It is tempting to present as a final before the hour the clash between Nadal, who fell world No.1 Novak Djokovic in the quarters, and Zverev, executioner of the phenomenon Carlos Alcaraz.

The thirteen times the King of Roland has appeared in the final, he has won it.

Unlike the returning Marin Cilic (23rd) or the Norwegian Casper Ruud (8th), opposed in the other semi-final and for the first time at the last square meeting at Porte d'Auteuil, the Olympic champion Zverev has already tasted.

Last year, when he was stopped by Stefanos Tsitsipas a few weeks after having made Nadal bite the dust on the ocher of Madrid.

The brutal German server – flashed on average at 202km / h on the first serve against Alcaraz – seems the biggest obstacle, beyond his 1.98 meters, on the Mallorcan route.

Photomontage of Rafael Nadal and Alexander Zverev, future opponents in the Roland-Garros semi-finals Anne-Christine POUJOULAT, Thomas SAMSON AFP/Archives

On his 36th birthday

Six days after attending the "decimocuarta" (the 14th, in Spanish) in the Champions League of his beloved club, Real Madrid, in the north of Paris, the Spaniard is playing his fifteenth semi-final on his 36th birthday. final in the French capital (he only lost one, last year against Djokovic).

in decline even the greatest.

Nadal is battling a slow poison: osteonecrosis of the scaphoid bone that is eating away at his left foot.

The left-hander with drawn features and thinning hair, making him carry more than his 36 years, is not only fighting against the condemning time

The men's draw at Roland-Garros AFP

"I'm doing everything I can to try to play this tournament in the best possible conditions. I don't know what can happen afterwards, honestly, but here, I think it's going to be fine", assured the child of Manacor to the outcome of his victory over the world No.1 on the night of Tuesday to Wednesday.

After scrapping nearly four and a half hours against Félix Auger-Aliassime (9th), Nadal found the resources to fight for more than four hours against "Djoko".

With this time two full days of rest between his quarter and his half, will Nadal still be able to push back the deadline to the delight of a center court already completely acquired in Mallorca on Tuesday?

'A tough test for Rafa'

"It will be a physical challenge but also a mental one", predicts the ex-world No.4 Tim Henman, consultant for Eurosport.

"Normally when Rafa beats Djokovic in a Grand Slam tournament it's in the final and he wins the trophy but this time it was quarters. He has two days to recover but it's going to be a tough test for Rafa."

Rafael Nadal, in the race for a 22nd Grand Slam title Cléa PÉCULIER AFP

Not a man to resign himself to fate, he made himself sweat Thursday without apparent embarrassment.

The Spaniard had not chosen the most discreet place to hit the ball: court 26 of the Jean Bouin complex, visible from the avenue de la Porte Molitor, as if he had nothing to hide.

Under the eyes of around twenty onlookers and journalists, +Rafa+ squirted a few dazzling topspin forehands from the baseline, his signature.

In the other semi-final, the discreet world No.8 Casper Ruud faces a Cilic, ex-N.3, back at the top of his game.

The 33-year-old Croatian piled up an inordinate number of aces (33) and winning shots to overcome Andrey Rublev (7th) in the super tie break.

Photomontage of Croatian Marin Cilic and Norwegian Casper Ruud, opponents in the semi-finals at Roland-Garros Anne-Christine POUJOULAT, Christophe ARCHAMBAULT AFP

However, the winner of the 2014 US Open expects an "extremely difficult match" against Ruud, victorious over the tempestuous Holger Rune, 19, in the quarters.

"He's one of the best guys around, especially on clay," Cilic describes the Norwegian.

"He's had an incredible 12 months on earth, he's won so many titles (six ATP 250s, editor's note)."

Now down to 23rd in the world, Cilic can if successful Friday become the fifth player in activity, behind the Big 4 (Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray), to reach the final of the four Grand Tournaments. Slam.

© 2022 AFP