French Open Day 12 - Halep vs. Stephens: A Final Clash Of Brilliant Players & Different Personalities; How Much Is Nadal Feeling The Pressure?; Weather Crucial As Weekend Approaches.

Simona Halep has lost all three of her Grand Slam finals. Will she make it fourth time lucky on Saturday at Roland Garros when she faces Sloane Stephens? On the Tennis Podcast, Catherine and David discuss how both players got there, marvelling at the way in which they handled their big-hitting opponents with relative ease in Thursday’s semi-finals. Halep put up an impenetrable wall to defeat Garbiñe Muguruza in surprisingly straightforward fashion. Why was it not the blockbuster we were expecting? Stephens, meanwhile, continued her serene dominance over Madison Keys. Halep vs. Stephens will be an intriguing clash between two players with similar game-styles, but very different personalities. Who will the crowd be supporting? As the preview for that match develops, there’s plenty of praise for the way Halep exhibits her human side, while Catherine brings Stephens’ developing relationship with the media into focus. Who will win? David believes Halep will break her Grand Slam duck eventually. But Catherine wonders how Stephens can possibly be beaten in this form. On the men’s side, Rafael Nadal was firing on all cylinders on Thursday to quash any remaining threat posed by Diego Schwartzman. But is the pressure of having everything to lose affecting him? Can Del Potro challenge Nadal in the semi-finals? He certainly has the weapons, but how much does he have left in the tank after a physical 4-setter against Cilic? David says fatigue shouldn’t be a problem. Instead, the biggest factor could be the weather. The other men’s semi-final features Dominic Thiem and Marco Cecchinato. Above all else, there’s hope that it will display the single-handed backhand in all its glory. There will be daily editions of The Tennis Podcast throughout the French Open, in association with Telegraph Sport. It is presented by Catherine Whitaker (Eurosport) and David Law (BBC 5 Live, BT Sport Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.