Nadal Tested But Improves to 54-1 Lifetime at French Open

May 31, 2013 | By Long Island Tennis Magazine Staff
Rafael_Nadal_13
Photo credit: Kenneth B. Goldberg

Rafael Nadal came from behind for the second match in a row Friday at the French Open, dropping the first set before he came  to beat Martin Klizan 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3. Nadal had lost only 14 sets in 53 matches at the French Open, and now has a 54-1 lifetime record at Roland Garros. Last year, Nadal dropped one set in the entire tournament en route to a record seventh Roland Garros title. Nadal also lost the first set of his opening match against Daniel Brands and was down three-love in the second-set tiebreaker before he rallied.

Second seeded Roger Federer is one victory away from 900 in his career after a 6-3, 6-4, 7-5 win over the number 30 seed Julien Benneteau. Federer awaits the winner of the match between the 15-seeded Gilles Simon of France and 18th-seeded Sam Querrey of the U.S. Federer avenged his loss to Benneteau at the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament in February.

Fourth seed David Ferrer recorded his 100th major championship match win after his 6-1, 7-5, 6-4 win over fellow Spaniard Feliciano Lopez. Ferrer reached last year’s semifinal where he lost to Nadal. Ferrer faces the winner of the match between Canadian Milos Raonic, the number 14 seed, and South Africa’s Kevin Anderson, the number 23 seed.

On the women’s side of the draw, it was top-ranked Serena Williams who advanced to the fourth round by beating Sorana Cirstea 6-0, 6-2. Serena, who is seeking her first French Open title since 2002, has lost only six games in three matches. Serena awaits the winner of the match between the unseeded Czech Petra Cetkovska and the number 15 seeded, Roberta Vinci of Italy to determine her next opponent.

Defending women’s champion Maria Sharapova moved into the third round by finishing off a rain-interrupted 6-2, 6-4 victory over Eugenie Bouchard. The match was suspended on Thursday night with Sharapova up a break in the second set at 4-2, and she was relieved to finish in 15 minutes. Sharapova is now 31-2 on clay since the start of the 2012 clay court season, the only two losses coming against Serena Williams at Madrid – in the quarterfinals last year and the final this year.

Number 12-seeded Maria Kirilenko defeated wild card Ashleigh Barty 6-3, 6-1, while 13th-seeded Marion Bartoli of France defeated qualifier Mariana Duque-Marino 7-6(5), 7-5. Bartoli will next face former French Open champion Francesca Schiavone, a 6-1, 4-6, 6-3 winner over the number 21 seed, Kirsten Flipkens, 61 46 63.


Long Island Tennis Magazine Staff
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