Tennis: Djokovic and Nadal Can Win Through to French Open Final

The top four seeds have won through to the semi-finals of the Men’s Singles in the French Open and Al Dannity says it will be all chalk in the final four. Just like he predicted at the start of the tournament, Al says Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal will meet in the final at Roland Garros on Sunday.

Long break won’t hamper Djokovic
Fabio Fognini may never have the same impact on a grand slam as he had this week without even stepping on court. The Italian pulled out of his quarter final match with Novak Djokovic, giving the Serbian a bye to the semi finals. With the walkover not counting towards the winning streak, Djokovic can’t match Guillermo Vilas’ record of 46 straight wins on Sunday but that isn’t the most immediate concern. The four day rest could cause Tennis betting fans to ponder the impact such a gap in play could have on the #2 seed’s game. Given how active he has been in recent weeks, the rest should play in his favor and I don’t expect him to lose concentration.

That will prove particularly important against Roger Federer. The Swiss master has quietly crushed all before him in the tournament to date. That being said he hasn’t been seriously tested either. Djokovic has raised his game above Federer’s level in 2011 and with both players healthy it’s hard to see anything other than a win for the Serbian.

One thing to watch out for however is the weather. If it’s as windy as it was today, then we could see an unusual problem affect Djokovic. The #2 seed wears contact lenses and dirt blowing into his face could cause significant irritation. It might sound bizarre but Na Li was visibly annoyed by such conditions today, although she still prevailed against Maria Sharapova. The risk of dirt costing Djokovic is slim but Live Betting fans watching the match should pay attention to how the conditions affect his game. I don’t think it will prove a significant factor and I like Djokovic to keep his winning streak alive.

Nadal can crush injured Murray
Moxie can get you quite a long way but sometimes there’s just no substitute for a healthy ankle. That’s the hard lesson I expect Andy Murray to learn tomorrow when he takes on Rafael Nadal. Murray won’t fear taking on the Spaniard on the big stage but fear has nothing to do with it.

Nadal has grown in strength since stuttering against John Isner in the opening round. Murray grimaced through the pain of a torn ankle ligament in his wins over Victor Troicki and Juan Ignacio Chela. Troicki and Chela are no slouches but Nadal is an all-time great with an engine to match. Murray will fight hard but this simply won’t be his day. The top seed should breeze through.