There’s no stopping Rafael Nadal at the French Open this year. The Spaniard, who didn’t lose a set until the quarter-finals, had received a mild shock as the Argentinian Diego Schwartzman won the second set against him in the quarter-finals on the Parisian clay.

But, Schwartzman’s celebrations stopped right at the second set as Nadal bounced back stronger to win the next two sets and reached the semi-finals of Roland Garros.

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It was a high-octane encounter between the two right from the first set. For a while, Schwartzman managed to get the better of Nadal, especially in longer rallies. As surprising as that may sound, the Spaniard used a lot of variety on his serve to win shorter points. He kept Diego in one corner and used his heavy top-spin-induced forehand to hit winners down the line.

As Schwartzman lost his serve in the ninth game of the third set, it was evident to one and all that the control was back in the hands of Nadal. The Spaniard didn’t give any amount of space to Diego in the fourth set as he bageled the Argentinian to win a high-quality encounter, 6-3,4-6,6-4,6-0 in 2hours and 45 minutes.

“I’m a good clay player” – Schwartzman reflects after loss to Rafael Nadal at French Open 2021

With a packed crowd on Court Philippe Chatrier, Rafael Nadal won his 105th match at the French Open. He also recorded the highest number of wins in a grand slam on the men’s singles tour.

Talking to the press after a hard-fought defeat, Diego Schwartzman told that he would like to be placed on the other side of the draw so that he won’t face Nadal next year.

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“Next time, I want to be in another side of the draw. I’m a good clay player, I think I did a great match. But always he wins. Maybe against Nole the next time,” the Argentinian said.

Even though Schwartzman had a victory against Nadal at Rome Masters last year, he couldn’t match up the high level on the other side of the court today. One of the reasons for the Argentinian’s loss could be his below-par clay-court form this year before the French Open began.

Diego Schwartzman will test his luck on the grass-court season. He is yet to confirm his participation in the tournaments leading up to Wimbledon.

Also read: Rafael Nadal Battles Through Diego Schwartzman to Reach French Open 2021 Semifinals