Paris: When two champions battle it out, then the level of the game obviously reaches its pinnacle. It was a remarkable night for the 13-time champion at the French Open, Rafael Nadal, as he overcame the defending champion and world number one, Novak Djokovic, in four sets, 6-2, 4-6, 6-2, 7-6, to move to the semis. Nadal is now looking to add another Grand Slam title to his tally.
The epic quarter-final battle between the two greats on Tuesday night lasted 4 hours and 12 minutes. Nadal once again proved why he is considered the ‘king of clay”. He played a remarkable all-round game on the court and never allowed his rival to dominate the game. Questions were raised over his fitness before the start of the tournament. But he left every hurdle behind.
On the other hand, Djokovic did not drop a set until the quarter-final stage of Paris this year. But Nadal had different ideas and took revenge of his last year’s French Open loss against his arch-rival.
The next opponent of the Spaniard will be World No. 3 Alexander Zverev, who ended the challenge of teenage sensation Carlos Alcaraz.
The incredible victory extended his winning streak at Roland Garros to 110-3. He surrendered twice to Novak Djokovic, including in the 2021 semi-final clash at the French Open. Nadal is just two matches away from winning his 22nd Grand Slam title.
In fact, the Spaniard has been producing magical displays of tennis on the red carpet court at the French Open. He suffered a rib injury a couple of months ago that kept him out of tennis for six weeks. A foot injury recently troubled him a lot. He returned to his favourite turf like a roaring tiger, ready to win his 14th title in Paris.
Wasim Haque
