http://www.washingtonpost.com/sport...bf50bb6_story.html?postshare=6441433134084140
PARIS – Nine - time French Open
champion Rafael Nadal is the King of
Clay for many reasons . His lasso - like
lefty forehand is one of the best ever.
His mental toughness is off the charts.
In the best- of - five set format, his
unyielding physicality sets him apart. In
Paris, he has another secret weapon:
real estate . No major show court plays
as spaciously as the French Open ’ s main
stadium, Court Philippe Chatrier, where
the Spaniard ’s defensive skills come to
life. “ It ’s like the Maracana,” said three-
time French Open champion Gustavo
Kuerten, drawing an analogy to the
giant Rio de Janeiro soccer stadium in
his native Brazil . That advantage could
be increasingly important in the week
ahead .
Nadal, coming off his shakiest clay - court
season in a decade , normally would
spend the rest of the tournament on
Chatrier, including Monday ’s fourth -
round meeting with 22 - year- old
American Jack Sock . Because of
Sunday’ s rain , which postponed several
matches, they are slated for the smaller
Court Suzanne Lenglen .
The extra space on Chatrier allows
Nadal to do what he does best : roam
several feet behind the baseline and dig
balls out of corners; return serve deep
in the court where he can take massive
swipes at the ball ; and generally make
offensive - minded players miserable.
“ For an opponent playing against Nadal
on Chatrier, it seems that you have to
put double as much effort than any
other court in the world, because it’s so
much space and it feels like you can ’ t
make a winner,” said No. 1 Novak
Djokovic, who could face No. 6 seed
Nadal in a blockbuster quarterfinal .
“ He’ s getting [to ] every single ball. ”
Nadal has lost just once in a decade at
Roland Garros , where he is 69 - 1 . In
best- of - five set matches on clay , he ’ s
92 - 1 .
It’ s no coincidence that he has been
most dominant here .
Nadal said Saturday that , were it his
choice , he would play every match on a
court that accentuates his instincts —
where he can slide further , scamper
longer and lace zingers from far behind
the baseline.
“ It’ s obvious that a big court helps a
little bit more my game and for the
opponent is a little bit more difficult to
attack , to see the clear winner, ” said
Nadal, who has won 14 majors.
Chatrier was built in 1928 to
accommodate the Davis Cup glory years
of France ’s Four Musketeers and was
renamed for an influential president of
the French Tennis Federation .
It is the smallest of the four Grand Slam
show courts; it holds 14 , 800 fans .
Around the edges separating the singles
lines from the stands — the region
where players can stretch , skim and
leap to track down balls — it more than
makes up for its lack of size (and no
small irony considering the scarce
elbow room around the overcrowded
grounds).
With 32 feet behind the baseline ,
Chatrier is more spacious than both
Wimbledon’s Centre Court and the U. S .
Open ’s Arthur Ashe Stadium (27 feet
each ). It is roughly the same as
Melbourne ’s Rod Laver Arena (32 and
33 feet at either end ).
At the sides, where players move
laterally, Chatrier provides 21 feet to
maneuver , equivalent to Centre Court
(22 feet ) and Ashe Stadium (17 and 21
feet on either side ) but slightly smaller
than Laver (25 feet ).
This plentiful real estate is amplified on
clay, the slowest surface. More time and
more space means extra time to defend .
The upshot : Chatrier plays even more
generously than its physical attributes
might suggest.
“ It feels like there is a mile of open
court, ” said Mike Bryan, a two- time
French Open doubles champion with
twin brother Bob Bryan .
With the infrastructure for retractable
roofs overhead, Centre Court and Laver
Arena appear snugger, several players
said . On the flip side , the soaring
22 ,500 - seat Ashe Stadium — the largest
of the four Grand Slam show courts —
has a diminishing effect when it comes
to on - court visuals.
In contrast , Chatrier looks wider and
longer and can cause players to press.
“ Sometimes you overhit ,” said Cedric
Pioline , a 1998 French Open
semifinalist and former top- five player
from France .
Many players also say Chatrier is drier
and faster than Lenglen , the French
Open ’s second- biggest court , which is
built on top of a parking facility and
tends to retain moisture, which slows
the ball down .
