Paris: Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, who predicted each other’s moves after four minutes and more than four hours, delivered a masterpiece in the French Open semi-finals.
Djokovic is, as it happens, one of only two men in tennis history who knows what it takes to beat Nadal on Roland Garros. And now Djokovic has done it twice – this time ending Nadal’s bid for a 14th championship there and a record-breaking 21st Grand Slam title overall by returning to their 58th career match 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (4) to win. , Friday night 6-2.
“Just one of those nights and games that you will remember forever,” Djokovic, who was selected best, won 2-0 in the final series before hitting the last half-dozen games to reach his sixth final on the clay court. . big tournament.
Definitely the best game I have ever played in Roland Garros, and (one of the) top three games I have played in my entire career – considering the quality of tennis, and my biggest rival on the court where he played has achieved so much success and has been the dominant force in the last 15 years, ” Djokovic said, ” and the atmosphere was completely electric. ”
It was Nadal’s third loss in 108 games at a tournament he has won each of the past four years, including beating Djokovic in the 2020 final.
Nadal’s first defeat at the French Open was against Robin Soderling in 2009; the next against Djokovic in 2015.
‘Every time you walk on the track with him,’ Djokovic said, ‘you know you’re kind of Mt. Everest to win here against this man. ”
And to think: here was not even a trophy at stake. It will take place on Sunday, when Djokovic, a 34-year-old from Serbia, will face Stefanos Tsitsipas, a 22-year-old from Greece.
The fifth-seeded Tsitsipas finished sixth-seeded Alexander Zverev earlier Friday with 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 4-6, 6-3 to reach his first Grand Slam final. This is Djokovic’s 29th, as he seeks a second title at the French Open and 19th biggest championship to win one of the Slam men for men that Nadal and Roger Federer share.
Nadal and Djokovic made the screaming crowd on Court Philippe Chatrier stand up properly.
Halfway through the third set, Djokovic won a point of 23 strokes with a winner out of hand and he windmilled his arms half a dozen times, with a standing ovation and chants of ‘No-subject! No subject! At the very next point, Nadal produced and shouted a winner out of hand, and the songs of ‘Ra-fa! Ra-fa! ”And a wave on the stands.
Nadal acknowledged that fatigue could have been a factor during his poor play in the tiebreaker, including a double fault and a rounded volley.
“Mistakes can happen,” the 35-year-old from Spain said.
“But if you want to win, you can not make these mistakes.”
This set alone lasted 1 hour, 33 minutes and a nationwide evening clock at 23:00 was due COVID-19 came closer. Djokovic’s previous match was delayed by more than 20 minutes while the audience – limited to 5000 people under coronavirus restrictions – were removed from the stadium, but an announcement was made on Friday to let everyone know that the government had agreed to let them stay until the end of the match.
No two men in the professional era, dating back to 1968, have played each other more than this duo (Djokovic now leads 30-28). They know each other, and each other’s strengths and weaknesses and patterns, as well.
They went back and forth – from game to game, point to point, shot to shot. Through exchanges that lasted 10 strokes, 20 strokes and more, they created amazing points, too many to count – or to tell.
They forced each other to come up with the goods over and over again, in a version of ‘Can you get it on top?’ And the answer was always “Yes!”
No one would give up or give in.
Djokovic pulls up his early ass. He scored a set point while finishing 6-5 in third place. Nadal recovered from the shaved tiebreaker to steal at the start of the fourth break.
But Djokovic broke back to 2-all and was on his way.
“Something clicked,” Djokovic said.
Source: Telangana Today