Rafael Nadal is back in the finals again. Did you expect anything else? With 10 French Open titles, Nadal is looking to add another to his collection this Wednesday, as he prepares for a match against one of the few players to beat him multiple times on a clay court in the form of Dominic Thiem.
Read on for a preview of his intriguing matchup between a seemingly unbeatable clay court demigod and an upset-seeking youngster.
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Betting Preview for the Rafael Nadal vs Dominic Thiem Men’s Final Match at the French Open on June 10, 2018
Where: Roland Garros, Paris
When: Sunday, June 10, 9:00 AM EST
Line: Rafael Nadal (odds) vs Dominic Thiem (odds) – view all French Open final lines
TV Broadcast: NBC Sports
Betting on Rafael Nadal (-425 Moneyline)
Nadal had a cakewalk in the semis, as the world’s No. 1 player defeated Juan Martin del Potro in straight sets, 6-4, 6-1, 6-2. Nadal put 61 percent of his first serves in play and won 65 percent of first-serve points. The Spaniard was vicious with his return game, scoring on 45 percent of his return points. He also converted five of his nine break chances. On the flipside, he did not allow del Potro to score on seven break opportunities. If that’s the type of performance Nadal would have in the finals, Thiem would be sweating even more bullets early in the match. While Nadal has been beaten two times before by Thiem, he has six wins (all on clay) over the Austrian. Nadal is not considered as a clay god for nothing.
Betting on Dominic Thiem (+370 Moneyline)
After back-to-back years in which his campaign in Roland Garros ended in the semifinals, Thiem has finally made it to the next level, as he is now in the finals following a win over Marco Cecchinato in the semis, 7-5, 7-6 (12-10), 6-1. Against Cecchinato, Thiem successfully 67 percent of his first serves in and won 82 percent of his first serve points. He also had 37 winners compared to just 26 by Cecchinato. Apart from the momentum he’s riding into the match against Nadal, Thiem is also being buoyed up by the fact that he beat the Spaniard in their last meeting. That was in the quarterfinals of the Madrid Masters (clay) last month, when Thiem took down Nadal, 7-5, 6-3. He also beat Nadal in two different clay-court matches at the Rome Masters last year and at Buenos Aires back in 2016.
Writer’s Prediction
Nadal beats Thiem in four sets, and wins his 11th French Open.
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