NADAL could lose second place FOR SI CAE Djokovic in the semi-finals

The semifinals will dispute that Rafa Nadal and Novak Djokovic will have an incentive more than the ticket for the grand final of Roland Garros: the second grade in the global list of entries ATP. As happened in the Masters Series Hamburg, Manacor must win if they do not want to lose the privilege of being the world's second best racket at the time.

Novak Djokovic played this Friday at Roland Garros its fifth semifinal of a Grand Slam in a row, something that has succeeded only in the 'Open Era' Roger Federer, Ivan Lendl and Boris Becker. On this occasion, can have a double reward.

Rafa Nadal has 5,585 points in the list of entries for the ATP, the 5,225-Novak Djokovic, ie 760 points of difference between Spanish and Serbian. The Manacor has to defend the 1,000 points in Paris who managed last year to achieve victory, while the Belgrade only has to defend the 450 that gave the semifinals of the last edition.

Should Djokovic to break Nadal in the semi-finals, the Serbian would ensure, at least, leave next Monday with 5,475 points (5,775 could be ended if winning Roland Garros), leaving the Spanish with 5,035 points eliminated in semifinals. In the event that Nadal to break Djokovic, there would be no more 'account of the dairy'. This will be the second has disputed three Roland Garros earlier, with the semifinals last year his best result: 18 matches, 15 wins, 13 sets against and two withdrawn.

Rafa Nadal and Novak Djokovic have met on ten occasions so far, with a positive balance for the Spanish tennis player of 7-3. At Roland Garros have crossed the last two years, in the quarter-finals in 2006 and the semifinals in 2007, always being the victory for Rafa. The Serbian has only been able to occasion, after the Hamburg Masters Series, which puts Nadal in the second game ladder world.

The statistic is lenient with Nadal
The situation is the least complex for the Serbian. Rafa Nadal has not ceded any set in this year's Roland Garros, but do not know what is falling defeated in this tournament and has its shares for wins: 26 matches, 26 wins and only 7 sets against. For its part, also Djokovic imposed on the Spanish, today, hard surface. Do break the curse this year?