Djokovic is 30-29 ahead in the clash between the two greats, but Nadal leads 20-8 on clay. Dates: 22 May-5 June Venue: Roland Garros, Paris Displays: Live and radio commentary on selected matches on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra, the BBC Sport website and app
Rafael Nadal has once again demonstrated why he is the greatest player in the history of the French Open, defeating longtime rival Novak Djokovic in a late night thriller to reach the men’s singles semifinals.
Nadal, who won the 14th title, started superbly and overcame the resistance of defending champion Djokovic to win 6-2 4-6 6-2 7-6 (7-4) at Roland Garros.
Nadal secured victory at 1:15 local time after more than four hours on the court.
The 21-time Grand Slam winner now faces third-placed Alexander Zverev on Friday.
The 25-year-old German Zverev reached the semifinals for the second year in a row after surviving the battle of teen sensation Carlos Alcaras earlier Tuesday.
“There is only one way to win against Novak: to play best from the first point to the last,” said Nadal, 35, who thanked the Paris audience for showing his “love”.
“It’s one of those magical nights for me.”
The victory for the fifth-placed Nadal avenged his semi-final defeat by Djokovic last year and extended his all-time record at Roland Garros to 110 wins in 113 games.
The rivalry between the pair is the most enduring in men’s tennis, with Nadal winning their 59th match, seeing him reduce the gap to 30-29 in the match.
“Nadal showed why he is a great champion and remained mentally healthy. “Without a doubt, he deserves it,” Djokovic said.
“He was the better player in the important moments, he started well and I didn’t start so well.
“I gained momentum in the second set and I thought I was back in the game. But he managed to take his tennis to another level.”
Analysis
BBC tennis correspondent Russell Fuller
It was a captivating, captivating match with some ferocious blows, as well as human weakness.
The plot twists were numerous and shocking: especially Djokovic faded in the fourth set, which he had led 5-2.
Maybe the lack of intense matches costs him. He still missed the Australian Open, Indian Wells and Miami and had not played a game longer than three sets since the US Open semifinals in September.
Nadal’s 29th victory over Djokovic will only be truly significant if he continues to win his 22nd Grand Slam title. And don’t think for a moment that formality now, even with Djokovic and Alcaraz, is out of the lot.
The 35-year-old has spent eight and a half hours on the court in his last two games and will be grateful for an extra day off before Friday’s semi-final.
The quick start pays dividends for Nadal
In front of the adoring audience, Nadal won another memorable victory on the court, where he enjoyed the greatest successes of his career.
At the end of last year, the Spaniard thought he would have to retire due to a chronic foot problem and was hampered by the problem of the Italian Open earlier this month.
A broken rib from stress also led him to miss two months of the season shortly after his record 21st big win at the Australian Open.
Although he turned 36 later this week and needed five sets to beat Canadian Felix Auger-Aliasime on Sunday, he delved into his physical and mental reserves to beat top-ranked Djokovic.
Nadal rocked Djokovic in quick starts in both Roland Garros matches in 2020 and 2021, and although those matches ended in different conclusions, he decided to do the same this time.
The left-hander played superbly in the first set, nailing Djokovic back to the court and punishing him with hissing forehand winners.
Nadal used two of his four breakout opportunities while saving both of Djokovic to win a 50-minute starting set.
Achieving 12 winners compared to six unforced errors was in stark contrast to his slow start in the previous round against Auger-Aliasim.
This set the stage for Nadal to continue to reach the record 15th semifinals of Roland Garros.
“It was an emotional night and I still play nights like tonight,” said Nadal, who scored 7 of 17 break points and saved 8 of Djokovic’s 12.
“But this is only a quarterfinal and I have another semifinal. I will stay emotionally stable and prepare for the semifinals.”
Djokovic cannot take the risk
While Nadal had fitness problems, Djokovic’s season was suspended because he was not allowed to play in the Australian Open and tournaments in the United States because he was not vaccinated against Covid-19.
The 20-time Grand Slam champion seemed to be heading for top form, winning the title in Rome and then not missing a set at Roland Garros, heading to the quarterfinals.
Many thought that playing the match in the colder night conditions would also benefit the Serb.
Maintaining his heavenly level proved to be a problem for Nadal against Djokovic in last year’s semifinals, but the Spaniard tried again and took a 3-0 lead in the second set.
As temperatures began to drop, Djokovic warmed up and fought to a 3-3 level after a sixth game that lasted almost 19 minutes.
The long games with a few routine delays continued and the set eventually turned in Djokovic’s favor when Nadal hit a long forehand in the second set point.
“He was the better player in the important moments, he started well and I didn’t start so well,” said Djokovic.
“I gained momentum in the second set and I thought I was back in the game. But he managed to take his tennis to another level.”
Nadal fell out of love at the start of the third set and took a 4-1 lead when Djokovic’s double fault was followed by the Serb pulling a wide backhand from a cross.
This was Nadal’s sixth break in Djokovic’s serve of 15 chances and he served for an advantage of two sets to one with few problems.
Although the weather in Paris was midnight and temperatures dropped to about 10 degrees, few fans decided to leave and many of those who remained were wrapped in blankets.
Djokovic broke for a 2-0 lead early in the fourth, but missed two set points in a 5-3 serve and was penalized when Nadal scored a cross-forehand winner to return the set to serve.
Most of the 15,000-strong audience backed Nadal, and their patience was rewarded as he dominated the tie-break to win a stunning victory.
Nadal took a 6-1 lead at the break and took his fourth match point with a backhand strike on the line before absorbing the cheering Chariter’s confession.
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