2013 French Open: Rafael Nadal to face David Ferrer in final

Zee Media Bureau

Paris: Rafael Nadal will face compatriot David Ferrer in the final of the 2013 French Open as he bids for a record eight title at Roland Garros on Sunday. The 27-year-old defending champion defeated Novak Djokovic in a gruelling five-set thriller on Friday to book a place in the final. On the other hand, Ferrer faced no such resistance from Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and after 41 previous attempts, finally made it to the final of a Grand Slam event. Ferrer has met Nadal 23 times before out of which he has emerged victorious in only four. He first met Nadal way back in 2004 when he won the first of his four matches. The statistics aren’t in the favour of the 31-year-old who hasn’t dropped a set in the tournament this year. However, Nadal believes that taking Ferrer lightly will only spell trouble. “He`s a player that if you are not playing perfect, you will be in big, big trouble. He didn`t lose a set during the whole tournament, so he`s a player that brings you to the limit," Nadal was quoted as saying in media reports. Nadal, till date, has only been defeated by Robin Soderling at Roland Garros. He has just one defeat in 59 matches. Ferrer knows the enormity of the task he faces on Sunday. "Defeating Rafa is very difficult on any surface; it`s even worse on clay. But once again, I`m going to try to play a beautiful match," he said.