The stakes are high in the Roland Garros as Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic go head-to-head in the French Open 2020 Final.
Rafael Nadal is bidding to draw level with Roger Federer’s 20 Grand Slams, whereas Novak Djokovic plans to inch closer by getting his 18th here.
The matchup between these two tennis juggernauts is what the fans have been waiting for in a long time, especially since tennis action was halted months ago due to the coronavirus.
Meanwhile, in the women’s division, Iga Swiatek won over 2020 Australian Open titlist Sofia Kenin to claim her first-ever Grand Slam crown.
Iga Swiatek continues to defy the French Open 2020 odds especially after defeating tournament favourite Simona Halep in what was a dominating display in the fourth round, and it was clear that she wasn’t going to be denied in this one.
It was a dismal outing for Sofia Kenin as she was looking to add one more Grand Slam in her growing trophy case.
Keep up with the latest in the Roland Garros as SBOTOP brings you updates here in the French Open.
Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic go mano y mano
This upcoming match in the ATP division is sure to bring out the best set of French Open 2020 highlights.
Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic have been known to go at it whenever they meet, but their overall head-to-heads in the Roland Garros is surprisingly one-sided.
Although the Serbian international leads with 29 wins (26 for Nadal), here in the French Open, the Spaniard is way better at 6-1.
“Here, obviously it’s him because this is his house with all the titles he’s won,” said Djokovic about Nadal in a recent interview.
“It’s the biggest challenge maybe you can have in our sport on all surfaces, to play Nadal here at Roland Garros,” he added.
It has been a while since these two bigshots faced off. The last time that they did, Djokovic dominated Nadal in the 2019 Australian Open Final.
The two of them had contrasting journeys prior to this upcoming tiff. Particularly in the semifinals, one can argue that Djokovic had an uphill climb compared to Nadal.
Novak Djokovic had to overcome a five-set thriller to edge out Stefanos Tsitsipas. After winning two straight sets, Tsitsipas threatened to take this match by the throat when he notched back-to-back sets to force the fifth.
But in the end, the Serbian superstar won the battle of attrition especially as Tsitsipas was worn down by his lingering thigh problem that he picked up in Rome.
Meanwhile, Nadal is still showing everyone that he is the King of Clay by cruising past Diego Schwartzman in just three sets, 6-3, 6-3, 7-6 (7/0). This will be Rafa’s 13th Finals appearance in this competition.
While many have pegged Nadal as the heavy favourite, it can be noted that Djokovic is one of the only two men who have defeated the Spaniard in the Roland Garros for the last 15 years.
Iga Swiatek gets her crowning moment
Iga Swiatek capped off her Cinderella run by defeating Sofia Kenin in the French Open Final, 6-4, 6-1.
The young Poland international didn’t drop a single set in what was a superb performance, and she achieved history in the process.
She became the first woman to not drop a set in the French Open since Justine Henin in 2007. Swiatek also became the youngest French Open champion since Rafael Nadal in 2005.
“I’m so happy my family was here finally. It was overwhelming for me,” said Swiatek during the postgame interview.
“Two years ago, I won a junior grand slam and now I’m here. It feels like such a short time and I’m just overwhelmed,” she added.
Swiatek quickly raced into a 3-0 lead for the loss of just three points before Kenin got back into the match. However, the 54th-ranked player took the opening set and never looked back from there.
Sofia Kenin, who was aiming for her second Grand Slam after winning the Australian Open few months ago, had been dealing with a thigh issue all throughout the match.
It was evident that it affected her form as she was labouring in key points of the match and even got some off-court medical treatment to try and ease the pain.
Iga Swiatek simply beat her to the bounce and she has shown the world that she belongs among the best in the WTA.
●●●
CHECK OUT OUR BLOG FOR MORE TENNIS STORIES & ODDS
Stay updated with everything sports and betting.
Follow us on social Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
