The match that we have all been waiting for is finally here. On Wednesday at Roland Garros, World No. 1 Novak Djokovic and defending champion Rafael Nadal renew their fierce rivalry in the quarterfinals of the 2015 French Open. The Serbian superstar will put on the line his 26-match unbeaten run against a guy who has won this event a record nine times.
With the stakes so high, who will emerge victorious in this blockbuster matchup? Read on below for a breakdown of this titanic contest and while you’re at it, you can check out our quarterfinal previews of Murray vs. Ferrer and Nishikori vs. Tsonga.
[sc:TennisArticles ]Novak Djokovic vs. Rafael Nadal Betting Preview
Where: Roland Garros, Paris
When: Wednesday, June 3, 4:00 AM ET
Line: Novak Djokovic (-280) vs. Rafael Nadal (+210) – view all French Open lines
Betting on Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic will head to his quarterfinal showdown with Rafael Nadal with momentum on his side after thrashing Richard Gasquet in the fourth round on Monday. The World No. 1 brushed aside the Frenchman in straight sets, 6-1, 6-2, 6-3, in a match that lasted just two hours. Djokovic is now a perfect 14-0 on clay this season.
[sc:Other240banner ]Djokovic has been in phenomenal form this tournament as he has yet to drop a set in this year’s event. Through the first four rounds, Djokovic is averaging a whopping 39 winners per match. He has also managed to limit his miscues as he has committed an average of just 21.5 unforced errors the previous four matches.
Djokovic will also take heart in the fact that he has gotten the better of Nadal in their most recent meetings. The Serbian is 5-1 against Nadal in their last six matches with Djokovic going 2-1 against the defending champion on clay during that stretch. He demolished Nadal in their last meeting on the slow surface in the semifinals of the 2015 Monte Carlo Masters, beating him in straight sets, 6-3, 6-3.
With that being said, Djokovic remains wary of Nadal heading into their heavyweight clash. In an interview after his win against Gasquet, Djokovic remarked that “playing against him (Nadal) here is not like playing him anywhere else in the world.” Nadal has been unstoppable here at the French Open, winning 70 of his last 71 matches.
For Djokovic to stop Nadal this coming Wednesday, he needs to continue his excellent service game. He converted 76% of his first serves against Gasquet with the top seed winning 42 of his 61 first serve points (69%). Djokovic has put into play at least 75% of his first serves in three of his four matches.
Djokovic is 10-0 in his last 10 matches.
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Betting on Rafael Nadal
“It’s probably the toughest quarterfinal of my career at Roland Garros.”
Rafael Nadal didn’t mince any words when asked about his impending clash with top-ranked Novak Djokovic and it isn’t a complete surprise why the nine-time champion arrived at that conclusion. He has struggled mightily against Djokovic recently, losing five of their last six matches. Four out of those five losses were straight-set defeats.
The gulf between the two grew even larger this past European clay court season. While Djokovic bagged victories in Monte Carlo and Rome, Nadal endured his worst season yet on the slow surface, losing four times and failing to win a single title. That’s why it’s understandable that Nadal enters this match as a -210 underdog even though he is the defending champion.
That being said, we can’t just dismiss Nadal’s chances outright. We’re talking about a player who has won this event a record nine times and whose only loss in this tournament came in 2009 to Robin Soderling. And even though he’ll next face the mighty Djokovic who’s unbeaten on clay this season, Nadal will take comfort in the fact that he has dominated the World No. 1 here at Roland Garros.
He is 6-0 against Djokovic here in the French Open. For the past three years, Nadal has eliminated Djokovic from the tournament, preventing the World No. 1 from winning the career Grand Slam. For Nadal to preserve his unbeaten run against Djokovic, he needs to continue his excellent return play.
He won 49% of his receiving points against Jack Sock and converted nine of his 21 break point chances (43%). For the tournament, Nadal has converted 28 of his 60 break point opportunities for a solid 46.7% success rate.
Nadal is 8-2 in his last 10 matches.
Writer’s Prediction
Nadal (+210) stuns Djokovic in five tough sets.
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