How To Kiss: Jun 6, 2012

David Ferrer says he is ready to face the toughest challenge in world tennis - going up against Rafael Nadal in the claycourts of Roland Garros at the French Open.

The player they call "The Bulldozer" for his incessant and attritional style played 19 times against his
fellow Spaniard and lost 15 of them.

Strangely for two such claycourt stalwarts, only once before they met at Roland Garros and that it was in 2005 when Nadal made his debut in Paris and won comfortably 7-5, 6-2, 6-0 before going on to win his first Grand Slam title.

In fact the only time that Ferrer, who at 30 is four years older than Nadal, he beat him on clay was in their very first meeting in Stuttgart in 2004 and even that took three tough sets to get the job done.

The hard facts make grim reading for the hopes of Ferrer ahead of Friday's semifinal.

Nadal the two series win over another Spaniard, Nicolas Almagro in the quarter-finals brought his 50th victory at Roland Garros against only one defeat - to Swede Robin Soderling in the 2009 fourth round.

On top of that, Nadal added motivation this year as a victory Sunday would make him the first man to win seven French Open titles, snapping a tie with Swedish legend Bjorn Borg.

It would also be his 11th Grand Slam title, putting him level with Borg and Rod laver.

Ferrer, to his first semifinal here, insist that a defeat for him is not required.

"Yes, Rafa is always difficult to play. Even more so on clay," he said.

"But as I said and will say again - I'll try and play a beautiful game, my best tennis. I have great ambitions, and I am quite sure this is going to be a very physical game."

The two met twice on clay in the build-up to Paris, Rome and Barcelona, with Nadal won both in straight sets, but Ferrer came agonizingly close to taking the first set in the Italian capital before giving up in a tie-break. He then lost the second set 6-0.

That, he says, is the problem against Nadal - he never, never let up.

"In Rome it was different, because I had a chance to win a set, but he played extremely well," he said.

"I think you can win a set against Rafa, but there is a difference between winning a set and win a game.

"Winning a match against Rafa is almost impossible. He is in such good shape."

Nadal, who has not dropped a set this year at Roland Garros, is full of praise for his Davis Cup partner and close friend.

"His game upset all because he is one of the best players in the world on every surface, on clay especially," he said.

"He's a complete player. It is very difficult to play against him, because his movements are probably the best of the world, and he was able to hit the ball very early a lot of the times.

"It will be a very hard battle."

Friday's other semi-final is a repeat of last year with top seed Novak Djokovic goes up against third seed Roger Federer.

Neither player ever beaten Nadal at Roland Garros.

How To Kiss

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Ferrer ready to defy Nadal at French Open

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