In a match that Rafael Nadal had warned might be his last at the French Open, he dispatched longtime rival Novak Djokovic to reach the semifinals, two match wins from a record-extending 14th Roland Garros title.
Nadal, who turns 36 on Friday, ousted the top-ranked Serb 6-2, 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 (4) in a night match that ended after 1 a.m. in Paris. In Friday’s semifinals, he gets No. 3 seed Alexander Zverev, who upset Nadal’s 19-year-old countryman Carlos Alcaraz 6-4, 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (7).
The Nadal-Zverev winner will likely be the favorite in Sunday’s final given the top two seeds in the other half of the draw lost in the round of 16.
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After Alcaraz was eliminated, it became clear that the Nadal-Djokovic winner would become the clear title favorite. Nadal narrowed the margin in their rivalry — the most prolific in men’s tennis history in the Open Era — to 30-29 in favor of Djokovic.
Nadal, though he won the Australian Open in January in Djokovic’s absence, came into this tournament as an underdog behind Djokovic and Alcaraz.
A foot injury that first bothered him in 2005 — when he won his first French Open title at age 19 — has become an increasing problem and impacted his lead-up to Roland Garros. He failed to win a clay-court tournament before coming to Paris for the first time in his career (not counting COVID-affected 2020).
Nadal also needed five sets, four hours and 21 minutes to win his previous match Sunday, a fourth-rounder against Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime. Meanwhile, Djokovic marched into Tuesday’s match under the lights — adverse conditions for Nadal compared to the day — having not dropped a set in his first four matches.
But it is Nadal who advances, bidding to extend his record with a 22nd major singles title. Djokovic is tied with Roger Federer at 20. If Nadal lifts another Coupe des Mousquetaires on Sunday, then the 35-year-old Djokovic, who after last year’s Wimbledon was tied with Nadal and Federer, cannot take the lead until 2023 at the earliest.
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Rafael Nadal beats Novak Djokovic in French Open quarterfinals originally appeared on NBCSports.com