French Open Day 12: Djokovic flirts with DQ, Serena scrapes through

They may have been foul, but at least the elements have been consistent in Paris this last couple of weeks, washing the red dirt of Roland Garros nigh on clean. Yesterday the weather gods threw a new spanner in the works, vanishing the Parisian sunshine and welcoming in the frigid cold. Needless to say, the show went on and (after much labouring) the semifinals are set.

It’s a Djokovic v Thiem SF:
After so many withdrawals, we can actually look forward to an exciting semifinal in the top half of the draw. Novak Djokovic will take on the in-form Dominic Thiem for a spot in the Roland Garros final.

But while Djokovic’s 6-3 7-5 6-3 win over Tomas Berdych may look like a relatively straightforward affair, it masks the story that the tennis world is talking about. Because in a moment of madness, Djokovic nearly managed to get himself disqualified.

In the midst of the second set, the World No.1 flung his racquet in frustration after Berdych had the audacity to break him back. The problem was he accidentally flung it in the direction of a line judge. The line judge obligingly jumped out of the way and Djokovic escaped with a code violation (and the jeers of the Chatrier crowd). Had the racquet made contact, it could have signalled the end of his tournament.

“I threw a racquet on the ground and it slipped and almost hit the line umpire,” Djokovic said after the match. “I was lucky there. That’s all.”

In comparison, Dominic Thiem v David Goffin was a relatively mild-mannered affair. Sure, there were ups and downs and the occasional bursts of frustration, but in the end Thiem battled past the plucky Belgian to take a 4-6 7-6(7) 6-4 6-1 win and earn a spot in his first Grand Slam semifinal.

Serena scrapes through, Bertens marches on:
If Plan A fails revert to Plan B. And if Plan B isn’t working for you, make sure you have a Plan C. The best in the business can always conjure something up when it matters, and Serena Williams managed to do that against Yulia Putintseva yesterday.

Trailing by a set and a break, the World No.1 looked to be in dire straits as she splayed balls all over Chatrier. But over the years we’ve learned never to rule Serena out, and this quarterfinal proved why.

As Serena found her range and Putintseva struggled to close out the biggest win of her career, the momentum began to turn. Soon, the tide was well and truly in the top seed’s favour, and she swept the underdog aside 5-7 6-4 6-1.

“I just kept hitting balls out. I just wasn’t firing the way I wanted to,” a relieved Serena said after the match. “I definitely knew I needed to do something different if I was going to stay in the tournament. Honestly, at one point I didn’t see the light at the end of the tunnel.”

On the other side of the draw Kiki Bertens continued her miraculous run into a maiden Slam semifinal, dismantling an in-form Timea Bacsinszky 7-5 6-2.

Ones to watch:
Grab the popcorn and settle in because Andy Murray v Stan Wawrinka should be a cracker today. Both men are playing well and both fancy their chances in this tournament. Murray leads the H2H with Wawrinka 8-7, but Wawrinka has won both of the matches they have played on clay.

On the women’s side, Serena Williams v Kiki Bertens will go one of two ways: either Kiki will choke and Serena will romp; or Kiki will come out all guns blazing and Serena will have to fight. We’ll hope for the latter but presume the former.

Stosur v Muguruza is a tough one to call. The form book (and seedings) suggest Muguruza should find a way into the Final, but Stosur is hitting clean and playing confidently so anything is possible.