French Open final 2012: Why Rafa Nadal will beat Novak Djokovic
The Tipster is backing Rafael Nadal to win his seventh French Open crown in the final against Novak Djokovic on Sunday
Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal meet in the French Open final on Sunday, and the Tipster is backing the Spaniard to triumph in what should be a thrilling match between the world’s top two players.
Nadal will be aiming to surpass Björn Borg’s record and win a seventh Roland Garros title, while his Serbian opponent is hoping to become the first player to hold all four Majors simultaneously since Rod Laver in 1969.
Djokovic has shown remarkable resilience throughout the last fortnight to battle his way to the showpiece in Paris, coming from two sets down against Andreas Seppi in the last 16, before saving four match points in a pulsating quarter-final clash with Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
And the 25-year-old world No1 showcased his remarkable ability on clay with a thoroughly comprehensive performance against 16-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer on Friday – and he will provide a stern test to Nadal.
The pair have met in four previous Grand Slam showpieces and in 2011′s Wimbledon and US Open finals, Djokovic won the first set on his way to victory.
Nadal, despite being in imperious form over the last fortnight, has looked at his weakest in the early part of matches, having to save break points early on against David Ferrer in the semi-final, and being taken to a tie-break in the first set by Nicolas Alamagro.
Djokovic will be acutely aware of how important it is to make a strong start if he stands any chance of upsetting Nadal in his favourite hunting ground, so the Serb to win the first set is a great price at odds of 7/4 at bet365.
Overall, Nadal holds the edge over Djokovic in terms of past meetings at Majors and ATP tour events, with 18 victories. The 26-year-old is a veteran of the orange courts, and holds a vastly superior record on clay – 11-2 in his favour.
Djokovic is worth a punt to win the first set but go on to lose his first French Open final at very tempting odds of 7/2.
The world No2 has won three titles in 2012, all on clay in Monte Carlo, Barcelona and Rome. Djokovic has proven his heroic battling qualities throughout the tournament, and over the past year, but beating Nadal on clay in the French Open final will be one challenge too many.
Nadal to eclipse Bjorg’s record in the final, and win in four sets on Sunday is fantastic value at 5/2. 
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