Stan Wawrinka battled past Rafa Nadal after two hard-fought tie-breaks with 7-6 (10-8) 7-6 (9-7) in 2 hours and 20 minutes in a match which finished at 1.13 am. Wawrinka avenged his recent defeat against Nadal in Shanghai where the Swiss player won just three games.
Wawrinka was broken by Nadal in the first game. Nadal consolidated his break to hold his service game for 2-0.
Wawrinka earned two break-back point chances in a hard-fought sixth game but Nadal managed to save them. At 5-3 Nadal earned a set point as Wawrinka was serving to stay in the set. Wawrinka saved it before breaking back when Nadal served for the set. The Swiss player held his service game to take a 6-5 lead but Nadal won the next game to force the match to the tie-break. Nadal brought up two set points at 6-5 and 8-7 but Wawrinka saved them.
Wawrinka converted his second set point chance fo 10-8 as Nadal made a forehand error after 1 hour and 10 minutes.
The second set went on serve until the seventh game when Wawrinka converted hs first break point chance to take the 4-3 lead as Nadal made a double fault. Wawrinka consolidated the break lead for 5-3. Nadal served to stay in the set and went up 40-0 but Wawrinka clawed his way back to 30-40. Nadal held his nerve to win his service game to close the gap to 4-5.
Nadal earned a break point as Wawrinka was serving for the match. Wawrinka saved the first break point chance but Nadal brought up two more chances. Nadal broke back on his third opportunity for 5-5 as Wawrinka sent his backhand wide.
The second set came down to the tie-break where Nadal earned two set points at 6-4. Wawrinka saved them before clinching the win on his first match point at 8-7 with a down the line forehand passing shot after 2 hours and 20 minutes. Wawrinka beat Nadal for the third time in 16 head-to-head matches
Wawrinka has reached his first semifinal at Paris Bercy after losing in the quarter final against Djokovic in 2013.
Wawrinka will take on Novak Djokovic in Saturday’s semifinal. It will be their 23rd head-to-head match. Djokovic leads 18-4 including two five-set matches at the Australian Open (in the Round of 16 in 2013 and in the semifinal in 2015). Wawrinka beat Djokovic in an epic five-set quarter final in Melbourne in 2014 en route to his first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open. The Swiss player is bidding to become the second player in history to score the Roland Garros-Paris Bercy double in the same year after André Agassi. Last June Wawrinka beat Djokovic in the Roland Garros final.
“We played at a very good level with long rallies. It was very intense match. I am very happy with my level of playing”, said Wawrina
“I had some chances but I could not catch them. I missed two many set points but I am happy with my level in the recent weeks”, said Nadal