Can Novak Djokovic Make Yet Another GS Semi-Final at Roland Garros?

Novak Djokovic has proved himself to be a truly outstanding tennis player over the last couple of years, and if he is unfortunate to have been placed in an era with two of the very greatest players of all-time, the Serb is nevertheless forging his own permanent legacy at the head of the men’s game.

But despite his stellar performances which have seen him win numerous Grand Slam titles, the one clay court Grand Slam of the season in Roland Garros, Paris has eluded him. Thus, Djokovic goes into this year’s French Open title keen to complete his set of Grand Slam titles. How will his early run in the tournament go, and can he make yet another Grand Slam semi-final?

Djokovic’s form going into the tournament suggests that there are not too many people in the draw who can have much hope of beating him. Victorious in Rome again in the final warm-up tournament for the French Open, Djokovic showed once again that he is the only player in this era able to beat the King of Clay Rafael Nadal over three sets on the crushed red brick. Doing it over five set is always the supreme test for any player, but Djokovic looks well equipped to do so this year, and bookmakers have even made him a slight favourite for the tournament ahead of Nadal. But can he make the semi-finals?

Should he do so then another battle with Roger Federer is imminent, but who stands in his way before then? Well, Djokvoic should meet the Croat Marin Čilić in the third-round, the first time he is likely to be remotely tested. Čilić is a fine player on hard courts, and can take out anyone on his day on faster surfaces, but his style of play is not that suited to clay, and he has never been beyond the fourth round at Roland Garros. One would expect to see Djokovic beat Čilić without too many problems.

After Čilić, Djokovic will face the winner of the Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Jerzy Janowicz third-round match, assuming the draw goes to seeding. Two big hitters, and two dangerous players on any surface, one would expect Tsonga to come through this given his much better results on clay. Tsonga would definitely be a test for Djokovic, having made the semi-finals and beaten Roger Federer last year, but his recent form hasn’t been top notch, and there is little indication based on this season that he’d be capable of beating the very consistent Djokovic.

Djokovic could then meet Gilles Simon or Milos Raonic. Whether the Canadian is yet ready to produce his best tennis on clay is debatable, and I feel the Frenchman will make the quarters, particularly in front of his home crowd. This would be a huge match for Simon, but the world number 2 has won their last six encounters and would be a huge favourite for the match.

So I think looking at the draw, we can look forward to a Federer-Djokovic semi-final.

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30/05/2014     © Frixo 2026