{"id":4912,"date":"2013-06-08T07:28:45","date_gmt":"2013-06-08T07:28:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/disnaija.com\/nigeria-news\/nadal-ferrer-set-up-all-spanish-french-open-final\/"},"modified":"2013-06-08T07:28:45","modified_gmt":"2013-06-08T07:28:45","slug":"nadal-ferrer-set-up-all-spanish-french-open-final","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/disnaija.com\/nadal-ferrer-set-up-all-spanish-french-open-final\/","title":{"rendered":"Nadal, Ferrer set up all Spanish French Open final"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Defending champion Rafael Nadal moved closer to an historic eighth French Open title Friday when he defeated world number one Novak Djokovic 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 6-7 (3\/7), 9-7 in a titanic semi-final.<\/p>\n

In Sunday’s title match, the third seed will face fourth-seeded compatriot David Ferrer who ended French hopes of a first champion in 30 years by sweeping past Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-1, 7-6 (7\/3), 6-2.<\/p>\n

Nadal will be aiming to be the first man to win the same major eight times while 31-year-old Ferrer will be appearing in his first Grand Slam final. <\/p>\n

\"David <\/p>\n

David Ferrer: to face compatriot Nadal<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

He has reached the championship match at the 42nd time of asking but now faces overturning a 19-4 career deficit against his compatriot.<\/p>\n

Nadal, the third seed, took his Paris record to a staggering 58 wins from 59 matches after recovering from 4-2 down in the deciding set to clinch victory after 4 hours and 37 minutes.<\/p>\n

Friday’s win was Nadal’s 20th in 35 career clashes — and 13th from 16 on clay — against Djokovic.<\/p>\n

In a dramatic and controversial final set, Djokovic broke for 1-0 before Nadal levelled in the eighth game after the Serb had been handed a time violation and then lost a point when he collided with the net as he put away a smash.<\/p>\n

Djokovic even summoned the tournament supervisor onto the court to rage over the court conditions as he prepared to serve at 7-8.<\/p>\n

Nadal pounced, moving to three match points and clinched victory when Djokovic, who ended with an ugly 75 unforced errors, hit wild and long.<\/p>\n

“It’s a very special win for me and congratulations to Novak — he’s a great champion and he is going to win here at Garros one day,” said Nadal, who had lost the pair’s only other five-setter, the record-setting 2012 Australian Open final.<\/p>\n

“When I was serving for the match it was against the wind so I knew that it would be a tough game.<\/p>\n

“It was a similar match to the one in Australia in 2012 and he won. This time it is me that won and that is what makes sport so big.”<\/p>\n

Djokovic was furious that his demands for the court to be watered were ignored. <\/p>\n

\"sportsmanship: <\/p>\n

sportsmanship: Nadal and Djokovic speak after their match. AFP<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

“I was not asking to water the court because I want to make my opponent trip or do something like that. I was doing it for myself, because I felt that it got very dry and it was very slippery,” he said.<\/p>\n

“If one player says yes to watering of the court and the other says no, in the end whose opinion has more value?”<\/p>\n

On Sunday, Nadal will be appearing in his ninth final since returning from a seven-month injury lay-off.<\/p>\n

“During these seven months out of the game there were some low moments, but everybody supported me and there was a lot of positive energy,” added the Spaniard, who has already claimed six titles in 2013.<\/p>\n

Nadal could have ended the tie before the fifth set as he was twice a set and a break up.<\/p>\n

Ferrer ended home hopes of sixth-seeded Tsonga who was out to match the feat of Yannick Noah, who last won the title for France in 1983.<\/p>\n

But it was a richly deserved reward for outstanding perseverance on the part of 31-year-old Ferrer, who reached his first Grand Slam final in his 42nd appearance, by far the longest wait in the Open Era.<\/p>\n

It will be the first all-Spanish final since 2002 when Albert Costa defeated Juan Carlos Ferrero.<\/p>\n

“I am really happy for me to be in the final at Roland Garros. It’s my first ever Grand Slam final,” said Ferrer, who has yet to drop a set in the tournament .<\/p>\n

“I am older, but more experienced. I am not too tired, so this is very important. To play the final against Rafael Nadal I need to be 100 percent to be able to play good against him.”<\/p>\n

“My opponent played better. There has to be a winner and a loser,” said Tsonga.<\/p>\n

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