It floats like a perfume of Roland-Garros on the banks of the Tiber: Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, a little behind so far on clay, have found their marks at the Masters 1000 in Rome where, on Sunday, they will compete for the title for the sixth time.
The women's final will pit the Czech Karolina Pliskova (9th in the world) - for her third final in three years in Rome - against the young Polish Iga Swiatek (15th), winner of Roland-Garros in 2020.
Two weeks before the Parisian Grand Slam, the finals of the tournament in Rome, dress rehearsal with most of the best on the menu, will therefore bring together three of the four finalists of the last edition, in the fall. Djokovic, rolled in the final seven months ago by Nadal (6-0, 6-2, 7-5) for the Spaniard's 13th coronation, hopes that the story will end better.
Djokovic-Nadal is a classic (56 oppositions, 29 wins to 27 for the Serbian) of world tennis, like the Masters 1000 in Rome, with five confrontations in the final (3 wins to 2 for the Spaniard).
Despite the rise of Tsitsipas, Zverev, Rublev, the "old guys don't give up," "Nole" joked.
Since 2005, at Foro Italico, the final has always brought together at least one of the two, when it was not both.
Nadal, the record holder, won nine times for eleven finals and the Serbian five times in ten finals.
Two "battles" for Djokovic
For the reunion, Sunday, “Rafa”, in addition to the good memory of the last Roland-Garros, will perhaps have a small advantage of freshness, after a quieter Saturday. Faced with the supersonic services of the giant (2.11 m) American Reilly Opelka (47th world), "Rafa" ensured: a break in each set for a well-managed victory (6-4, 6-4) against a very little "earthly". With this final, after his elimination in the quarters during the two previous Masters 1000 on ocher (Monte-Carlo, Madrid), he believes he "did the job" by extricating himself from a not necessarily simple table and complicated matches, such as in the eighth where he saved two match points against Denis Shapovalov.
For “Nole”, it was a Saturday of “battles”.
He first had to reverse at midday a poorly embarked quarter against Stefanos Tsitsipas (N.5), who had things well in hand when the duel was suspended on Friday because of the rain (6-4, 2-1).
On energy, the Serbian reversed the situation to win (4-6, 7-5, 7-5).
His "toughest game of the year" assured the one whose nerves like the racquet - violently thrown with rage after a lost serve - suffered.
Pliskova as a regular
A few hours later, he was back on center court with in front of him an eye-catching Italian, Lorenzo Sonego (33rd in the world), warmly supported by a public obviously committed to the cause for his first semi-final in the Masters 1000. Pushed to the third set for lack of having concluded the two match points obtained at the end of the second, "Nole" kept his calm to reason his opponent: 6-3, 6-7 (5/7), 6-2.
"It was not easy to play, he was very dynamic, and with the public, it was an electric atmosphere", commented Djokovic who, for the final, hopes to "recover and have good legs". Like the Serbian, Iga Swiatek (15th) also chained two matches to reach the final, with two victories under control. She first dominated Elina Svitolina (6th), double winner in Rome (2017 and 2018), 6-2, 7-5, in quarter, then the American Coco Gauff, 17 years old (35th world) 7-6, 6-3 in half.
Two weeks away from starting the defense of her crown at Roland Garros, she will be aiming for her second title of the year on Sunday (after Adelaide in February).
But she will find in front of her a regular: the Czech Karolina Pliskova (9th world) who will play her third final in three years - title in 2019, defeat in 2020 - after having dismissed the Croatian Petra Martic (25th).
A new finale that she approaches "relaxed".
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