06.10.2020
21:08
The Spanish, who has just lost to the Argentine at the Masters 1000 in Rome, highlighted Peque’s level and warned: “It’s a challenge.”
October 6, 2020 Share on FacebookShare Share on TwitterTweet Share on WhatsAppShare
The greeting of Schwartzman and Nadal after the crossing in Rome (REUTERS / Riccardo Antimiani)
Rafael Nadal once again crosses the path of Diego Schwartzman . The Spaniard defeated Italian Jannik Sinner 7-6 (7/4), 6-4, 6-1 after midnight on Tuesday and reached the semi-final at Roland Garros. This Friday from 10 AM in Argentina ( 8 Colombia and Peru) will be measured against the Argentine for a place in the great definition.
The numbers of the Mallorcan, No. 2 in the ATP ranking, are scary. He won the French Grand Slam 12 times, in which he holds an overwhelming record: it was his 98th victory at Roland Garros in 100 games. And the brand against Peque favors him flatly: 9-1. But the 28-year-old Schwartzman, who has just beaten Austrian Dominic Thiem in an epic five-set battle, holds the card of having beaten Rafa in the quarter-finals of the Masters 1000 in Rome just two weeks ago. And the ghost, of course, will even play for a star with an invincible image like Nadal.
“ It is very late (the game ended at almost 01:30 in Paris) and the conditions have been tough to play . Sinner is a young talent with a lot of power and big shots. He has played a huge game. It has made it difficult for me to get him out of good positions at this time on the track ”, he made his balance after taking the step towards the semifinals.
” Roland Garros is the most special place for me , now I have two days to rest and be ready to face Schwartzman,” he added, knowing that the next stop will also set the bar very high. On September 19, in Italy, Peque won 6-2 and 7-5 in a contest in which the Spanish was the defending champion, favorite and nine times victorious.
“He’s one of the best in the world and, when you play against these players, if you don’t play at your level, it is normal to lose and that’s what has happened,” he said then. Well, on the threshold of the new crossing, Rafa repeated the bombastic praise that did not know the phrase of the occasion.
The point with which Schwartzman beat Thiem
“ It is a challenge to play with Diego. If I lost against him it is because he is playing well . He is one of the best players in the world. He was a finalist in Rome, a semifinalist here … He beat me and that is a plus of confidence for him in our confrontation ”, concluded the star.
From the triumph against Thiem and the landing in the semifinals of Roland Garros, Schwartzman secured his entrance to the top ten of the ATP rankings for the first time in his career. Until now, its best location had been Step 11 in 2018.
In addition, Peque was guaranteed a prize of 425,250 euros (the equivalent of 501,100 dollars) for getting among the best four exponents of the contest. If he reaches the final, the figure will rise to 850,000 ($ 1,003,000). And if it is imposed in Paris, it will become a creditor of 1,600,000 euros (1,888,000 in US currency). Because his dreams are not afraid of a monster like Rafael Nadal.
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