Paris – Rafael Nadal is going for No. 9 at the French Open, and the only man that can stop him is Novak Djokovic.
Nadal is already a record eight-time champion with a lifetime 65-1 record at Roland Garros. One more victory on the red clay will make him the first man to win five in a row and give him his 14th Grand Slam title – tied in second place with Pete Sampras.
The top-seeded Spaniard reached the final by beating Wimbledon champion Andy Murray 6-3, 6-2, 6-1 Friday on Court Philippe Chatrier, the stadium Nadal calls his favorite place to play. Djokovic defeated Ernests Gulbis 6-3, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 in the first semifinal.
Nadal has beaten Djokovic at the French Open in all five of their meetings, starting with a quarterfinal victory in 2006. They also met in the semifinals in 2007, `08 and `13, and in the final in 2012.
“It’s nothing new for him to be in the final. He has the motivation to win Roland Garros for the first time for sure,” Nadal said of Djokovic. ”But at the same time, he has the pressure to win for the first time. I have the pressure that I want to win and the motivation that I want to win the ninth.”…
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