Rafael Nadal may have won the last six meetings with his compatriot Nicolas Almagro but was handed a much sterner test on the Philippe Chatrier court this afternoon.
Nadal is the highest ranked seed left in the draw and looking to lift his fifth title at Roland Garros, to become just the second man to win five French Open titles.
But it was Almagro, who is one of just two players to take a set off the world number two this clay court season, who made the stronger start as he broke Nadal in his opening service game and opened up a 3-0 lead.
After the pair were warned to speed up between serves at the change of ends and Nadal took it quite literally as he then went on a run of three games, breaking through the Almgro serve to get the set back on level terms.
While Nadal wasn’t at his best he kept Almagro at bay, despite powerful play from the world number twenty one.
In so many of their matches Almagro’s challenge had faded when faced with consistent fight of Nadal but that didn’t happen today as he fought off two more break points during the set to take it to a tie break.
But it was the world number two who dominated the breaker with a string of outstanding shots which finally saw him take it 7-2.
It was an even closer affair in the second set as both players struggled to make inroads into the other’s serve; there was just one break point in the set which Nadal quickly swatted.
A second tie break was needed to decide the set and it was Nadal who once again dominated, producing some of his best tennis of the match; sealing the set with a powerful backhand that almost knocked Almagro over.
Nadal may not have been a his best in his quarter final but he finally saw off the Almagro challenge in the ninth game of the third set as he broke 0-40 to serve for the set.
But, to his credit, Almgro never stopped fighting as he saved the first match point with a backhand that ripped down the line.
However it wasn’t to be enough as on the second Almagro sent a ball long to hand Nadal a 7-6 (7-2) 7-6 (7-3) 6-4.
Despite an off colour performance from the Spaniard he is yet to drop a set in this year’s tournament and will now face Jurgen Melzer for a place in the final.
FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw
by Helen Earnshaw
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