 6-3 6-3 *5-5 Diego Schwartzman

From 15-30 down and two points from defeat, Schwartzman pieced together an enormous hold to keep the pressure on Nadal.

After a good unreturned serve from the Argentine at 15-30, Nadal had his chances. At 30-30, he perfectly opened up the court and set up a backhand down the line, only to stumble into the backhand and hit the net.

At game point, Schwartzman controlled the point and threw everything at Nadal, who tracked everything down before responding with really good dropshot. Under immense pressure, Schwartzman chased it down and produced a lovely counter drop shot that was just good enough to elicit a Nadal error. Great fight from the Argentine to somehow keep this alive.

Third set: Rafael Nadal 6-3 6-3 5-4* Diego Schwartzman

Much better from Nadal, who holds serve to love after losing his serve twice in a row. Much better serving from Nadal, who held with a big serve and down-the-line forehand 1-2 punch, punctuated with a loud “vamos”. Back to basics. One game away.

Third set: Rafael Nadal 6-3 6-3 *4-4 Diego Schwartzman

Schwartzman rolls through a quick hold to 15 to put some pressure on Nadal’s shoulders. Once again some sloppy unforced errors from Nadal, who ended with a poor return. He has plenty to think about here.

Third set: Rafael Nadal 6-3 6-3 4-3* Diego Schwartzman

Another scrappy service game for Nadal, who drops serve once again from game point.

Nadal saved the break point at 30-40 with an unreturned body serve, but then he fired a backhand well long. On the second break point, he stepped into the court and nervelessly demolished a forehand down-the-line winner.

It seemed that the game would swing Nadal’s way as he reached game point, but Schwartzman saved it by absolutely drilling the ball down the centre of the court off both wings until he elicited a backhand error. Nadal then threw in two errors, including a routine forehand error.

A good effort from Schwartzman but this has been a very strange period since Nadal seemed to have taken control of the match at *3-1.

Third set: Rafael Nadal 6-3 6-3 *4-2 Diego Schwartzman

That comeback did not last very long. Nadal breaks to love after a series of elementary errors from Schwartzman. On break point, Schwartzman netted his second routine backhand of the game to meekly hand it back.

Nadal ended his previous service game so badly, but as always he refused to allow it to linger. You can only respect his mentality.

Third set: Rafael Nadal 6-3 6-3 3-2* Diego Schwartzman

Admirably, Schwartzman is still fighting hard and he has forced himself back into the third set. He burst into this return game with blazing aggression and eventually it paid off as he drilled a backhand down-the-line to reach 30-30. Then Nadal missed an easy forehand to give him break point.

Nadal ramped up his intensity to save the break point, ending a long point with a huge inside-in forehand. However, he couldn’t repeat that form. From deuce, Nadal sent two consecutive forehands wide.

Third set: Rafael Nadal 6-3 6-3 *3-1 Diego Schwartzman

Schwartzman drops his serve to love as Nadal continues to roll with his momentum. In truth, he offered more resistance to the umpire Aurelie Tourte he argued with her about a mark at 0-30 than to Nadal.

Here is my piece looking ahead to the women’s final tomorrow between Iga Swiatek and Sofia Kenin.

Third set: Rafael Nadal 6-3 6-3 2-1* Diego Schwartzman

Nadal rolls through another easy hold, this time to love. Nadal continues to serve extremely well and he is also opening up his shoulders off the ground, particularly crunching a big crosscourt forehand winner at 30-0. The pressure is building on Schwartzman’s serve.

Schwartzman’s return games won:

Previous rounds: 55%

Today: 10%

Brutal.

Third set: Rafael Nadal 6-3 6-3 *1-1 Diego Schwartzman

Schwartzman opens his account in set three with a quick hold to 15, sealed with an ace down the T.

There was an incredible point at 30-15, in which Nadal defended two huge blows from Schwartzman, produced a backhand lob over Schwartzman’s head. After all of that work, Nadal shanked his forehand well out off Schwartman’s limp response. Otherwise, a routine hold for the Argentine.

Third set: Rafael Nadal 6-3 6-3 1-0* Diego Schwartzman

Nadal rolls through a quick hold to 15 to open the third set. Some great serving from Nadal, including his third ace.

Second set stats:

Rafael Nadal – 80% first serves in, 81% first serve points won, 75% second serve points won, 8 winners 7 unforced errors, 41% return points won

Diego Schwartzman – 66% first serves in, 58% first serve points won, 60% second serve points won, 20% return points won 9 winners 12 unforced errors

A much better serving performance in set two from Nadal, who only lost 4 points on his serve in the entire set against one of the top three returners in the world. Schwartzman needs a miracle and it is difficult to believe that he will get one.