Djokovic ready for Nadal showdown

 

Originally published on: 06/06/13 00:00

Djokovic, who is bidding to become only the eighth man in the Open era to win all four majors, sealed his place in the semi-finals with a 6-3 7-6(5) 7-5 victory over Tommy Haas on Wednesday.

Standing between Djokovic and a place in the final is seven-time champion Nadal, who is chasing his own place in the history books as he attempts to become the first man to win the same major eight times.

Nadal has won 12 of their 15 previous meetings on clay, but the Serb, who is into his 12th successive Grand Slam semi-final, will take heart from his recent victory over the Spaniard in Monte Carlo.

"Now I have a big challenge in front of me, and I'm ready for it," Djokovic said. "I have been playing well. I know that this is the biggest challenge for me in Roland Garros, no question about it, and I'm sure that it's going to be quite a good match.

"I need that necessary intensity from the start. I need to be willing to play on top of my game throughout the whole match, because that's what it's going to take to win against him. It's the small details and a few points that can decide a winner. 

"That's why I need to be very disciplined and focused in order to get emotionally, physically, and mentally ready for that match."

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