Roland Garros aka The French Open

[jimlosaltos]

Women's final is set. Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff will face each Saturday in a rematch of 2023 US Open, World Number One vs World Number Two . Their head to head is 5-5. Aryna won their most recent meeting in Madrid this year, but Coco won the one time they met in a Grand Slam final, the US Open 2023.

[jeffreycounts]

Women's final is set. Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff will face each Saturday in a rematch of 2023 US Open, World Number One vs World Number Two . Their head to head is 5-5. Aryna won their most recent meeting in Madrid this year, but Coco won the one time they met in a Grand Slam final, the US Open 2023.

Can't wait for this one!

[stroke]

https://open.substack.com/pub/hughclarke/p/roland-garros-semifinals-preview?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=1t7zzc

[jimlosaltos]

Stats from TV analyst Robbie Koenig I did not realize re: tonight's match:

"Sinner has held serve 36 times in a row against Novak, going back to the end of the 2nd set, in that DC match in 2023….

The last time Djokovic had had a break point against Sinner….was the 3 MATCH POINTS he had in Davis Cup back in 2023!"

[jimlosaltos]

Strange mid first set. Sinner-Djokovic has, dare I type this, turned into an old fashioned WTA match as Djokovic finally finds a way to neutralized the Italian -- MOON BALLS !

Yes, Djokovic hit 4 moon balls and one lob service return in one return game.

Sinner is pushing Djokovic back from the baseline, the Serb mid first-set has butchered a volley and put a couple of drop shots in the bottom of the net. Wind has traditionally bothered Djokovic, might be an issue today?

Ruh Roh, Jannik twisted an ankle as the clay gives out under him ...

[jimlosaltos]

Sinner won the first set while getting only 43% of his first serves in?
Yet Sinner only lost 3 points on serve ??

And Djokovic is getting pushed back by second serves?

Curious, Ragged match at least to start.

[jimlosaltos]

Djokovic had a chance to break early in the second set, winning the longest rally yet with multiple drop shots, then missed an open court. Sinner still can't buy a first serve.

Djokovic hit perhaps his 6th moon ball and third lob return, missed a drop shot badly and Sinner escapes.

Now, Djokoivc hit a sliced forehand from the baseline. Curious. Curious.

[jimlosaltos]

Level of play finally - finally - rises.

Djokovic breaks Sinner who was serving to go up two sets to love. Netted easy forehand.

Ends Sinner's streak of winning 45 straight service games vs Djokovic going back to 2023.

McEnroe: "I've never seen his forehand this big, consistently. And right no the line. He has no other choice."

[stroke]

Sinner won the first set while getting only 43% of his first serves in?
Yet Sinner only lost 3 points on serve ??

And Djokovic is getting pushed back by second serves?

Curious, Ragged match at least to start.

Not ragged to me. To me, a great high quality match. Both players digging in with their best stuff.

[jimlosaltos]

Sinner breaks back. Crunched a second serve return from way inside the baseline. Then puts away an uncontested DTL shot.

Earlier Djokovic, gasping for air after a long rally, butchered yet another drop shot, this one wide. Zero drop shot winners in this match, per J Mac { Djoko did win a crucial point to save a break early in the second set, I believe, hitting two drops shots. }

So, Sinner tries a second time to serve out the match.

[jimlosaltos]

Hits an ace on a second serve, loses set point, hits the same serve but as a first -- second set point. Djokovic hits deep.

Who would have guessed that Sinner could get only 47% of his serves in and yet go up 2 sets to love?

Sinner so far has won more points than Djokovic in every category of rally length:

+ 4 on 1-4
+2 on 5-8
+4 on 9 or more.

Oh, here we go. Djokovic calls for an injury time out, lying prone getting his leg and hip worked on. We'll see how long this break goes. 5 minutes 44 seconds since last point.

This is far more predictable than the rest of the match.

Time for me to play some tennis of my own. They'll just have to carry on without me

[stroke]

https://photos.app.goo.gl/r3UYGnSqqTpqERqB8

[stotty]

I didn’t see the match but heard it was high level. Good that Sinner won. But, look, if players like Sinner and Carlos aren’t beating Novak now, it would be a very sorry state of affairs.

Looking forward to the final.

[jimlosaltos]

Sinner has beaten Djokovic 4 times in a row, but at least Djokovic finally broke Sinner's serve. Supposedly, he'd gone about two years without breaking his serve. Granted, Novak doesn't play as often as he used to. I'm having a hard time believing this stat, still ... it's 9 sets with Djokovic winning one of those in a tiebreak and losing the other 8 sets.

Stats: Jannik Sinner held serve 45 consecutive times against Novak Djokovic since 2023 before getting broken once in their match today at the French Open 2025 semifinal. Among those Sinner had 40 consecutive service games against Djokovic without facing a break point.

Djokovic finally broke Sinner's serve in the second set, snapping the Italian's impressive streak. This was Djokovic's first break against Sinner since their 2023 Davis Cup clash. The break occurred when Sinner was serving for the second set at 5-4.

[jimlosaltos]

https://photos.app.goo.gl/r3UYGnSqqTpqERqB8

Thanks for the final stats. At least Sinner got his first serves in percentage up to 51% with the tiebreak, after winning the first two sets while only getting 47% of his first serves in.
Weird semi.