Rain drops were falling all over Paris on Tuesday. A wet and windy morning gave way to a warmer mid-day. When players took the court later in the afternoon they had to drive through intermittent drizzle and a quickly darkening sky. There was a rainbow at the end of a difficult day, however. The results that pit the king of clay Rafael Nadal against his oldest rival Roger Federer in the semifinals on Friday.
The two men's quarterfinals played on the day saw -- 11-time French Open champion Nadal go up against the seventh-ranked Japanese Kei Nishikori on Philippe Chatrier court and third-seeded Federer face compatriot Stan Wawrinka, an engaging clash, where the roar of the single-handed backhand echoed across the grounds.
From the day the French Open draw was done, fans were cheering for the dream semifinal -- Nadal versus Federer, will versus skill, grit going up against genius.
"I have to play at a very high level," Nadal said of their 39th meeting. The younger pro leads the head-to-head 23-15, but the defending champion hasn't beaten Federer since Basel in 2015, all five of the losses coming on hard courts. "I am not going to think about the semifinal now, I have to free my mind. I'll spend time with my family. I have two days off, tomorrow I will get back on the court and then day after I will start preparing. I need to play at my very very best to have a chance."
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Nadal, who leads that head-to-head against Nishikori 10-2, and has dropped just one set so far in the tournament, did just enough against the 29-year-old, who survived five-setters in his third and fourth round matches. The 33-year-old was leading by two sets and a break in the third (4-2) when play was stopped after nearly two-hours on court. The Spaniard, who was preparing to serve, wasn't happy with the interruption which lasted for a little over an hour.
He didn't waste much time when they returned after the skies cleared, playing just three games, for 10 minutes in all, to make his 12th semifinal here.
Nadal, whose tee, which is the colour of the tennis ball, has been the topic of social media discussion as it makes it difficult for the opponent to sight the ball, however, refused to be drawn into the debate. He kept the power of his counter for the court, closing for a 6-1, 6-1, 6-3 in 1 hour and 51minutes.
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The Swiss pros in their 26thmeeting, the most match-ups between active players with single-handed backhands, and tied fourth in the all-time list headed by Ivan Lendl and John McEnroe, who played each other 36-times. Wawrinka's three victories over Federer have all come on clay, the last of which was right at this stage four years ago when the 20-time major winner was comprehensively beaten.
Federer led by two sets to one and the duo were locked at 3-3 in the fourth set when the players left the court Suzanne Lenglen. When they returned the 37-year-old won three of the four games to score a revenge win, coming through 7-6 (7-4), 4-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-4 in 3 hours and 35 minutes.
Federer, who returned to Roland Garros for the first time in three years, since falling to Wawrinka in the quarterfinals, rode on 53 winners, and two near-perfect tie-breaks to take his place in the last four.
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Earlier Briton Johanna Konta, seeded 26, needed just 71-minutes to shock American world No.7 Sloane Stephens 6-1, 6-4, in the quarterfinals. Konta, who is beginning to find her groove, became the first woman from her country, since Jo Durie in 1983, to make the semifinals here.
Stephens, who made the title round here last year, said the wet, windy conditions suited the 28-year-old Konta, who had won their two previous meetings this year, in Brisbane and Rome.
"There wasn't much clay on the court today. She likes to play on hard and grass and the court was very fast," she said of the Philippe Chatrier court. It's very thin. You can see the base of the court, there wasn't very much clay. The balls are bouncing higher and heavier. It obviously helps someone who has a big game like that, who serves well and looks to hit the first ball."