Mariote Posted June 9, 2013 Report Share Posted June 9, 2013 Rafael Nadal seeks history against David Ferrer at French OpenBy Piers NewberyBBC Sport at Roland Garros FRENCH OPEN FINAL Venue: Roland Garros, Paris Date: Sunday, 9 June Time: 14:00 BST Coverage: Live radio and text commentary on BBC Radio 5 live, BBC Sport website, mobiles and the BBC Sport app Rafael Nadal will become the first man to win a Grand Slam singles title eight times if he beats David Ferrer in Sunday's French Open final. The seven-time champion takes a 58-1 record at Roland Garros into the match against his fellow Spaniard. "It will be a great day for the sport in Spain," said Nadal. "It's very difficult to have two Spanish players in the final, so it's fantastic news." Nadal v Ferrer: head-to-head 27 Age 31 19 Matches won 4 56 Career titles 20 11 Grand Slam titles 0 7 French Open titles 0 6 Titles this season 2 World number five Ferrer, 31, will be playing in his first Grand Slam final. He faces a daunting task against the man who has dominated the French Open for almost a decade, and against whom he has just four wins in 23 meetings. "I know he's the favourite, but I am going to be focused every point," said Ferrer. "I will try to do my best. "I am not thinking about Rafael, whether he's better than me or not. I will try to fight a lot and to play a very good match." Victory on Sunday would take Nadal past the likes of Pete Sampras and Roger Federer, both seven-time winners at Wimbledon, as the only eight-time champion of a Grand Slam in men's tennis. The Majorcan, 27, returns to a major final for the first time since Paris last year. He spent more than seven months out with a serious knee injury after Wimbledon, only returning in February. Since then he has won six of the eight tournaments in which he has competed. "I don't feel like the favourite," said Nadal. "I feel that I am a finalist. I arrived to the final playing well. I improved a little bit in every match during the tournament. "That's important, to arrive to the final with the right feelings, but he [Ferrer] didn't lose a set during the whole tournament, so he's a player that brings you to the limit. Rafa rules at Roland Garros Rafael Nadal has lost just once in his 59 matches at Roland Garros - a fourth-round loss to Sweden's Robin Soderling in 2009 Nadal has won his last 16 matches against Ferrer on clay A win on Sunday will be Nadal's 59th at Roland Garros - more than any other player in French Open history "He's a player that if you are not playing perfect, you will be in big, big trouble." Nadal has known Ferrer for around 10 years and the pair are Davis Cup colleagues, as well as spending a lot of time in each other's company on tour, often passing the time playing video games. "The person who is not respecting David as one of the greatest players of the world - and not for one year, for a long time - doesn't know anything about tennis," said Nadal. The only time Ferrer has beaten Nadal on clay was their first match in 2004, when Nadal was 18, but the man from Valencia takes some encouragement from their last meeting in Rome last month. "It is very difficult to beat Rafael on all the surfaces, but on a clay court it is more difficult," said Ferrer. "I think I need to play my best tennis to beat him. In Rome I played a very good game; I played very aggressive all the match, and finally I lost with him because he was better." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baron-pierreIV Posted June 9, 2013 Report Share Posted June 9, 2013 yeay!! Viva Espana. Unfortunately, that may be the only major Spanish victory this year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Go Europe Posted June 9, 2013 Report Share Posted June 9, 2013 If Nadal wins I would expect him to be in the panel of the final Madrid 2020 presentation this Septmeber. After all in sports excellence Tokyo and Madrid do have the upper hand over Istanbul. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwissO Posted June 9, 2013 Report Share Posted June 9, 2013 If Nadal wins I would expect him to be in the panel of the final Madrid 2020 presentation this Septmeber. After all in sports excellence Tokyo and Madrid do have the upper hand over Istanbul. On the 7th of September, I hope He will be in semis at the US Open... so you could already look for someone-else for the Madrid's presentation !!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mainad Posted June 9, 2013 Report Share Posted June 9, 2013 Rafael Nadal becomes the first man in tennis history to win a Grand Slam tournament, 8 times! David Ferrer is the oldest man to play in a Grand Slam final since Andre Agassi at the US Open back in 2005! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mariote Posted June 10, 2013 Author Report Share Posted June 10, 2013 yeay!! Viva Espana. Unfortunately, that may be the only major Spanish victory this year. I dont think so... Nadal is a great support of Madrid2020. Nadal: “No city deserves the Games more than Madrid”http://www.madrid2020.es/en/nadal-no-city-deserves-the-games-more-than-madrid/ In Spanish http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTtW20B7pT0 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mz-mn3kwMDs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baron-pierreIV Posted June 10, 2013 Report Share Posted June 10, 2013 /\/\, yes...but Madrid 2020 ain't happening. Even tho, Madrid is actually my first choice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger87 Posted June 11, 2013 Report Share Posted June 11, 2013 /\/\, yes...but Madrid 2020 ain't happening. Even tho, Madrid is actually my first choice. This. The real question, Madrid will advance to the second round? But it's almost certain a lost battle... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olympic dream Posted June 11, 2013 Report Share Posted June 11, 2013 On the 7th of September, I hope He will be in semis at the US Open... so you could already look for someone-else for the Madrid's presentation !!! And what about... Miguel Indurain, He won five consecutive Tours de France from 1991 to 1995 Pau Gasol, Spanish professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association Iker Casillas, Spanish football goalkeeper who plays for and captains both La Liga club Real Madrid and the Spanish national team Fernando Alonso, Spanish Formula One racing driver and a two-time World Champion who is currently racing for Scuderia Ferrari Arantxa Sánchez Vicario, Spanish former World No. 1 professional tennis player. She won four Grand Slam singles titles, six Grand Slam women's doubles titles, and four Grand Slam mixed doubles titles David Cal, Spanish sprint canoer who has competed since 1999. Competing in three Summer Olympics, he has won five medals with a gold (C-1 1000 m: 2004 Summer Olympics) and four silvers (C-1 500 m: 2004, 2008; C-1 1000 m: 2008 and 2012; C-1 1000 m: 2012). With this latest victory in the London 2012 Olympic Games, he became the Spanish athlete with more Olympic medals of all time Andres Iniesta Sergio Ramos David Ferrer Jorge Lorenzo 2010 FIFA World Cup Final: Spain 2006 FIBA World Championship: Spain Men's Handball World Championship Spain 2013 Spain has won the Davis Cup five times (2000, 2004, 2008, 2009 and 2011) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baron-pierreIV Posted June 12, 2013 Report Share Posted June 12, 2013 Yeah, but individual star athletes do NOT make for the appropiate Olympic host city. At most they are just window dressing; and the IOC knows that. They're not that dumb, ya know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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