Nadal to the French Open Semifinals.

                                                                                         

Defending champion Rafael Nadal advanced to the semifinals at tennis's French Open when opponent Novak Djokovic retired with a noticeable back injury. Rafael Nadal was drenched with sweat before he smacked a ball in his French Open quarterfinal.

Nadal led 6-4, 6-4 in Paris; when 63rd-ranked Djokovic decided to quit. Nadal, who won his 58th straight match on clay, spent about two hours on court after needing a total of about eight hours to win his previous two matches.

Nadal broke the unseeded Djokovic's serve to start the second set on the match's longest point, a 27-point exchange. Nadal conjured up a drop shot that Djokovic couldn't handle, and the underdog pounded the ball off the court and into the stands.

That was part of a run in which Nadal claimed 11 of 12 points to open a 3-0 lead in the set. To make a Grand Slam final for the first time, eventhough, Ljubicic will have to do something no one has done since April 2005: wear down Nadal and beat him on clay.

Djokovic also retired in a match on center court at Roland Garros against Guillermo Coria in last year's second round with breathing problems he needed surgery to correct at the end of 2005.

About the author:
About the Author
Alfred Johnson provides all sports fans with the most recent a up to date news information in the sports world. Mr. Johnson has been an exceptional article writer for www.bookemdirect.com

Feel free to reprint this article in its entirety on your site, make sure to leave all links in place and do not modify any of the content.


Article Source: http://www.Free-Articles-Zone.com