The dehydrated surface helps Nadal’ s
biting topspin kick up more .
Others, including Nadal, say Chatrier is
breezy , much like the hulking Ashe at
the U. S . Open in Queens. That is
another potential advantage since
Nadal’s spiraling shots have more
margin when they cross the net.
“ Rafa is the best clay - court player ever
and this is the best court for him, ” said
retired Frenchman Fabrice Santoro ,
who does TV commenting and on - court
interviews at Roland Garros .
“ Everything is perfect for him. ”
As if that were not enough, no player is
more familiar with Chatrier than Nadal.
He has contested 55 of 70 matches at
Roland Garros there , or nearly 80
percent, including his sole defeat in
2009.
Sweden’ s Robin Soderling, playing a
high- risk brand of fireball tennis,
defeated Nadal in the fourth round that
year.
Second seeded Roger Federer , the 2009
champion , said it took him time to get
used to the abundant boundaries of
Chatrier. Even today , the offensive -
minded Swiss must remind himself to
stay forward .
“ It just felt like there is so much space
behind and on the sides that naturally
you have a tendency to go backwards, ”
he said . “ It ’s weird to explain . ”
Nadal, who will turn 29 on Wednesday ,
is expected back on his favorite court
just in time .
The Spaniard arrived in Paris last week
on the heels of his worst season on clay
since 2003 , two years before he won his
first French Open .
He failed to win a title on European dirt
and lost five times — more defeats than
the entire five - year period from 2006 to
2010.
But through three rounds here , he has
yet to drop a set , including Saturday ’ s
6 - 1 , 6 - 3 , 6 - 2 third - round thrashing of
Russia’s Andrey Kuznetsov — a match
he played on the cozier Lenglen .
Nadal called his play “ solid ” and
“ consistent” and seemed satisfied .
He can ’ t win forever, of course .
Kuerten, in town Saturday to promote
his new autobiography, said if Nadal
manages to capture a 10 th title, Chatrier
will be a factor .
“ Every single piece of sand of the court
matters,” Kuerten said .
PARIS – Nine - time French Open
champion Rafael Nadal is the King of
Clay for many reasons . His lasso - like
lefty forehand is one of the best ever.
His mental toughness is off the charts.
In the best- of - five set format, his
unyielding physicality sets him apart. In
Paris, he has another secret weapon:
real estate . No major show court plays
as spaciously as the French Open ’ s main
stadium, Court Philippe Chatrier, where
the Spaniard ’s defensive skills come to
life. “ It ’s like the Maracana,” said three-
time French Open champion Gustavo
Kuerten, drawing an analogy to the
giant Rio de Janeiro soccer stadium in
his native Brazil . That advantage could
be increasingly important in the week
ahead .
Nadal, coming off his shakiest clay - court
season in a decade , normally would
spend the rest of the tournament on
Chatrier, including Monday ’s fourth -
round meeting with 22 - year- old
American Jack Sock . Because of
Sunday’ s rain , which postponed several
matches, they are slated for the smaller
Court Suzanne Lenglen .
The extra space on Chatrier allows
Nadal to do what he does best : roam
several feet behind the baseline and dig
balls out of corners; return serve deep
in the court where he can take massive
swipes at the ball ; and generally make
offensive - minded players miserable.
“ For an opponent playing against Nadal
on Chatrier, it seems that you have to
put double as much effort than any
other court in the world, because it’s so
much space and it feels like you can ’ t
make a winner,” said No. 1 Novak
Djokovic, who could face No. 6 seed
Nadal in a blockbuster quarterfinal .
“ He’ s getting [to ] every single ball. ”
Nadal has lost just once in a decade at
Roland Garros , where he is 69 - 1 . In
best- of - five set matches on clay , he ’ s
92 - 1 .
It’ s no coincidence that he has been
most dominant here .
Nadal said Saturday that , were it his
choice , he would play every match on a
court that accentuates his instincts —
where he can slide further , scamper
longer and lace zingers from far behind
the baseline.
