Semifinal Preview
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By Barry Newcombe
Rafael Nadal v Andy Roddick
Played: Tied 2-2
For two players who sit so high in the ratings this is an historic day. As the final Artois Championships approach their climax Rafael Nadal and Andy Roddick meet for the first time on grass, the fifth in all. Top seeded Nadal is in his third year at the Artois and this semi-final appearance today is his best so far. Roddick has a much more impressive record in the tournament because he has won the title four times, is the defending champion, and if he could nail down a fifth tournament win he could make history. Roddick will need no reminders that on grass Nadal has more than established himself in the past two years by finishing runner-up to Roger Federer in successive Wimbledon finals. He has also won the French Open for four years in a row.
Roddick is into the semi-final round here a little undernourished in terms of anticipated match play. He had to play only one set in the third round against Mardy Fish, who then retired, and had a walkover in the quarter-final because Andy Murray was injured. But Roddick, the so called A-Rod with a game built for grass, knows the demands—and he beat Nadal last time out in Dubai this year. Today could provide quite a match.
Verdict—Nadal into his first Artois final
David Nalbandian v Novak Djokovic
Played: Tied 1-1
When David Nalbandian beat Richard Gasquet last evening it meant
that for the first time since 1990 the Artois Championships semi-finals
contained the top four seeds. Just to remind you, the last four
18 years ago were Ivan Lendl, Boris Becker, Stefan Edberg and John
McEnroe, and the semi-finalists this year simply prove how well
standards have been maintained in these championships. Nalbandian
now plays the Serb Novak Djokovic who is the fastest rising player
in the top ranks this year and is well on the way to moving even
closer to Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer having claimed his first
Grand Slam title at the Australian Open in January.
This is his first match on grass against Nalbandian who was runner-up
at Wimbledon at 2002 in his first attempt. Good results in the latter
part of last year lifted Nalbandian into the top ten. Djokovic,
21 last month, is the youngest semi-finalist here but in many ways
is very threatening.
Verdict-Djokovic to reach his first grass court final
Frantisek Cermak and Jordan Kerr v Daniel Nestor and Nenad
Zimonjic
Never Previously Met
Daniel Nestor, the Yugoslav-born Canadian, has won the Artois doubles title for the past two years with Mark Knowles and is now trying again with his Serbian partner Nenad Zimonjic. They teamed up last year after the US Open and are now third/fourth in the doubles standings having been runners-up in the French Open last weekend. Nestor has an outstanding record in doubles with 48 titles while Zimonjic has been runner up in the doubles at Wimbledon on two occasions. They were semi-finalists in the Australian Open this year. Cermak, who is from the Czech Republic, and Kerr, an Australian, had an impressive win here over the highly experienced third seeds Jonas Bjorkman and Kevin Ullyett to make the semi-final round. Cermak and Kerr were beaten in the second round of the French Open.
Verdict—Nestor and Zimonjic to maintain form and
reach the final
Marcelo Melo and Andre Sa v Max Mirnyi and Jamie Murray
Played: Never Previously Met
Jamie Murray kept the family interest in the Artois championships by coming through with his partner Max Mirnyi of Belarus to the doubles semi-final. Murray, Wimbledon mixed doubles champion last year, and the 6ft, 5ins Mirnyi now face the Brazilians Marcelo Melo and Andre Sa. They more than stated their case in the doubles by beating top seeded American twins Bob and Mike Bryan in the quarter-finals. The Bryans had won the title three times here and were finalists last year. But that record was dented by Melo and Sa who showed their skills and power on grass at Wimbledon last year when they won three five set matches and made the semi-finals.
Verdict-Mirnyi and Murray to win through