On the penultimate point of Friday’s semi-final, Rafael Nadal worked the weary but willing figure of Juan Martin del Potro left and right like the shuttle on a loom.
Eventually del Potro threw up a hopeful lob, kept on running, and buried his head in the courtside flower-bed. It is testament to his enduring good humour that he still had a rueful grin on his face.
The first set of this semi-final had been competitive, especially when del Potro brought up three break points on the Nadal serve at 4-4. Yet once Nadal had staved off those threats with some breathtaking tennis, and then played an even better game to clinch the set, the defiance drained from del Potro’s dispirited frame.
It didn’t help that he had suffered a recurrence of his groin injury early in the match, which caused him to order some anti-inflammatory medication at the second changeover. In the end, though, Nadal lived up to his reputation. And when you have won 85 of 87 matches at a particular tournament, that is not an easy thing to do.
“I think that was my chance of the match,” said del Potro, in reference to his first-set opportunity. “I had a lot of break points. I couldn't make it. And when you don't take your chances against the No 1 in the world, you're in trouble.
“Rafa served well, played good points in that break points, and I got unlucky in that moment,” added del Potro, who won only seven games in this 6-4, 6-1, 6-2 towelling. “Could be different match if I win the first set. But then he made me run a lot. Intensity is too high the whole match, and I couldn't stay there after the first set.”
It has been the same story all fortnight. Once Nadal has moved ahead, he has gained in confidence, and moved into the kind of overdrive that no player on earth can match. At least, not on their current form.
Perhaps Novak Djokovic could have stood his ground, at the peak level that brought him four straight majors a couple of years ago. He is the one person who has forced Nadal to change his tactics, by going after the high-kicking ball with his peerless backhand.
If you can’t do that – and no-one else has Djokovic’s timing or flawless mechanics – your best chance is to apply pressure early, and hope to disconcert Nadal in the way that Diego Schwartzman did in heavy, damp conditions on Wednesday night.
The upshot of that extraordinary passage of play was that Nadal lost a set at Roland Garros for the first time since Djokovic beat him in 2015. He has since admitted that he was “lucky” to be reprieved by the rain, which grew heavy enough to force the players off while Schwartzman was leading by a set and a break.
There are few positive omens for Dominic Thiem, the 24-year-old Austrian who beat Marco Cecchinato comfortably – 7-5, 7-6, 6-1 – in the other semi-final. But at least the forecast suggests that conditions will be wet and heavy again on Sunday, which might take some of the pop off Nadal’s vicious top-spin and give Thiem more time to wind up his own piledrivers.
It is hard to avoid the feeling that Nadal has come through his one dodgy moment of this tournament, and that he survived it with a little help from above. This year, the King of Clay is ruling by divine right.
But if Nadal’s hegemony is to be tested, Thiem is the right man to do it. He is surely the second-best clay-courter in the world, having inflicted Nadal’s two most recent defeats on this surface. And his attitude on Friday in the interview room showed the right mixture of realism and self-confidence.
“If I want to beat him, I have to play like I did in Rome and in Madrid,” said Thiem, in reference to his two most recent successes over Nadal. “I'm also aware that here it's tougher. He likes the conditions more here than in Madrid, for sure, and best of five is also different story.
“Of course there is pressure, because I went a very long way now and I don't want to lose the finals. But I think if I'm facing Rafa, I'm not the one who has the pressure.”
Game, set and match! Nadal defeats Del Potro 6-4, 6-1, 6-2
Del Potro's been on the ropes since the end of the first set, and after 2hrs 14 mins the knockout punch arrives. Nadal brings up a match point at 40-30 with a forehand that's so well placed it almost sends Del Potro off the court. Delpo then sends a backhand return long, and that is that. Game, set and match.
Nadal is into his 11th French Open final where he will play Dominic Thiem on Sunday.
Nadal* 6-4, 6-1, 4-1 Del Potro (*next server) - Nadal breaks
The players exchange ludicrously powerful forehand winners to start the game. Nadal then puts his foot on the gas again, bullying Del Potro into a couple of errors to earn two break points at 15-40. Rafa only needs one, sealing the break with an outrageous crosscourt backhand return winner. That's why he's the clay-court GOAT.
Nadal* 6-4, 6-1, 2-1 Del Potro (*next server)
That might help Delpo's mood a little. He claims a love hold thanks in part to some uncharacteristically loose hitting for Nadal.
He may be getting thrashed but on the plus side for Del Potro he'll be ranked No. 4 in the world on Monday - a joint PB, and an incredible rebirth for a player whose career looked like it might be ended by injury a couple of years ago.
Nadal* 6-4, 6-1, 1-0 Del Potro (*next server) - Nadal breaks
Well, what does Del Potro have left? Not a huge amount by the looks of things. Nadal spears a backhand pass flying beyond him for 0-15, before a Delpo double fault and a missed forehand has us at 0-40. Three break points. Nadal takes the first one - naturally - with a backhand winner. He's won nine of the last 10 games.
Nadal* 6-4, 5-1 Del Potro (*next server)
Del Potro is getting in almost 80 per cent of his first serves this set, but they are getting absolutely demolished. Nadal rifles away a smash to open up two set points at 15-40. Del Potro serves his way out of trouble though to dig out the hold and claim his first game in almost an hour. He celebrates by ironically raising his arms as if he's just won the title. Huge cheers in response from the Roland Garros crowd. 'Delpo, Delpo' rings around Chatrier.
