The French Open continues today for Day 5 at Roland Garros in Paris. Today, No. 3 ranked Rafael Nadal continues his march toward what he hopes will be his eighth French Open title. He squares off against Martin Klizan of Slovakia, in a match that can be live streamed here for free.
Nadal is utterly dominant on the French Open clay. He has won the past three French Opens, and has notched seven victories in the last eight tournaments. The only man to have beaten him on the famed clay is Roger Federer in 2009, a man many consider to be the greatest men's tennis player of all-time.
Klizan, who turned pro in 2007, has some experience on the various Grand Slam stages and did reasonably well in 2012. Last year, Klizan reached the second round of both the French Open and Wimbledon, before advancing all the way to the fourth round of the U.S. Open.
Klizan, however, faces a very tall task in trying to conquer one of the world's best in Nadal on his favorite court. Klizan's best hope is that Nadal is looking ahead to a potential semifinal reunion with Novak Djokovic, who enters this tournament with the top ranking in the men's singles field.
Nadal topped Djokovic in last year's French Open, and Djokovic is on record as saying this is the tournament he yearns most to win this year. A French Open victory for Djokovic would complete a career Grand Slam for the world's No. 1, but for each player to reach that point they must focus on the tasks in front of them, not ahead.
In the first round, Nadal may have been caught looking ahead, as he found himself in a tricky spot against Daniel Brands. Brands shockingly took the first set from Nadal, and had him on the ropes in the second set before Nadal rallied, recovered, and took control as the match wore on.
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