Last year Rafa won his 6th Roland Garros defeating his Swiss rival once again in 4 sets 7-5, 7-6 (7-3), 5-7, 6-1.
This year Roger looks more relaxed and full of new energy to try to do something almost impossible for everybody: beating Nadal at the French Open.
But how? Well there are some rules that King of Blue Clay has to follow to beat the King of the Red Clay.
First, attack Rafa as much as he can without trowing balls away. (easy…no?…)
Second, avoid as much as he can to rally with him and definately avoid his forehand (Novak is really good at doing this). Chipping low balls on Rafa’s backhand can be an option especially if the Spaniard starts to play 3 meters behind the baseline.
Third, definately escape cross courts rallies (Rafa’s forehand, Roger’s backhand). Just a waste of time for Roger since Rafa wins 90% of them with the Swiss. Unless Roger has learned how to play a 2 hands backhand (that would be unluckily and a disgrace for tennis!)
Fourth, upset Rafa’s comfort zone. Roger has to vary his tennis as much as he can to avoid Rafa playing in his comfort zone back in the court. This means drop shots, huge variation on Roger’s service and random attacks on Rafa’s service.
Fifth, Roger has to be ruthless in his service games to avoid any “mental vacation” to avoid breaks (Rafa is so good on capitalize on this).
Sixth, a lot of good luck (maybe Rafa eating too many choccolate croissant would help).
But, ups…. but we did not factor an important variable… What about Nole?
Good Luck to all of them.. it is going to be fun.
Here you can find the second part of the highlights of last year’s final.
ROLAND GARROS GENERAL INFORMATION
27th of May -> 10th of June
Official Name: Roland Garros
Location: Paris
Surface: Red Clay – Outdoor
Type: Grand Slam
Price Money Men: € 6,555,000
Draw 128 Players (104 direct entries + 16 qualifiers + 8 Wild Cards)
The Second grand Slam of the season and the only one to be played on the Clay Courts.
The Roland Garros has been played since 1891 and from 1928 it has been playing at the current location.
The Qualifying session starts the 22nd of May while the main draw will start the 27th of May to end the 10th of June.
Last year’s winner was Rafael Nadal over Roger Federer 7-5, 7-6 (7-3), 5-7, 6-1.
Rewards
| Position | Points | Price Money |
| Winner | 2.000 | € 1,250,000 |
| Runner-up | 1.200 | € 625,000 |
| Semifinal | 720 | € 310,000 |
| Quarters | 360 | € 155,000 |
| Round of 16 | 180 | € 80,000 |
| 3rd Round | 90 | € 47,000 |
| 2nd Round | 45 | € 28,000 |
| 1st Round | 10 | € 18,000 |
TOP RECORDS
Most Singles (6):
Björn Borg (1974, 1975, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981)
Rafael Nadal (2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011)
Youngest Winners:
Michael Chang (1989): 17 years and 3 months.
Mats Wilander (1982): 17 years and 9 months.
Björn Borg (1974): 18 years.
Ken Rosewall (1953): 18 years and 7 months.
Rafael Nadal (2005): 19 years.
Oldest Winners:
Andres Gimeno (1972): 34 years and 10 months.
Ken Rosewall (1968): 33 years and 7 months.
Frank Parker (1949): 33 years and 4 months.
