Nadal crushes Federer to reach 12th French Open final
Paris: Rafael Nadal reached the French Open final for the third time in a row, and a record extending 12th overall, with a straight set win over arch-rival Roger Federer, here on Friday.
The Spaniard beat the Swiss legend 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 at the Philippe-Chatrier Court in the 39th meeting between the two stalwarts.
While Federer was playing the French Open for the first time since the 2015 edition, it was Nadal who re-established himself as the best player in the world on clay court after a brief slump due to injuries.
The 11-time champion will now face either world No. 1 Novak Djokovic or Austrian fourth seed Dominic Thiem who will clash in the other semifinal later in the day.
It was a windy day in Paris and despite water being poured on the court to keep the clay down, the wind kept kicking up the dust. Nadal raced to a 3-0 lead in the first set before Federer fought back with a hold and a break to make it 3-2. Nadal responded by breaking back and then went on to win the next two games to pocket the set.
Federer took a 2-0 lead in the second set as Nadal struggled to adjust to the dust that was being blown due to the wind, but soon levelled up the set. It was an even contest until 4-4 before Nadal broke Federer and then served out the set.
The third was a more one-sided affair, although Federer did initially take a 1-0 lead. His next win in the set, however, came only to delay Nadal's victory as the Swiss held his serve at 5-2. Nadal eventually served for the match and raised his arms to soak in the applause from the crowd at the Philippe-Chatrier Court.
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Two women die as speeding truck runs over them in Bengaluru
Bengaluru, Jan 4: Two women died on the spot after a speeding Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) truck allegedly knocked down their two-wheeler and ran over them on Saturday, police said.
The deceased, identified as sisters, were aged 30 and 36, they added.
According to the police, the incident occurred at around 11.20 am when the BBMP garbage truck hit the two-wheeler from behind. The two women fell from the vehicle and came under the truck's wheels, resulting in their instant death.
The accused driver of the BBMP truck has been detained and taken into police custody, a senior police officer said.
"Based on a complaint, a case will be registered under Section 106(1) (causing death by negligence) and Section 281 (rash driving or riding on a public way) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita," the police said, adding that further investigation into the matter is underway.
