After over four hours on court, Rafael Nadal has once again proved why he is the greatest player in French Open history, beating world number one, Novak Djokovic, to reach the men’s singles semi-finals.
The Spaniard who is on course for a 14th title started well to overcome the defending champion Djokovic in an emphatic 6-2 4-6 6-2 7-6 (7-4) at Roland Garros in the early hours of Wednesday.
READ ALSO: Tennis: Nadal made to sweat by Nishioka, Djokovic has it easy
The 21-time Grand Slam winner now faces third seed Alexander Zverev on Friday.
Germany’s Zverev, 25, reached the semi-finals after scaling the hurdle to beat teenage sensation Carlos Alcaraz’s on Tuesday.
“To win against Novak there is only one way: to play your best from the first point to the last,” said 35-year-old Nadal, who thanked the Chatrier crowd for showing their “love”.
“This is one of those magic nights for me.”
Victory for Nadal avenged his semi-final defeat by Djokovic last year and extended his all-time record on the Roland Garros clay to 110 wins in 113 matches.
The rivalry between the pair is the most enduring in men’s tennis, with Nadal winning their 59th meeting seeing him narrow the gap to 30-29 in the head-to-head.
“Nadal showed why he is a great champion and stayed mentally tough. No doubt he deserves it,” said Djokovic.
“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 was able to take his tennis to another level.”
BBC Sport
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