It comes as no surprise to me when I log into my blog after several weeks (read months) that the last post I wrote was in January during the Australian Open. But of course. Only tennis seems to be able to shake me out of my reverie enough to sit down and put pen to paper. Or fingers to keyboard (you get the drift). In my defence, however, I can say that I have been writing articles on Cricket Switzerland in the meantime, so there has been a bit of writing going on, thank you very much.
Roland Garros has never been my preferred Grand Slam, simply because my favourites down the years – Becker, Safin, Federer – did not taste as much success on clay as they did elsewhere. However, I have to concede that the French Open is probably the toughest to win. It is the tennis major that perennially spawns new champions, produces at least half a dozen gladiatorial battles each year and is a test of grit and endurance like none other. No wonder then, that it invariably also results in some incredible stories. Remember Gustavo ‘Guga’ Kuerten? Sergi Bruguera? Thomas Muster and Gaston Gaudio? Men who’s life story may not have been what it is, had it not been for the red clay in Paris.
There is no doubt as to what this year’s story is. Serena Williams’ incredible comeback attempt from motherhood notwithstanding, the real tale of RG2018 is the David v Goliath one. In fact, three of them.
25-year-old Marco Cecchinato’s stunning upset of Novak Djokovic in the quarter finals was one of the most entertaining matches I’ve watched in a long time. One felt sorry for Novak too – its never easy coming back from injury – but it was impossible not to root for the No.72 ranked Italian who matched the former World No.1 shot for shot. Cecchinato had never won a Grand Slam singles match until the French Open this year. Ever. Some commentators called it a Cinderella story, but for me it was David v Goliath as a rank outsider with little or no chance sent Djokovic packing, the Djoker’s expression frozen in disbelief.
At the time of writing this, another David v Goliath battle is underway. Rafael Nadal has just about recovered from the shock of losing the first set and being a break down to diminutive Argentinian Diego Schwartzman in their quarterfinal clash. It wasn’t looking so good for Rafa when the rain gods intervened and gave the King of Clay a chance to go 5-3 up in the second set before the match was suspended for the night. It remains to be seen whether or not Schwartzman can pull it off on Thursday – and chances are, he will not – but he has already snapped Nadal’s astonishing streak of 37 straight sets won on clay and he did it in rip-roaring, fired-up fashion. Like with Cecchinato against Djokovic, it was difficult not to root for the underdog who was playing out of his skin.
Whether or not this particular story has a David v Goliath style ending, Diego Schwartzman has already scripted one this French Open. In the previous round, he pulled off an unbelievable comeback from two sets down to beat South African Kevin Andersen, who at 6-feet-8-inches happens to be 13 inches taller than him. Diego is 5-feet-7. He is living proof that nothing is impossible. In an era of giants in tennis (and the bar keeps going higher), being on the brink of breaking into the Top 10 is no mean feat for a man his size. He’s all heart and grit. It’s impossible not to root for David in his battle with Goliath.
For me, irrespective of the final results, I’ve already got my dose of drama and delight from this year’s French Open.