This year is the year when Roger Federer has the best chance of winning the French Open. With Nadal out of the tournament, surprisingly defeated by Soderling, the chances have brightened for Federer who has never won this particular Gand Slam in his life.
“It’s incredible. Everybody’s telling me ‘this is your year’,” said Federer, who will face Juan Martin del Potro. Nadal’s conqueror Robin Soderling plays Fernando Gonzalez in the other semi.
Soderling, who became the first player to beat Nadal on the clay of Roland Garros, and Del Potro have never reached the semi-final stage of a Grand Slam before, while Gonzalez has only been in the last four once (when he went on to lose to Federer in the final of the 2007 Australian Open).
In contrast, Federer has made the semi-finals, at least, of the last 20 Grand Slam tournaments.