PAST CHAMPIONS
2011 Rafael Nadal (ESP)
2010 Rafael Nadal (ESP)
2009 Roger Federer (SUI)
2008 Rafael Nadal (ESP)
2007 Rafael Nadal (ESP)
2006 Rafael Nadal (ESP)
2005 Rafael Nadal (ESP)
2004 Gaston Gaudio (ARG)
2003 Juan Carlos Ferrero (ESP)
2002 Albert Costa (ESP)
2001 Gustavo Kuerten (BRA)
2000 Gustavo Kuerten (BRA)
1999 Andre Agassi (USA)
1998 Carlos Moya (ESP)
1997 Gustavo Kuerten (BRA)
1996 Yevgeny Kafelnikov (RUS)
1995 Thomas Muster (AUT)
1994 Sergi Bruguera (ESP)
1993 Sergi Bruguera (ESP)
1992 Jim Courier (USA)
1991 Jim Courier (USA)
1990 Andres Gomez (ECU)
1989 Michael Chang (USA)
1988 Mats Wilander (SWE)
1987 Ivan Lendl (CZE)
1986 Ivan Lendl (CZE)
1985 Mats Wilander (SWE)
1984 Ivan Lendl (CZE)
1983 Yannick Noah (FRA)
1982 Mats Wilander (SWE)
1981 Björn Borg (SWE)
1980 Björn Borg (SWE)
1979 Björn Borg (SWE)
1978 Björn Borg (SWE)
1977 Guillermo Vilas (ARG)
1976 Adriano Panatta (ITA)
1975 Björn Borg (SWE)
1974 Björn Borg (SWE)
1973 Ilie Nastase (ROM)
1972 Andres Gimeno (ESP)
1971 Jan Kodes (CZE)
1970 Jan Kodes (CZE)
1969 Rod Laver (AUS)
1968 Ken Rosewall (AUS)
1967 Roy Emerson (AUS)
1966 Tony Roche (AUS)
1965 Fred Stolle (AUS)
1964 Manuel Santana (ESP)
1963 Roy Emerson (AUS)
1962 Rod Laver (AUS)
1961 Manuel Santana (ESP)
1960 Nicola Pietrangeli (ITA)
1959 Nicola Pietrangeli (ITA)
1958 Mervyn Rose (AUS)
1957 Sven Davidson (SWE)
1956 Lewis Hoad (AUS)
1955 Tony Trabert (USA)
1954 Tony Trabert (USA)
1953 Ken Rosewall (AUS)
1952 Jaroslav Drobny (CZE)
1951 Jaroslav Drobny (CZE)
1950 Budge Patty (USA)
1949 Frank Parker (USA)
1948 Frank Parker (USA)
1947 Jozsef Asboth (HUN)
1946 Marcel Bernard (FRA)
1939 William McNeill (USA)
1938 Donald Budge (USA)
1937 Henner Henkel (GER)
1936 Gottfried Von Cramm (GER)
1935 Fred Perry (GBR)
1934 Gottfried Von Cramm (GER)
1933 John Crawford (AUS)
1932 Henri Cochet (FRA)
1931 Jean Borotra (FRA)
1930 Henri Cochet (FRA)
1929 René Lacoste (FRA)
1928 Henri Cochet (FRA)
1927 René Lacoste (FRA)
1926 Henri Cochet (FRA)
1925 René Lacoste (FRA)
1924 Jean Borotra (FRA)
1923 François Blanchy (FRA)
1922 Henri Cochet (FRA)
1921 Jean Samazeuilh (FRA)
1920 André Gobert (FRA)
1914 Max Decugis (FRA)
1913 Max Decugis (FRA)
1912 Max Decugis (FRA)
1911 André Gobert (FRA)
1910 Maurice Germot (FRA)
1909 Max Decugis (FRA)
1908 Max Decugis (FRA)
1907 Max Decugis (FRA)
1906 Maurice Germot (FRA)
1905 Maurice Germot (FRA)
1904 Max Decugis (FRA)
1903 Max Decugis (FRA)
1902 Marcel Vacherot (FRA)
1901 André Vacherot (FRA)
1900 Paul Aymé (FRA)
1899 Paul Aymé (FRA)
1898 Paul Aymé (FRA)
1897 Paul Aymé (FRA)
1896 André Vacherot (FRA)
1895 André Vacherot (FRA)
1894 André Vacherot (FRA)
1893 L. Riboulet (FRA)
1892 J. Schopfer (FRA)
1891 H. Briggs (GBR)
