2021 Roland Garros...ATP 2000...Paris, France

[stroke]

Very good match. Great fight back by Alex. Stef took the 5th set and the match. Beautiful clay court tennis. I do not think fatigue will be a factor in the final. Stef is in tremendous shape and moves so efficiently. Obviously, I feel Stef would have a much better chance and match up vs Novak. His backhand is splendid, but no backhand looks great vs the Nadal hook forehand over toward the box seats.

[arturohernandez]

Meanwhile, the Djoker looked like he might break the first game. Then Nadal ran off a bunch of games in a row. Now Nadal is just cruising toward a first set win. He has a loopier deep ball that is effective against Novak's flatter shot on clay.

Slowly, the big three are retreating to their favorite surfaces.

[stroke]

Nadal is now, after winning the 1st set, an implied probability of 86+% chance of winning vs Novak.

[stotty]

Slowly Novak is arriving in this match but a 2-0 lead surrendered so tamely here in the second set won't help his chances. He needs to be at his clinical best in this match. He can outmoneuvre Rafa if he gets things absolutely right. Vital he gets this set...critical.

[don_budge]

Proposition for the ATP and ITF...

Reduce the shot clock for the second serve to 10 seconds.

[stotty]

Novak starting to make life a little awkward for Rafa. Those drop shots of his are risky, though.

[arturohernandez]

Slowly Novak is arriving in this match but a 2-0 lead surrendered so tamely here in the second set won't help his chances. He needs to be at his clinical best in this match. He can outmoneuvre Rafa if he gets things absolutely right. Vital he gets this set...critical.

Looks like he finally is settled in to this set. Yes, he has to win the second set with the hope that he can make Nadal stay out there longer.

His lack of a backhand volley is very apparent at the net. He keeps hitting two handed defensive ones and just tried a two handed backhand smash.

Hard to really on the drop shot if you cannot follow it with a reasonable one handed backhand volley.

[stroke]

Novak seems to be in a good place mood wise. As Stotty said, he absolutely has to win this 2nd set. He is moving Nadal around good. Nadal is still a very good mover going forward, but it is all about moving him east to west constantly to have a chance.

[arturohernandez]

Nadal looks like he is playing as himself in a video game. He complained that he would rather play as Federer because in a tennis video game, Rafael Nadal, just runs all over the place.

[stotty]

Getting physically brutal out there. Rafa has the ability to get one more ball than anyone else on clay. Novak refusing to bend though. Absolutely gruelling...

5-2 Novak

[don_budge]

A special time in any tennis match. Time to serve out the set.

[stotty]

1 set apiece. Novak needs to win this match because he's the only player on earth than can stop Nadal.

[arturohernandez]

1 set apiece. Novak needs to win this match because he's the only player on earth than can stop Nadal.

He is the only one on clay. Although in recent years, Nadal seems to have managed his five set matches well at the US Open.

It looks like Novak might be wiling to stay out there longer.

My dream is for them to tire each other out. The winner has nothing left in the tank and being older find recovery harder.

Then we have the second consecutive slam of the new era.

I know, it's a dream. But hey why not...

[stroke]

Nadal down to am implied probability of winning to 66%. Novak needs to keep moving him. That is the ticket. Not shock and awe. Hard hat brutal tennis.

[arturohernandez]

Did Nadal get tired about arguing over the time and so decided to just go to the bathroom where there is no clock?