Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer cross paths for the 39th time in their careers as they go head-to-head in the semifinal of the French Open on Friday.
The Spaniard and the Swiss have dropped just one set each so far in the tournament, the former against David Goffin in the third round and the latter against Stan Wawrinka in the quarter-finals.
However, Nadal remains the overwhelming favorite going into the game on the back of an incredible French Open record. The 33-year-old has won 91 of the 93 matches he's played at the Roland Garros since his debut in 2005.
Federer has beaten Nadal just twice on clay and has lost all five meetings against the Spaniard at the French Open, winning just four sets in the process.
According to Oddschecker, Nadal is 1/7 to reach the final, while Federer, who has returned to the French Open for the first time in four years, is 6/1.
The second semifinal, meanwhile, pits world number one Novak Djokovic against last year's runner-up, Austria's Dominic Thiem.
In the women's tournament, Marketa Vondrousova, an unseeded 19-year-old from the Czech Republic, takes on Britain's Johanna Konta, the world number 26.
In the other semifinal, Amanda Anisimova, the only American left in the tournament, faces Australia's Ashleigh Barty, the number eight seed.
Semifinals start time
The match between Federer and Nadal is expected to begin at 12:50 p.m. local time (6:50 a.m. ET) on Friday, June 7. Djokovic and Thiem, meanwhile, are due on court at 2:50 p.m. local time (8:50 a.m. ET).
The two semifinals in the women's tournament got underway at 11 a.m. local time (6 a.m. ET).
TV channel
The entire French Open is broadcast on Tennis Channel and NBC. The former will carry coverage of the semifinals from 6 a.m. ET until 2 p.m. ET, while NBC's coverage will begin at 11 a.m. ET and ends at 3 p.m. ET.
Live stream
A live stream is available throughout the tournament on NBCSports.com and via the NBC Sports app. Similarly, fuboTV will also offer live stream for every round of the French Open.
Odds
Nadal is a 1/7 favorite to beat Federer, with the Swiss a 6/1 outsider. Djokovic, a winner at the Roland Garros in 2016, is 8/15 to beat Thiem, who is a 19/10 outsider.
Nadal is an 8/11 favorite to win the tournament, while Djokovic is at 14/5 and Thiem and Federer are 9/1 and 20/1 respectively.
Among the women, Barty is a 28/17 favorite for the title, followed by Konta at 9/4. Vondrousova and Anisimova are 8/1 and 20/1 outsiders respectively.
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About the writer
Dan Cancian is currently a reporter for Newsweek based in London, England. Prior to joining Newsweek in January 2018, he ... Read more
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