Rafael Nadal took an early lead in his big showdown against Novak Djokovic before the Serb rebounded spectacularly.
Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal face off this morning in the quarterfinals of the French Open as the pair face off for the 59th time.
Nadal is looking for his 14th title at Roland Garros, while Djokovic is determined to match the Spaniard with a record 21 Grand Slam trophies.
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Most experts expected the winner of this match to face the sensational teenager Carlos Alcaraz in the semifinals, but the youngster was surprised by Alexander Zverev on Wednesday in the early hours, as the German got his first victory about one of the top 10 players in a major.
Nadal took a big hit by winning the first set 6-2, ending Djokovic’s 22-game winning streak, before the Serb reacted to the second set amid incredibly long games.
He won the second set 6-4 in a remarkable 84 minutes in what is becoming an absolute epic.
The trend continues in the third set
For the third time in the game, Nadal opened the scoring by breaking Djokovic’s serve.
After being shaken in the back half of the second set, the Spaniard regained his composure and went up 3-1 with the clock ticking around midnight local time.
Djokovic’s full thrust in the second set seemed to evaporate when Nadal roared into the game again with a double break for a 4-1 advantage as the temperature dropped considerably in the French capital.
Daily Mail tennis writer Mike Dickson tweeted: “All the people at the corporate lodges next to the blanket-covered court are starting to look like Eastbourne’s boardwalk in April.”
Tennis journalist Gasar Ribeiro Lanca also added: “Even when it is 20ºC during the day, the temperatures drop in the evening and the night sessions become cold and windy, which not only affects the public, but also the conditions. / match quality. They just don’t make sense in this tournament. “
Amazing drama as Djoker counterattacks
The second set started in the same way as the first, with a 13-minute marathon opening match that resulted in another Christmas break.
Djokovic let out a roar, the first real sign of visceral emotion we had seen today from the Serb, when he forced another two, but his opponent remained calm and closed his seventh chance to break 1-0. .
Nadal went up 2-0 and then secured a double break to march to a 3-0 lead, before Djokovic finally scored his own break and held on to the 2-3.
For the first time in the match, Djokovic seemed to be getting comfortable. He turned the big winner around 21 times, forcing the problem with thunderous landslides and gaining promotion.
A stunning 18-minute, 43-second game fell to Djokovic and all tied 3-3 after his second break of the set.
Djokovic let out a great roar in the change of ends after holding the service 4-3 as he returned. Incredibly, it took almost 30 minutes to complete two games, as the two players threw themselves all at each other.
It soon came to 5-4 and Djokovic kept his foot in the throat, breaking again to get the set 6-4 in 84 minutes.
‘Oh my’: Rafa fits Novak in the first set
Nadal broke Djokovic in a 10-minute marathon opening match, prompting fans to suggest they were on a long night in Paris.
The 35-year-old consolidated his position as he went 3-1 in the first set after almost half an hour.
Nadal continued to accumulate pain for his rival, breaking again and in the 40th minute he had advanced 5-1.
BBC commentator David Law told The Tennis Podcast that Christmas seemed ominous. “Looking at the stadium and there’s a disgusting noise from the way Nadal is hitting the ball tonight. That’s different. Scary. But also satisfying,” Law said.
Djokovic held on and showed a punch in the eighth game, but a bad setback gave Nadal a seven-point lead and he didn’t miss his chance, forcing another error that gave him the first 6-2 in the 49th minute. .
Djokovic had won 22 straight sets in today’s game, but this streak ended in the hands of his biggest rival.
Ironically, it was Djokovic fighting under the Parisian night sky. Nadal said before the match that he wanted his quarter-finals scheduled for the day, when he would prefer to play at Roland Garros, but tournament organizers rejected the request as a boost for Djokovic, who wanted to play at night because he knew that Christmas would not. I do not like it.
But the Serb was having more trouble adapting to the slower conditions, without having an impact with landslides that had no effervescence.
Stage set for a very successful clash
Djokovic has renewed his 16-year-old rivalry with Nadal at the French Open with a semi-final place in play and where the world number one victory could end the career of the 13-time Roland Garros champion.
Nadal, who turns 36 on Friday, holds his record of 109 wins and only three defeats in Paris since his title debut in 2005 against the reigning champion.
The Spaniard was taken to five sets for the third time in the tournament by 21-year-old Felix Auger-Aliassime in the fourth round.
Immediately after this victory, Nadal admitted that not only was this year’s French Open at stake, but possibly his entire playing future.
“I know my situation and I accept it,” said Nadal, who arrived in Paris without knowing if he could take part after suffering a recurrence of a chronic foot injury that has affected most of his career.
“I’m just enjoying being here one more year. And honestly, every game I play here, I don’t know if it will be my last at Roland Garros.”
In general, Djokovic has led Nadal 30-28 since his first meeting of his career at the 2006 French Open.
Nadal has a 19-8 lead over clay and has won seven of the pair’s nine matches in Paris.
Djokovic, however, prevailed in the Roland Garros semifinals in 2021 on his way to a second title.
That defeat meant a physical toll on Christmas, which then skipped Wimbledon, the Olympics, and the U.S. Open.
With Djokovic deported from Melbourne on the eve of the Australian Open, Nadal took the opportunity to claim the 21st Grand Slam title that set a record, breaking the tie with Djokovic and Roger Federer.
Djokovic has easily reached the round of 16. He has won 22 sets in a row, a career that goes back to his victory at the Italian Open in Rome.
“Playing Roland Garros at Christmas is always a physical battle,” Djokovic said.
Adding an extra twist was a battle of wills for the schedule that Nadal lost on Monday when organizers selected the quarterfinals for the night session under the Philippe Chatrier track lights.
“I don’t like to play on clay at night, because the humidity is higher, the ball is slower and there can be very heavy conditions, especially when it’s cold,” Nadal said.
Djokovic hinted that he would rather face Christmas as soon as possible. “All I will say is Rafa and he would make different requests,” he said. “But requests are not always accepted. The director of the tournament, along with the television, the stations, I think at the end of the day is the one who decides.”
Toni Nadal, the Spaniard’s uncle and former coach, has insisted that his nephew “will go to the limit”.
“The pain is tiring. Rafael participates because he thinks he has a chance to win, but with the pain the options are reduced and you can’t make an effort of this caliber every year,” Toni told Radio Estadio Noche.
“Every year it’s harder, but it will reach the limit, as usual.”
Iga Swiatek was on the side of Christmas when she was asked to describe the benefits of being world number one.
“Well, I really like it when I have a request about what time I want to play and they really listen to me. It’s okay,” said the Pole.
While Djokovic and Nadal are fighting in the top half of the draw, the bottom section has been wide open for the fourth round outings of runner-up Daniil Medvedev and number four Stefanos Tsitsipas, the 2021 runner-up.
As a result, one of the Holger Rune, Casper Ruud, Andrey Rublev or the 2014 U.S. Open champion Marin Cilic will reach the final on Sunday.
With AFP
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