“ It’ s obvious that a big court helps a
little bit more my game and for the
opponent is a little bit more difficult to
attack , to see the clear winner, ” said
Nadal, who has won 14 majors.
Chatrier was built in 1928 to
accommodate the Davis Cup glory years
of France ’s Four Musketeers and was
renamed for an influential president of
the French Tennis Federation .
It is the smallest of the four Grand Slam
show courts; it holds 14 , 800 fans .
Around the edges separating the singles
lines from the stands — the region
where players can stretch , skim and
leap to track down balls — it more than
makes up for its lack of size (and no
small irony considering the scarce
elbow room around the overcrowded
grounds).
With 32 feet behind the baseline ,
Chatrier is more spacious than both
Wimbledon’s Centre Court and the U. S .
Open ’s Arthur Ashe Stadium (27 feet
each ). It is roughly the same as
Melbourne ’s Rod Laver Arena (32 and
33 feet at either end ).
At the sides, where players move
laterally, Chatrier provides 21 feet to
maneuver , equivalent to Centre Court
(22 feet ) and Ashe Stadium (17 and 21
feet on either side ) but slightly smaller
than Laver (25 feet ).
This plentiful real estate is amplified on
clay, the slowest surface. More time and
more space means extra time to defend .
The upshot : Chatrier plays even more
generously than its physical attributes
might suggest.
“ It feels like there is a mile of open
court, ” said Mike Bryan, a two- time
French Open doubles champion with
twin brother Bob Bryan .
With the infrastructure for retractable
roofs overhead, Centre Court and Laver
Arena appear snugger, several players
said . On the flip side , the soaring
22 ,500 - seat Ashe Stadium — the largest
of the four Grand Slam show courts —
has a diminishing effect when it comes
to on - court visuals.
In contrast , Chatrier looks wider and
longer and can cause players to press.
“ Sometimes you overhit ,” said Cedric
Pioline , a 1998 French Open
semifinalist and former top- five player
from France .
Many players also say Chatrier is drier
and faster than Lenglen , the French
Open ’s second- biggest court , which is
built on top of a parking facility and
tends to retain moisture, which slows
the ball down .
The dehydrated surface helps Nadal’ s
biting topspin kick up more .
Others, including Nadal, say Chatrier is
breezy , much like the hulking Ashe at
the U. S . Open in Queens. That is
another potential advantage since
Nadal’s spiraling shots have more
margin when they cross the net.
“ Rafa is the best clay - court player ever
and this is the best court for him, ” said
retired Frenchman Fabrice Santoro ,
who does TV commenting and on - court
interviews at Roland Garros .
“ Everything is perfect for him. ”
As if that were not enough, no player is
more familiar with Chatrier than Nadal.
He has contested 55 of 70 matches at
Roland Garros there , or nearly 80
percent, including his sole defeat in
2009.
Sweden’ s Robin Soderling, playing a
high- risk brand of fireball tennis,
defeated Nadal in the fourth round that
year.
Second seeded Roger Federer , the 2009
champion , said it took him time to get
used to the abundant boundaries of
Chatrier. Even today , the offensive -
minded Swiss must remind himself to
stay forward .
“ It just felt like there is so much space
behind and on the sides that naturally
you have a tendency to go backwards, ”
he said . “ It ’s weird to explain . ”
Nadal, who will turn 29 on Wednesday ,
is expected back on his favorite court
just in time .
The Spaniard arrived in Paris last week
on the heels of his worst season on clay
since 2003 , two years before he won his
first French Open .
He failed to win a title on European dirt
and lost five times — more defeats than
the entire five - year period from 2006 to
2010.
But through three rounds here , he has
yet to drop a set , including Saturday ’ s
6 - 1 , 6 - 3 , 6 - 2 third - round thrashing of
Russia’s Andrey Kuznetsov — a match
he played on the cozier Lenglen .
Nadal called his play “ solid ” and
“ consistent” and seemed satisfied .
He can ’ t win forever, of course .
Kuerten, in town Saturday to promote
his new autobiography, said if Nadal
manages to capture a 10 th title, Chatrier
will be a factor .
“ Every single piece of sand of the court
matters,” Kuerten said .
