It(***)s the business end of the tournament at Roland Garros [GALLO/GETTY]
Published On 5 Jun 20115 Jun 2011
All eyes are on Serbian Novak Djokovic. The second-seed is on a 41 match-winning streak since the start of the year, just one behind John McEnroe(***)s 1984 record. He(***)ll need to lift the trophy to break the record [GALLO/GETTY]
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Djokovic was awarded a free pass into the semis after the retirement of quarter-final opponent Fognini, and now faces Roger Federer in a mouth-watering match-up, after the Swiss legend overpowered local favourite Gael Monfils [GALLO/GETTY]
Rafael Nadal improved his record at Roland Garros to 43-1, setting up a semi-final clash with Andy Murray after beating Robin Soderling. The five-time champion is on course to equal Bjorn Borg(***)s record of six titles on the Parisian clay [AFP]
Murray downed Argentina(***)s Juan Ignacio Chela to move one step closer to a fourth Grand Slam final. The Scot has lost all three of his previous shots at a major prize [GALLO/GETTY]
The women(***)s draw has descended into disarray. For only the third time in the Open era, none of the top three seeds have reached the quarters. That last happened at Wimbledon three years ago and then before that in the Australian Open in 1997 [GALLO/GETTY]
Top seed Caroline Wozniacki lasted until the third round, imploding against the 28th seed, Daniela Hantuchova. Second seed Kim Clijsters, departed in the second round and Pavlyuchenkova, the 15th seed, put out the third seed, Vera Zvonereva [GALLO/GETTY]
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Li Na was on the verge of becoming the first Chinese player into the Roland Garros final as she took on Maria Sharapova [GALLO/GETTY]
Former world number one Sharapova faced a longer wait to resurrect her once-stellar career as she went down 6-4, 7-5 to Li [GALLO/GETTY]
Defending champion Francesca Schiavone had a scare in the quarters against Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova but hit back from a first-set capitulation to face Marion Bartoli in the semis [GALLO/GETTY]
And first to book his spot in the final is Nadal who overpowered Murray 6-4, 7-5, 6-4. Not a bad way to celebrate his 25th birthday [AFP]
And he(***)ll face 16-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer who ended Novak Djokovic(***)s 41-match winning streak with a 7-6 6-3 3-6 7-6 [AFP]
And the winners are ... Li Na beats Schiavone 64, 7-6 (7-0) to become the first player from an Asian nation to win a Grand Slam singles title [EPA]
And Rafael Nadal overpowers crowd favourite Roger Federer in an exhilarating final 7-5, 7-6 (7/3), 5-7, 6-1 as Nadal equals Bjorn Borg(***)s record of six French Open titles [AFP]
