The fast-approaching 2017 french open calls for its Tennis stars to make the final adjustments before the action kicks off. The men's tennis circuit is finding itself in Rome days away from picking its winner. Yesterday, the biggest shock of the tournament emerged as Dominic Thiem ousted Rafael Nadal in straight sets. For the Spaniard is was the first defeat suffered on clay this season while for the young Austrian it felt like finally solving a riddle. Thiem lost their previous two meetings in the finals of Barcelona and Madrid. For Nadal, despite losing in Rome quarterfinals things are looking great at the moment.
Having won two Masters 1000 and ATP 500 event over the past month, he is now in a position to tackle the French Open.
Thiem ends the 17 matches winning streak of Nadal
Beating Nadal yesterday in Rome last 8 stages, Thiem clinched only the second win against the Spaniard. An aggressive approach with a lot of risky shots that ended inside the box secured a spot in the next round for the Austrian. He is set to play against the winner of Djokovic vs del Potro match, an encounter yet to be finished after a rain delay. On the other side, Rafael Nadal can sit down and work on the strategy for the next challenge ahead, a big test, maybe the biggest of the season for him. Nadal is seeking to go all the way in Paris in order to clinch the 10th French Open crown.
It might be a season of round sums as Nadal won the 10th Barcelona title and his 10th Monte-Carlo crown. Why not adding the 10th Roland Garros to his showcase? Being eliminated from Rome might give Nadal some few extra days to recover after a grueling run on the European red clay. After all, he is 30-years-old, and a couple of days off could mean a lot.
Who can truly challenge Nadal's supremacy in Paris
It may seem that the timing is perfect for Nadal to win the French Open. But a Grand Slam always puts unexpected things upon the table. Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray with all their struggle to regain pace are still there and they only need a little spark in order to wake up their inner demons.
And of course, there are the younger stars like Nick Kyrgios, Dominic Thiem or Alexander Zverev. Unfortunately, Nishikori, Wawrinka and Raonic they all seemed a bit under the weather during the clay swing. Whether is was the poor shape or some lingering injuries, their level of tennis was below expectations. That leaves Nadal standing alone as a certain candidate to climb the mountain in Paris.
