Tennis | Roland Garros 2022 | Djokovic and Nadal bring rivalry to Roland Garros quarter-finals

By Tony Fairbairn

  • Novak Djokovic [1] v Rafael Nadal [5]
  • Alexander Zverev [3] v Carlos Alcaraz [6]
  • Coco Gauff [18] v Sloane Stephens
  • Leylah Fernandez [17] v Martina Trevisan
PARIS, FRANCE – Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal will bring their rivalry to the Roland Garros quarter-finals as their 59th career meeting headlines day ten of the second grand slam of the season.

 

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Novak Djokovic [1] v Rafael Nadal [5] H2H & Match Fundamentals

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Novak Djokovic [1] v Rafael Nadal [5] H2H: Djokovic leads 30-28
Roland Garros 2022 Paris, France
Clay (O) Prize Money: €380,000
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Novak Djokovic hasn’t dropped a set at this year’s Roland Garros and the Serb’s victory over Diego Schwartzman proves why he is at the moment the favourite for the title. Djokovic’s serving, point construction and overall game is oozing in confidence as the Djokovic looks for a record-equalling 21st grand slam title in Paris. However Djokovic’s steel and level of play will be tested en route to the final.

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That’s because Djokovic will be renewing his rivalry with Rafael Nadal as the Spaniard looks for his own piece of history by winning a 14th Roland Garros title. Nadal’s credentials were given a stern test on Sunday as he battled past Felix Auger-Aliassime in five sets and four and a half hours. Nadal has been physically put to the test over the first week and will be hoping his body holds up against Djokovic this time around.

The match will be played at night and despite the heavier balls, the conditions will favour the world number one. However the night time start does give Nadal more time to recover physically and give it his all in a crunch quarter-final clash. This has all the makings of an epic match just like last year’s semi-final clash but form and physical form has to favour Djokovic heading into this match.

Prediction: Djokovic in four sets.

 

Alexander Zverev [3] v Carlos Alcaraz [6]  H2H & Match Fundamentals

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Alexander Zverev [3] v Carlos Alcaraz [6] H2H: Zverev leads 2-1
Roland Garros 2022 Paris, France
Clay (O) Prize Money: €380,000
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Alexander Zverev still hasn’t looked convincing over the opening four rounds but since his scare against Sebastian Baez, the German has looked a bit more solid and more importantly has won the pressure moments to seal his place in the last eight. Now Zverev will finally look to make a breakthrough at a grand slam in what is a very difficult draw for the third seed.

Next for Zverev is 19 year-old sensation and arguably the most in-form player heading into Roland Garros in Carlos Alcaraz. The Spaniard has looked sharper and more confident since his scare against Albert Ramos-Vinolas. Now Alcaraz looks to take his big game and insane athleticism to the latter stages of the grand slam and win his maiden grand slam title in his teenage years. Can the Spaniard deliver when it matters most?

Zverev will need to be much more aggressive than his previous matches if he wants to stand any chance of winning. Alcaraz’s tennis has been improving round by round and should the Spaniard keep up his high standard of play than the match will be on the Spaniard’s racket.

Prediction: Alcaraz in straight sets.

 

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Coco Gauff [18] v Sloane Stephens H2H & Match Fundamentals

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Coco Gauff [18] v Sloane Stephens H2H: Stephens leads 1-0
Roland Garros 2022 Paris, France
Clay (O) Prize Money: €380,000
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Heading into Roland Garros, Coco Gauff hadn’t shown any noticeable kind of form that would suggest she would even reach the second week in Paris. Yet Gauff has showed an incredible amount of composure, power and rally tolerance to beat some difficult opposition as the American is yet to drop a set. Now Gauff looks to make the last four of a grand slam for the first time in her singles career.

Facing Gauff in the last eight is former finalist Sloane Stephens, who out of nowhere is showing confidence and poise to be in the quarter-finals in Paris. Stephens’ ability to show up at the grand slams never ceases to amaze and her game translates really smoothly on the Parisian clay courts. Now the American looks to go one round better than she did in 2018 and win her second grand slam title.

This match sees attack against defence with two confidence players facing each other for a place in the semi-finals. The atmosphere, occasion and surface suitability all favour Stephens heading into this clash and her confidence will see her as slight favourite heading into this clash.

Prediction: Stephens in three sets.

 

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Leylah Fernandez [17] v Martina Trevisan H2H: First Meeting
Roland Garros 2022 Paris, France
Clay (O) Prize Money: €380,000
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Normally after reaching a first grand slam final, a player would find a drop off in level and quality. However that certainly hasn’t been the case for Leylah Fernandez with the Canadian two wins away from her second grand slam final in the space of nine months. Fernandez’s two wins over Belinda Bencic and Amanda Anisimova shows she has all the quality to go the distance and achieve grand slam success. Will Roland Garros be her time?

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Next for Fernandez is former quarter-finalist Martina Trevisan with the Italian continuing her good form from winning the Rabat title into Paris. Trevisan has all the quality, composure and talent to go all the way here and will be looking to continue he aggressive style as she looks to break new ground in Paris.

This is should be an entertaining match and a true test of Fernandez’s skill to deal with aggressive styles of play. Facing Bencic and Anisimova in the previous two rounds should work in the Canadian’s favour and she is the slight favourite heading into this quarter-final match.

Prediction: Fernandez in three sets.

 

 

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