The Women's Final was set yesterday as Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova moved through to the final match to be played on Saturday, but some may argue that the Final of the Men's event will take place on a Friday this year, not the Sunday.
That is down to the fact that the winner of the Rafael Nadal-Novak Djokovic Semi Final will be the big favourite to lift the trophy on Sunday and this looks like a Semi Final to be remembered. Both players will feel they have the edge here and there are significant arguments to pick either to win the competition.
I have already picked Novak Djokovic to win the French Open so I am going to leave my fate in the hands of the World Number 1 as I do think he is capable of winning this match. If I hadn't backed him before the tournament had begun, I would still have recommended Djokovic in this match as I think the players are more evenly matched than the odds would suggest.
David Ferrer - 1.5 sets v Jo-Wilfried Tsonga: It was a fantastic performance from Jo-Wilfried Tsonga that saw him completely dominate his Quarter Final against Roger Federer, but I expect this one to be a lot tougher for him against the ultimate competitor in David Ferrer.
While Tsonga has reached a Grand Slam Final in the past, there will still be a lot of pressure on him as the French crowd will demand that he has a chance to emulate Yannick Noah's success of 30 years ago. Unfortunately, he is playing an opponent that is very capable on the clay courts and one that won't make the mistakes that Federer was guilty of in the last Round.
David Ferrer has been an improving player in recent years and hasn't shown too many signs of slowing down, but he is no fool either- there is no doubt that this is the best chance he is likely to ever have of reaching his first Grand Slam Final.
The Frenchman definitely has the edge in the match when it comes to serving ability and also the power, but his game is one that Ferrer can negate to some extent as he can force Tsonga to stay out there all day long. The backhand is more consistent on the Spaniard's side of the court, and I do believe the clay will suit Ferrer much more than it does Tsonga.
Even after that impressive win in the Quarter Final, I can't help thinking that Ferrer is going to be too mentally solid and will be able to find a way to break down the Tsonga game. It is likely to go at least four sets, but I do think Ferrer will be the man that progresses to the Final,
MY PICKS: David Ferrer - 1.5 Sets @ 2.25 Paddy Power (2 Units)
French Open Update: 18-14, + 6.18 Units (62 Units Staked, + 9.97% Yield)
No comments:
Post a Comment