French Open results: Rafael Nadal v Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev def Carlos Alcaraz
Rafael Nadal is through to the French Open semi-finals for the 15th time after ousting Novak Djokovic in a match which had tennis fans around the world in awe.
Rafael Nadal edged a late-night classic against old rival Novak Djokovic in the early hours of Wednesday in four sets to reach his 15th French Open semi-final.
The 13-time Roland Garros champion won the pair’s 59th career meeting 6-2, 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7/4) after a four-hour-and-12-minute quarter-final on a raucous Court Philippe Chatrier.
Nadal sealed his eighth victory in 10 French Open matches against last year’s winner Djokovic at 1:16 am local time to set up a last-four clash with third seed Alexander Zverev on Friday.
“I’m very emotional. For me it’s incredible to play here,” said Nadal.
“Playing against him is always an amazing challenge … To win against Novak, there is only one way, to play your best from the first point until the last.”
The 35-year-old has lost just three of his 113 matches on the Paris clay since his 2005 title-winning debut and now only trails Djokovic 30-29 in their career head-to-head.
The Spaniard, seeded fifth, remains on course for a record-extending 22nd Grand Slam title after lifting this year’s Australian Open, which Djokovic missed after being deported from the country over his Covid vaccination status.
Djokovic overturned a double-break deficit to take an 88-minute second set and missed two set points when serving for the fourth to force a decider.
The world number one will rue those missed chances while he waits until Wimbledon for his next opportunity to take his Slam tally to 21.
“Congratulations to Rafa, he was better in the important moments,” said Djokovic.
“He showed why he was a great champion. Well done to him and his team, he deserves it.” Nadal was a slight underdog heading into the match after being taken to five sets in the previous round by Felix Auger-Aliassime and he had even hinted it could be his last appearance in Paris due to a persistent foot injury.
The colder, slower conditions of the night session were also expected to favour Djokovic.
But the ‘King of clay’ smashed 57 winners in a trademark performance to delight the crowd as he gained revenge for his semi-final loss to the same opponent 12 months ago.
The spectators quickly realised they were not going to be disappointed, as Nadal broke in a bruising 10-minute opening game before saving two break points to open a 3-1 lead.
A crushing forehand winner in the fifth game gave Nadal a double break and he went on to serve out the opener with relative ease, ending his opponent’s winning run of 22 sets.
The first game of the second set was even longer than the first, but the result was the same as Nadal took his sixth break point.
A string of unforced errors from Djokovic and Nadal’s cute winner at the net saw the reigning champion a double break behind again.
Djokovic finally took a break point for the first time when Nadal netted a drop shot, before winning another gruelling return game — in which Nadal was given a warning for a time violation — on his fifth break point to level the set.
Opportunities came and went for both players, but Nadal fired long as Djokovic took his second set point in the 10th game.
Nadal came out fighting though and broke, to love, in the first game for the third successive set.
Djokovic saw another break point come and go before giving up his own serve again to slip 4-1 adrift.
Nadal served out for a two-sets-to-one lead in game eight as Djokovic blazed wide on the second set point, with the clock ticking past midnight and shivering fans reaching for blankets to keep warm.
Djokovic missed a simple shot early in the fourth set and lashed out at the net in frustration, drawing deafening boos from the crowd.
The top seed immediately refocused though and broke serve for a 2-0 lead when a hotly-contested line call went in his favour.
Djokovic had the chance to send the match into a decider on his own serve. But Nadal saved two set points before gobbling up a second break point with a trademark forehand winner.
Nadal made a rapid start to the crucial tie-break to race into a 6-1 advantage. Djokovic managed to save three of the match points, but Nadal got over the line at the fourth time of asking.
RIDICULOUS @DjokerNole 🎾 @RafaelNadal#RolandGarros
— David de Gea (@D_DeGea) May 31, 2022
If only this was the decider. Could be the most ill-fitting quarter final in tennis history. Freaks. #RolandGarros
— Daniel Garb (@DanielGarb) May 31, 2022
It's incredible that Nadal and Djokovic first played each other at the French Open quarterfinals SIXTEEN years ago.
— Lachlan McKirdy (@LMcKirdy7) May 31, 2022
And we're still lucky enough to see them put on a four-hour classic at #RolandGarros again, all these years later. #NadalDjokovic
And the seasons have changed https://t.co/ayG8cjpiSy
— Darren Parkin (@Darren_Parkin) May 31, 2022
TENNIS’ NEW KING CRUSHED IN FOUR SETS
Alexander Zverev beat Carlos Alcaraz in a dramatic four-set clash on Tuesday to secure a French Open semi-final meeting with either Novak Djokovic or Rafael Nadal.
Earlier, the German third seed claimed a 6-4, 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (9/7) victory over 19-year-old Spanish sensation Alcaraz after three hours and 18 minutes.
Zverev moved into his second straight last-four match at Roland Garros with his first-ever Grand Slam win over a top-10 player.
“I hope I can win it before he starts beating us all and we have no chance,” said Zverev.
“The match was swinging his way. I’m extremely happy to win the tie-break.”
The 2020 US Open runner-up will face either world number one Djokovic or 13-time champion Nadal — who meet later Tuesday — in the semis on Friday.
Alcaraz has won four titles this year, including two Masters 1,000 events, but made 56 unforced errors as he missed the chance to reach a first major semi-final.
Instead, Olympic champion Zverev reached the last four at a Slam for the fifth time in his career to maintain his bid for a maiden title at one of the sport’s four biggest events.
It also gave him a measure of revenge for the heavy defeat he suffered against Alcaraz in the Madrid Masters final earlier this month.
Alcaraz delighted the Court Philippe Chatrier crowd with a rally to take the third set.
A dramatic fourth set saw Zverev miss a chance to serve out the tie, but he sealed victory on his second match point in the tie-break.
Alcaraz paid for making 16 unforced errors as Zverev took the opener thanks to the only break in game five.
It was the world number three who drew first blood in the second set too, as Alcaraz netted on a second break point in the seventh game, before a confident hold to love gave Zverev a 5-3 advantage.
Alcaraz managed to lift himself for an attack on Zverev’s next service game, but the German saved a break opportunity and managed to close it out for a two-set buffer on his third set point with an ace.
The crowd tried to lift Alcaraz as he started his attempt to come back from two sets down and win for the first time in his young career.
He did improve slightly and held his first four service games without trouble, before digging deep to save a break point in the ninth game of the third set to edge 5-4 in front.
That brush with the exit door energised the youngster, and he quickly brought up two set points with a brilliant passing shot.
He needed just one to force a fourth set, breaking Zverev for the first time as the 25-year-old prodded wide.
Alcaraz looked the more likely to make a breakthrough for much of the next set, but Zverev, aided by one incredible backhand, made a move in the ninth game when his opponent double-faulted on a second break point.
But Zverev failed to serve out the match, as Alcaraz hammered a magnificent return into the corner and then whipped away a backhand to break straight back.
A tie-break of the highest quality ensued, with both players hitting a series of breathtaking winners.
A stunning backhand up the line gave Alcaraz the first set point, but he mis-hit into the net.
Zverev netted on his first match point but quickly brought up a second, which he took with a thunderous backhand return.
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It was all magical. And it’s all over now. Rafael Nadal has bid farewell after losing in the Davis Cup at home in Spain. I’m so sad. Fed’s gone, and now Rafa’s gone, and they ain’t ever coming back.
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