Lawn Tennis, Ace Tennis Magazine, Lawn Tennis Magazine
Something’s Got To Give
By Tripp Mateschitz, Lawn Tennis Analyst, Posted: Friday, May 6, 2011 4:10am PST USA
Something’s Got To Give, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic Undefeated MADRID-- The world number one Rafael Nadal of Spain has not lost a match on a clay court since 2009, going 36-0; while the world number two Novak Djokovic of Serbia is undefeated this year at 29-0. One of the two dramatic winning streaks will come to an end this weekend at the Mutua Madrid Open in Spain.

Friday in the quarterfinals, Nadal should score an uneventful win as he faces the unseeded and 27th ranked Michael Llodra of France. Nadal has never met

Rafael Nadal of Spain and Novak Djokovic of Serbia | Images: Getty
Mutua Madrilena Madrid Open

Nadal is 36-0 on clay courts since 2009; while Djokovic is 29-0 this year.

his fellow lefthander Llodra in an ATP Tour level match. However in 2003, Nadal defeated Llodra 7-6(7-3), 6-4 in a minor league level equivalent match in France.

Nadal, a five time French Open champion, has lost only one match ever in Paris. In 2009, the Spaniard suffering from tendonitis in both of his knees, lost to Robin Soderling of Sweden 6-2, 6-7(2-7), 6-4, 7-6(7-2) in the fourth round. Nadal has not dropped a clay court match since.

And last year while Nadal took grand slam titles at the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open, this year could see a new number one crowned as Djokovic inches closer each month towards Nadal’s top ranking.

In January, Djokovic won the Australian Open before beating Nadal in the ATP Tour finals at both Indian Wells and Miami. The Serbian has won five tournaments in a row this year including a clay court tournament last week at Belgrade, Serbia.

In a potentially difficult quarterfinal match Friday, Djokovic meets the sixth seeded David Ferrer of Spain. Head to head, Djokovic leads Ferrer 5-4; with Djokovic winning the duos’ last match last year on a Beijing hard-court 6-2, 6-4. However head to head on clay, Ferrer leads Djokovic 3-0.

Ferrer won a clay court tournament in February at Acapulco before losing last month in the finals of both Monte Carlo and Barcelona to Nadal.

Seeded number one and number two, Nadal and Djokovic could only face off in Sunday’s final.

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