Rafael Nadal cruises past Stanislas Wawrinka to enter semis – French Open 2013
King of clay, Rafael Nadal, got the better of the ninth seed, Stanislas Wawrinka, with a breadstick at the French Open 2013 on Wednesday. He jolted down a 6-2, 6-3, 6-1 victory against the Swiss to secure a place among the final
four at this Major clay court tournament held in Paris, France.
Seeded third in this event, Nadal showed exceptional class on clay to triumph over the Swiss veteran in straight sets. As a result, the Spaniard improved to a 10-0 lifetime in the FedEx ATP Head 2 Head series against Wawrinka and
stayed on track to capture his eighth crown at this venue.
The Spanish star was quoted in a post match press conference, “I'm happy the way that I played today especially. It was my best match of the tournament without any doubt. I said I need to make a change. I was confident that I can
do it and I did. So now I am in semi-finals, three matches in a row without losing a set. The last two matches, I only lost one [game on] serve. That's starting to be very positive numbers. Only numbers, but most important thing at the end is the feeling,
and the feeling is completely different... I say I am happy that I am in semi-finals.”
Nadal high-spiritedly entered the Court Philippe Chatrier. He drew the first blood in the opening game and took the initial lead. The Spaniard availed another break chance in the fifth game and leaped to a 5-1 lead. He plucked
his serve once again and bagged the opener with a 6-2 win.
The world number four maintained his intensity in the proceeding set. He got the coveted break in the third game and jumped to a 3-1 lead. The Spaniard squandered his serve in the sixth game but stayed focused. He reeled off last
three games and clinched the set with a 6-3 score line.
The 27-year-old went berserk in the third set. He wiped out five games in a row before Wawrinka could hold on. Nadal held his serve once again and pulled out the set with a breadstick.
Nadal is on verge of becoming the first man to grab the same Grand Slam title eight times. He has lost just once at the Stade Roland Garros at the hands of Robin Soderling in 2009. The Spaniard currently has a win-loss record of
57-1 and has lost only two matches this season. He has made an impressive return from a seven-month injury layoff.
With this victory, Nadal set-up a blockbuster semi-final clash against the top seeded Novak Djokovic. The Serbian number one triumphed over 12th seeded Tommy Haas in straight sets to progress.
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