| 2008 French Open: Rafael Nadal vs Niclos Almagro |
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| Written by Scott Burgess | |||||||
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Monday, 02 June 2008
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 Spaniard Rafael Nadal and Spaniard Niclos Almagro will meet up in the Quarter Finals of the French Open on Tuesday June 3. Nadal, who is 25-0 at Roland Garos will face his opponent who makes his first Grand Slam Quarter Final apperance. Oddsmakers at BodogLife.com have Rafael Nadal as -2500 moneyline fav over Niclos Almagro who is listed as +900 underdog. Get your Rafael Nadal vs Niclos Almagro Prediction in now at BodogLife.comNadal cruised through fellow countryman Fernando Verdasco 6-1, 6-0, 6-2, on Sunday, in one hour and 45 minutes. Nadal barely had to break a sweat. They had to wait through two rain delays as Nadal beat Verdasco for the second time. When asked about the routine victory, Nadal said, "It's always a surprise, 6-1, 6-0, 6-2, in the fourth round of a Grand Slam. It is not usually. But I played a lot better today, better than last days. The day off from yesterday and one hour and a half practice helped me a little bit, and I feel the ball better." Nadal has lost 22 games in his last four matches at Roland Garos as his clay court record improves to 112-2. Nadal’s thoughts on his opponent "He is one of the toughest opponents on clay in this moment, for sure, no?" said Nadal. "He won in Brazil; he won in Acapulco; played the final in Valencia. He is probably going to be my toughest match this week, no?" Nadal is 2-0 against Almagro. Almagro will make his first Quarter Final appearance after he beat Frenchman Jeremy Chardy 7-6, 7-6, 7-5. Chardy knocked off No.6 seeded David Nalbandian and No. 30 Dmitry Tursunov, so you know he has game. He game back from behind in every tie breaker during this pressure filled match. He served 19 aces and he saved six of seven break points. Almagro says he is a better player because of the experience he has gained. "I think the major difference compared to before is that I am more mature, I'm calmer on the court, and I think this is something you noticed today. I mean, the atmosphere was not in my favor, and that was not always nice. They were making a lot of noise, and I don't know if that was for any specific reason. But I managed to remain very cool, very calm at all stages." Almagro leads the ATP circuit this season with a 29-5 match record on clay. He has ATP titles in Costa do Sauipe and Acapulco during the Latin American clay court circuit. He also reached the final in Valencia only to lose to Ferrer. 2008 French Open: Rafael Nadal vs Niclos Almagro When: Tue, June 3, 2008 5:00 AM ET Line: BodogLife.com Pick: Nadal -2500 The Bottom Line: Nadal is always the favorite on clay, 112-2 record says it all. But his opponent, Almagro, might be the only other player, besides Federer, who can knock out Nadal. Get your Rafael Nadal vs Niclos Almagro Prediction in now at BodogLife.com                        |
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