Nadal will serve for the second set.
Nadal* 6-4, 4-0 Del Potro (*next server) - Nadal breaks
This is brutally efficient from Nadal. Del Potro looks in control at 30-15 but suddenly Nadal races to a break point at 30-40 after sending a backhand winner screeching up the line. Del Potro saves it with a smash, but a whipped backhand winner earns Nadal another break point. He takes this one, another backhand winner doing the damage. Crumbs.
The below stats pretty much sum up why we have the scoreline we do.
Del Potro break points won: 0/7
Nadal break points won: 3/5
Nadal 6-4, 3-0 Del Potro* (*next server) - Nadal saves a break point and holds
This is agonising for Del Potro. He earns a seventh break point at 30-40, but Nadal saves it with that classic serve out wide-forehand winner combo. Two points later, the pair are walking to the chair after another Nadal service hold.
Five straight games for Nadal. This could get away from Del Potro if he's not careful.
Nadal 6-4, 1-0 Del Potro* (*next server)
Del Potro is still going for the jugular, burying a forehand winner past Nadal to get to deuce. Nadal though is like Jose Mourinho's Chelsea team from the mid-2000s. Whatever his opponents throw at him, he somehow finds a way to win. Suffice it to say he holds here.
Nadal* 6-4 Del Potro (*next server) - First set Nadal
That's why he's the master of this surface. Del Potro looks in control of the point when he thwacks away a forehand from close to the service box, but Nadal stretches and somehow flicks away a backhand passing shot winner. An off-forehand winner then earns Nadal two set points at 15-40, his first break points of the match. Del Potro saves the first one but excellent Nadal defence draws an error on the second and that's the first set. Del Potro cannot believe it.
An ambush set from Nadal. Del Potro was on top pretty much throughout, but it's the 10-time champion who claims it.
Nadal 5-4 Del Potro* (*next server) - Nadal saves three break points and holds
Big fist bump from Nadal after gliding his way to a punched forehand volley for 0-15. But a brilliant exchange then ends with Del Potro stretching for a volley to go up 15-30. And a perfectly guided backhand winner up the line opens up two break points for the Argentine. Can he take one of these two? No he can't. Nadal saves the first with a canny drop shot, before Del Potro wildly overcooks a forehand on the second. A third break point of the game then presents itself after a missed Nadal backhand, but a bad bounce completely flummoxes Delpo on this one. Nadal eventually holds with a stunning reflex volley.
Del Potro has wasted six break points. Will he be made to pay? He'll now serve to stay in the set.
Nadal 3-2 Del Potro* (*next server)
For the third straight returning game, Del Potro gets to 0-30. But again Nadal rallies - playing consecutive drop shots for 30-30 and holding to 30 after a couple of Delpo misses.
The trainer is out for Del Potro.
Meanwhile one of tomorrow's finalists is in the crowd...
Nadal* 2-2 Del Potro (*next server)
Del Potro has called for the trainer at the next change of ends. Given the injury hell he has endured, it would be so cruel if Del Potro was struck down again today. He doesn't look completely pain-free this game but a booming ace down the T helps Del Potro to a hold to 30.
Nadal 2-1 Del Potro* (*next server) - Nadal saves three break points and holds
The crowd want to see a match, and they're delighting in the ferocity of these Del Potro forehands. Another rocket unsettles Nadal, and a missed forehand and a double fault then present Del Potro with three break points at 0-40. He can't take any of them though - missing a backhand and a forehand after being snared like a Nadal forehand winner. Delpo is then grimacing in agony after being wrongfooted by a Nadal forehand. Fingers crossed he hasn't just aggravated the groin injury that he was carrying before the tournament. Del Potro limps to the chair after a missed backhand secures the hold for Nadal.
Preamble
Well what a match we have in store. Two heavyweights of the game going head to...wait a minute, haven't we heard that many times before this tournament and then been left hopelessly disappointed?
It has felt a few times over the last week like we've massively built matches up only to be then left disappointed. Hopefully today will be an exception, and the enduringly popular Juan Martin del Potro will at least give the 10-time champion Rafael Nadal a fright.
Del Potro certainly has a game big enough to trouble anyone when he's on song - even Nadal - so it's really a question of how much he has left in the tank after playing close to four hours across two days against Marin Cilic in the quarter-finals.
There's also the emotional toll to consider - after beating Cilic, Del Potro broke down in tears on court and said: "It's tough to speak now. It has been a long time without a good feeling in my body. I have had three surgeries on my left wrist and I was close to quitting. I don't have any words.
"It's so good for my team and my family. I am so proud to be playing tennis. I feel at home here. Merci beaucoup!"
Nadal of course had a similarly drawn-out quarter against the inspired Diego Schwartzman on Wednesday and Thursday, but you suspect the scare he was given there might sharpen his mind against Del Potro today.
With that in mind, I suspect Nadal will come through in straight sets. I really hope I'm wrong though and we have an exciting contest. Certainly there's enough to suggest in their previous meetings that we could be in for a fun match; Nadal leads the head to head 9-5, and lost the first set to Del Potro at the US Open in September before rallying to win in four.
The players will be on not before 2.30pm, and it could be later than that depending on how long the first semi-final between Dominic Thiem vs Marco Cecchinato takes. You can follow that one with me here.