CORRETJA BREAKS DOWN ROGER VERSUS RAFA

Alex on who he sees as the favourite:

“This is the match tennis fans have been waiting for since the tournament started. I see both of them reaching the semis pretty fresh physically. Mentally for Roger, it’s a huge win against Stan today, who is a Grand Slam champion here at Roland-Garros of course and that will do a lot for his confidence. I still feel over five-sets here on clay against Rafa, it’s a big task for Roger. But, to me, his chances of winning are far higher now than I would have said before the tournament started when Rafa was the strong favourite. The way that Roger has reached the semi-finals has been impressive, but I do think that if Rafa is in good shape it will be very difficult for Roger. He will have to play extremely well – serve unbelievably, hit big forehands and be solid on the backhand.”

On how Roger’s game and tactics have evolved since their last meeting at Roland-Garros:

“The way Roger plays now will cause many more problems for Rafa because his height on his forehand is better, he’s mixing it up more effectively with his serve, he comes to the net much more often off the serve, plays more effective drop shots and his backhand is more reliable than it used to be. He goes a little bit deep sometimes to return, which I think is good on clay as you give height to the ball and then that makes it more uncomfortable for your opponent. So, the way he’s playing now gives him a better game plan against Rafa than before. However, I still think that Rafa being a lefty is huge against Roger as he finds his backhand so often. Roger will have to be on the baseline when he hits his forehand down-the-line as, if he’s behind it, Rafa can hit to his backhand pretty easily. For that reason, it is pretty hard for me not to see Rafa winning the match.”    

On Rafa not beating Roger since 2014:

“Rafa knows this is the best place he can face Roger, by far. It’s a fact that if he hasn’t beaten Roger since 2014 it’s because Roger adapted his game in the last couple of years, especially on hard courts, but this is a special place and it’s different. Rafa might have it in the back of his mind, for sure, but the way Rafa reached the semi-finals it shows he’s ready to beat whoever he would be playing.”