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Rafael Nadal has beaten world No.1 and 2021 champion Novak Djokovic 6-2 4-6 6-2 7-6 (7-4) to reach the semi-finals of the French Open.
The 13-time Roland Garros winner needed more than four hours to move one step closer to his record-extending 22nd major, and will meet Alexander Zverev for a place in Sunday’s final.
Earlier, Zverev beat a fellow top-10 player in a grand slam for the first time in a dozen attempts, overcoming Spanish teenager Carlos Alcaraz.
The world No.3 won their pulsating quarter-final 6-4 6-4 4-6 7-6 (9-7) in three hours 18 minutes.
The match between Nadal and Djokovic began a little past 9pm Paris time on Tuesday night and concluded 12 minutes after 1am Wednesday.
Nadal ended the top-seeded Djokovic’s bid for a second consecutive title at the French Open and made sure the Serb remains behind him in the grand slam count with 20.
Having already survived a five-set thriller against Canadian Felix Auger Aliassime in the previous round, Nadal, backed by a partisan crowd, found the resources to end it in four sets despite being a break down in the fourth.
The Spaniard, who turns 36 on Friday, improved to 110-3 all-time at Roland Garros. Two of those losses came against Djokovic, including in last year’s semi-finals.
This showdown was the 59th of their careers, more than any other two men have played each other in the Open era. Nadal narrowed Djokovic’s lead to 30-29.
German Zverev raced to a two-set lead with Alcaraz, also on Court Philippe-Chatrier, making a string of unforced errors. But then the sun dipped behind the stands and the 19-year-old woke up, taking the third and holding set point in a gripping fourth-set tiebreak.
Zverev, however, saved that point before winning on his second match point.
“I knew I had to play my best all match,” Zverev, who lost to Stefanos Tsitsipas in the 2021 semi-final, said.
“I am extremely happy I won the tiebreak. The match was turning his way. I told him at the net he will win this tournament. I hope I can win it before he starts beating us all.”
The result ended the Spaniard’s 14-match unbeaten streak and left him to reflect on how to do better next time.
“The difference between the other tournaments and a grand slam, you have time to come back,” Alcaraz, who also reached the US Open quarter-finals last year, said.
“But at the same time it is tougher, because is tough to keep the focus, keep the level during three, four, five hours in a grand slam. I would say that’s the difference.
“I have to take the lesson. I mean, I have to improve to the next grand slam or next matches. But I would say I’m not far away to reach a semi-final or be able to win a grand slam.”
© AAP
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