Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner will battle for a spot in the French Open final.
On Friday the pair will compete for the ninth time on the ATP Tour, and their head-to-head rivalry is locked at four wins apiece.
They are set to face one another for the first time at Roland Garros and for just the second time on a clay court.
The Italian has yet to drop a set at the French Open this year and neither has the 24-time Grand Slam champion, so something has got to give when they collide in the semi-finals.
Jim Courier says what he expects to see from Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner’s French Open semi-final
Jannik Sinner’s playing style has often been compared to that of Novak Djokovic.
He is able to stay incredibly consistent from the baseline and he makes changing the pace and direction of a rally look incredibly easy.
Sinner’s game does not exactly possess the flair of someone like Carlos Alcaraz, much like Djokovic in comparison to Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. But they constantly apply pressure to their opponents by staying incredibly solid, and choosing to attack at the right moments.
Assessing their upcoming match, Jim Courier expects many consistent and intense rallies, with Sinner looking to be more offensive when he can.
“We know that Novak is famous for his lockdown mode, where he doesn’t miss,” the American told TNT Sports.
“He puts up a wall of defence, almost always famously in the tie-breakers. But Jannik Sinner has developed his game to be knockdown mode.
“So, it’s knockdown v lockdown. Both of them can play offence, both of them can play defence, but it’s more innate for Sinner to play offensively.
“Djokovic came onto the tour and developed his offence; Sinner, I think, has been more offensive minded from the jump.”
Mats Wilander says what Novak Djokovic must do to beat Jannik Sinner
Though Djokovic and Sinner have both beaten each other four times, Sinner currently has the upper hand in their rivalry.
The World number one has claimed four of their last five meetings, including the last three at the Davis Cup, Australian Open and Shanghai Masters.
As a result, Sinner may head into the French Open semi-final as the slight favourite in the eyes of many. But for Djokovic to have the best chance of winning, Mats Wilander has outlined what he needs to do against Sinner on Friday.
“He will have to find a different level, I think, a different game, maybe two. You have to mix it up against Jannik Sinner, but I think that is a level up,” the Swede said.
“Sinner plays a little bit faster than Zverev, he’s more confident, he moves better. I think he even has a better feeling, but he doesn’t serve as well.”
Receive exclusive tennis news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
