Nadal's formula against the backhand one-handed players is well known. Make your left-handed status profitable and strike again and again on the weakest side of your opponent. Although it seems a lightness to describe the magnificent reverse of Wawrinka as weak, the truth is that he suffers, as do Federer and so many other defenders of an almost disused blow. Since he got the break in the third game, the Spanish maintained control of the game, without tuning with a disturbing percentage service in the first set. He won by 6-4 and 6-4, in one hour and 27 minutes, and will look for the semifinals in front of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga not before 8:30 pm. (Come on).

In his comeback since winning his fourth US Open, Nadal, also a champion this year at Roland Garros, Rome and Canada, seeks to win for the first time in Bercy. Whether he succeeds or not, since Djokovic fell against Tsitsipas (who will be his rival again on Friday in the tournament at hand) in Shanghai, he is assured of returning to world number 1 next Monday. But the Spanish war is another, it transcends the hierarchical situation. Biggest prize would be to finish for the fifth year at the top and win the Masters Cup, the only one of the great titles that still resists him.

The Swiss, inaccurate in important moments

At the moment, it has surpassed without mishaps or flaunts the first two games in the last Masters 1000 of the course. Wawrinka did not take advantage of his two break opportunities in the start set. He had initiative, in particular with the rest, and good times, opening angles with the reverse setback, but lacked success in the opportunities presented to him to open some gap in the marker. Nadal, who asked for a stomach pain pill 3-2 down in the second set, smothered the ex officio difficulties, aided by inaccuracies of his adversary. And the Swiss collapsed and gave his serve in the ninth game, capital punishment for him.

With 34 years and after a knee operation that made him fear for his continuity in the circuit, Stan Wawrinka has starred in a commendable return, which has allowed him to jump to the sixteenth place in the ranking. Finalist in Antwerp and Rotterdam, he did not play last week against Federer in the quarterfinals of Basel, affected by back problems after a tough game against Frances Tiafore. Wawrinka can boast having three Grand Slam titles and being one of the best competitors of the last five years.

His balance with Nadal, however, is discouraging, beyond the final of the 2014 Australian Open, in which the Spaniard retired due to injury when he was at a disadvantage on the scoreboard. His most recent commitment, a few months ago, in the quarters of the Mutua Madrid Open, had resulted in one of Nadal's most conclusive victories in his 24 matches: 6-2 and 6-1. Only three victories illuminate Stan in the 25 crosses that preceded this appointment in the French capital, also resolved how and when the left-hander wanted.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

Know more

  • Rafael Nadal
  • Novak Djokovic
  • Roland Garros