By Tonte Davies
Britain may be sulking from the ouster of Andy Murray from the French Open, Spain will root for Rafael Nadal in the final. Rafael Nadal defeated Andy Murray in the semi-final played on Friday 6th June, 2014 in 3 straight sets (6-3, 6-2, 6-1) in 1 hour 40 minutes. Rafael Nadal will face-off against rival Novak Djokovic who in turn defeated surprise semi-finalist Ernests Gulbis, in four sets (6-3, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3). Novak Djokovic will aim to complete his Grand Slam set to seven should he win on Sunday, as stated on the website of Roland Garros.
Rafael Nadal bids for a ninth French Open in 10 years and a fifth in succession. Andy Murray showed signs of struggle with the hot, sunny conditions in Paris but the weather was no trouble for Nadal. Rafael Nadal has never hidden his love for hot, sunny weather conditions in which his best is expressed. “I think that today I played my best tennis at Roland Garros this year,” said Nadal after the match.
“After 10 years of coming here and to be back in the final for the ninth time – it’s something I never believed would happen in my life,” Nadal said further. While praising Djokovic as a great player, Nadal does not belittle his opponent. “He (Djokovic) is an unbelievable opponent. He is always a big challenge and I need to play at my very best. He beat me the last few times we played,” Nadal noted.
Against Nadal, Djokovic hints he will not play a completely different game. “Well, there is not going to be a significant difference in my tactics against Nadal comparing to other prior matches that are played..,” Djokovic said in an interview on Roland Garros website. Djokovic further stated: “I’m going to try to be aggressive; because that is the only way I can win against him.” The encounter on Sunday is touted to be a “dream” final for both players.
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