The 2019 final will be the same as the one of a year ago, between Nadal and Thiem. World No.1 Novak Djokovic was stopped in his quest for a fourth win in a row.
The world No.1 Novak Djokovi was stopped in his quest for a fourth straight Grand Slam victory on Saturday 8th June, 2019 by the Austrian Dominic Thiem (N.4), winner in five sets 6-2, 3- 6, 7-5, 5-7, 7-5 in the semifinals of Roland-Garros on Saturday, after a match played over two days and chopped by the rain.
Giant Slayer.
Thiem brings Djokovic’s 26 Grand Slam match winning streak to an end…
📝 https://t.co/7wZNDLVwBl#RG19 pic.twitter.com/4EpwAMIQK8
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) 8 June 2019
Comme on se retrouve 🤝
Pour la seconde année consécutive, @ThiemDomi rejoint Rafael Nadal en finale de Roland-Garros ! L’Autrichien élimine en 5 sets le N°1 mondial Novak Djokovic 6-2, 3-6, 7-5, 5-7, 7-5. https://t.co/FFQufZaxqW | #RG19 pic.twitter.com/VXHMxpv9CB
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) 8 June 2019
Thiem (25), a finalist last season, will face in the final on Sunday Rafael Nadal (N.2), looking for a twelfth record-breaking victory on clay in Paris and who pushed aside Roger Federer on Friday (6-3, 6-4, 6-2).
Djokovic’s defeat puts an end to his quest for a Grand Slam that spans two seasons, which was only two wins after his titles at Wimbledon and the US Open in 2018, then at the Open of Australia in January, and who had already achieved it for the first time in his career, between 2015 and 2016.
Even Federer and Nadal, the two most decorated players in Grand Slam history (20 and 17 respectively), broke their teeth on this rare achievement in the history of tennis. Only the American Donald Budge, in 1938, and the Australian Rod Laver, in 1962 and 1969, did better by completing the Grand Slam on the same season, but in their time, all the major tournaments, with the exception of Roland Garros, played on grass.
Read also: Roland Garros: Rafael Nadal turns off Roger Federer and offers himself a 12th final
Capricious semifinal because of the weather
The semifinal between Djokovic and Thiem stretched over two days and was chopped into four pieces due to the weather conditions.
Begun Friday afternoon, it was interrupted briefly for the first time, then postponed until Saturday when both players had each won a set (6-2, 3-6) and the Austrian had the advantage 3 games to 1 in the third inning.
Back on court Philippe-Chatrier at midday Saturday, Djokovic and Thiem were once again sent back to the locker room after a little over two hours of play while the Austrian was only two games away. a prestigious victory and to afford a second consecutive final at Roland Garros: the game was interrupted at 4-1 in his favour, 40-40 on the service of Djokovic.
After a little over an hour of interruption, the Serb with fifteen major trophies spread the second ball of 5-1, reduced the gap to 4-3 but found back to the wall when Thiem has again broken (5-3) and got two first match points. The Austrian then chained four direct faults allowing “Djoko” to believe again. But the world N.1 finally cracked, at 6-5 on his service, the third match point of Thiem, converted with a final right shot winner.
The 2019 final of the Roland-Garros will be a re-run of the one of a year ago, between Rafael Nadal and Dominic Thiem. The Spanish champion then won 6-4, 6-3, 6-2.
