WHEN Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic duke it out today (Wednesday), it would seem like this is the French Open Finals already.
As the heavily favored bets to clinch clay court’s premier trophy, their encounter is the tournament’s most awaited and should draw a championship-like crowd at Roland Garros.
Spain’s Nadal, 35, is aching to face Djokovic, 34, if only to avenge his semifinal loss here last year to the No. 1-ranked Serbian. That was only Nadal’s third defeat on the way to winning 13 French Open titles since his crown-clinching 2005 debut.
But Djokovic himself appears razor-sharp as he has not dropped a set in his first four rounds going into today’s quarterfinal duel with Nadal.
In contrast, Nadal, barely recovered from a chronic foot injury, had to shake off some rust in surviving a five-set, four-and-a-half-hour clash with Canada’s youthful Felix Auger-Aliassime, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3, on Monday.
It marked only the third time in Nadal’s 17-year, 112-match career in Paris that Nadal was forced into a five-setter.
“I can’t complain much,” Nadal said. “Two weeks ago, I did n’t know if I would be able to be here.”
And today, he’s facing his main nemesis in Djokovic, describing the match as maybe his last in Paris.
“To be honest, I don’t know if it’s going to be my last match…I went through a tough process with my foot…I don’t know what can happen with my career,” Nadal said.
Meanwhile, Game One of the NBA National Basketball Association Finals is to be played on Friday between the Golden State Warriors and the Boston Celtics. Another must-watch.
With a much-deeper bench anchored on the Splash Brothers Steph Curry and back-in-form Klay Thompson, the Warriors are hard to beat. Their main back up of Green, Poole, Wiggins and Looney are simply too massive to match up.
Sure, the Celtics carry a deadly frontline in Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart. But save for Al Horford, the supporting cast lack the knockout punch needed to grab the championship.
Boston being not really a total package showed in the way it survived Miami, prevailing only after seven difficult games—its 100-96 Eastern Conference clincher on Monday secured against an undermanned Heat led practically by a lone ranger in Jimmy Butler. Butler banged home 35 points but he missed the go-ahead three with 16.6 seconds left.
“My teammates like the shot that I took, so I’m living with it,” Butler said.
Boston will immediately be thrust into tough territory as Game One is set in San Francisco’s home court.
That’s like being led to the slaughterhouse.
THAT’S IT Birthday greetings (Thursday) to Coach Dayong, one of head coach Leo Austria’s six assistants at San Miguel Beer in the Philippine Basketball Association. Wishing him well are his dearest Mayo, Dada and Migel. Shang’s hugs matter much, of course. Of equal warmth-laden greeting would come from Dayong’s Nanay Soly, lone sister Malaya, bayaw Ricky and pamangkings MayaSoh and Ilak. Half a century is a milestone to achieve, indeed. From this humble dude, happy birthday, Coach Dayong. May God be with you, always.