That was only a quarterfinal?!?!
If Rafael Nadal feels like he already deserves the French Open title, you couldn’t blame him. Having already been pushed to five sets by Felix Auger-Aliassime in a high-quality fourth-round encounter, Nadal took down world No. 1 Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinals on Tuesday night. The 35-year-old came back from a 5-2 deficit in the fourth set to defeat Djokovic 6-2, 4-6, 6-2, 7-6(4) after four hours 12 minutes.
Of course, no matter how Herculean the effort, Nadal would never be one to feel worthy of a title two rounds too soon. Instead, he will be focused on the next task–which is a semifinal showdown against Alexander Zverev on Friday.
“In the end it has been a very emotional night for me,” the Spaniard said during his post-match press conference. “I (am) still playing for nights like today. But (it) is just a quarterfinal match, so I didn’t win anything. I just give myself a chance to be back on court in two days; (to) play another semi-final here in Roland Garros means a lot to me.
“If I am not playing good or if I am losing in that semifinal match, (it’s) not gonna be because I’m not gonna be focused on that semi-final match. I have experience [with] that. I am not the kind of guy and player that emotionally goes high and low. I am very stable, I think, emotionally. I know how things works. (It) is the moment to enjoy today because have been a beautiful night for me, without a doubt; very emotional one. But tomorrow (I’m) gonna start thinking about things that I need to do to be ready for that semifinal.”
Still, Tuesday’s contest won’t soon be forgotten–no matter the round in which it was played.
Although no fifth set was required, the 59th meeting between Nadal and Djokovic certainly lasted long enough to deliver a whole host of momentum swings. After the 13-time Roland Garros champion dominated set one, he seized a 3-0, double-break lead in the second. Djokovic stormed back to level the match at a set apiece only to see Nadal win the third just as easily as he had taken the first. In the fourth, Djokovic surged ahead 5-2 but failed to serve it out at 5-3. Nadal eventually forced a tiebreaker, missed three match points from 6-1 to 6-4, and finally closed it out with a scorching backhand down-the-line winner.
That was the world No. 5’s 57th winner of the night, giving him 14 more winners than errors–a remarkable ratio on clay against an opponent of Djokovic’s defensive caliber. Djokovic managed to fire 48 winners past Nadal, but it wasn’t enough. On this day, Nadal was simply too good. The King of Clay served at 71 percent, won 23 of 30 net points, and converted seven of 17 break points.
“I gave my best,” Djokovic commented. “I know I could have played better, (but) I’m proud of fighting and staying till the last shot…. I lost to a better player today. (I) had my chances; didn’t use them. That’s it. Over four hours battle and I have to accept this defeat.
“I had my chances in the fourth; served for the set (and had a) couple set points. Yeah, just one or two shots could have taken me into a fifth. Then it’s really anybody’s match. But he showed why he’s a great champion–you know, staying there mentally tough and finishing the match the way he did. Congrats to him and his team. No doubt he deserved it.”
“It’s always special to play against each other,” Nadal concluded. “Tonight [was] just a quarterfinal match, not the final. So that’s different. But still a super classic match.”
But still a match that leaves Nadal needing to win two more if wants to lift La Coupe des Mousquetaires for a 14th time.
nice one, Rafa
The seeding system in not full-proof if the only 2 players to have won the title meet in the Quarter Finals. No other player in the draw has even made the final.
Rafa should have been ranked #2. He couldn’t play a full clay season because of his cracked rib, which lowered his seeding.
Rafa had a very late match yesterday but look at him..back to practice today that too for 1.5 hour..focus and diligence
https://mobile.twitter.com/PauFerragut/status/1531923615507173377
Watched the match again last night, and I think Rafa and Novak played an incredible match even though neither one played their best. It’s what champions do, giving it their all despite of any limitations that they carry at the time. Novak did try his best especially in the 4th but after Rafa broke him back serving for it it simply broke his resolve. It says something about Rafa and RG: beating Rafa at RG is the most Herculean task in sports, fit or not fit! To think that Soderling has retired so many years now and Rafa is still winning at RG, lol, just mind boggling!
Anyway good to know that Rafa is already practicing. He has till Friday to rejuvenate and iron out any kinks. He will no doubt play better as the tourney progresses. He will expect a tough match from Zverev so he needs to prepare. You continue to make us all proud Rafa. Vamos!!!!
I just watched the last set.
Am surprised more people aren’t commenting on the fact that Rafa beat Novak so convincingly in a tiebreaker.
Rafa has lost so many tiebreaks in the last few years against the top players including ones when he was in the lead. To do this against the best tiebreak player Novak to win the match is a huge achievement.
Rafa really raised his level around 5-2 in the fourth and started to hit his fh with real authority again. But yet again, as against Med, he was doing so much damage with the backhand down the line/ into the corner.
You could feel that Novak just couldn’t withstand the barrage and that it was breaking his will.
But for Rafa to do it like that in a tiebreak was really really special.
Zverev was playing well Amy.is it time to start worrying?
Not yet sanju!
I think Rafa is so motivated to win he will.just get it done. It may mean a lot of twists and turns but as long as his foot holds I think he will just break Zverev with his will power. Also the crowd is insane for Rafa atm. That is really helping him.
It’s a good thing he has 2 days to recover. That was a very gruelling intense match…I was exhausted just watching!!
I think the crowd in Australia was way more insane ,vocal..ppl are forgetting the final and the crowd…yest was nothing compared to it
For the French it was unbelievable! They have come to appreciate Rafa, but last night they went crazy. I have only seen them do this for French players. It was amazing and Novak did not like it.
Oh Sanju is worrying already! What about those astrological predictions? I am just going to take two days to enjoy this. Rafa was emotional after that win.
I think Zverev is playing well now. He can name a match of it but Rafa seems like a man on a mission.
Yes nny one match at a time but zverev is the bigger obstacle than anyone on the other side . Z was subpar for the first 4 matches but he really upgraded himself big-time for the qf .
People will again yell at me if I mention practice session but today’s rafas session was scheduled for 90 mns but he hit just for 30-45 mns. I just hope it was as planned and not anything to do with the foot as his presser yesterday alluded to the foot multiple times.
Sanju,
Oh I won’t yell at you! A he Rafa just wanted a shorter practice after that tough match with Novak.
Zverev is the bigger obstacle. I agree with that. He played well against Alcaraz. Rafa won’t take him for granted.
@ NNY Lol!! “What about those astrological predictions?” Ikr!!
Novak pays too much attention to the crowd. He loses focus. Can you see Rafa engaging with the crowd and screaming out to shut the blank up? Novak tries too hard to be liked. It’s not Rafa and Roger’s fault that they are favored by the crowd. Novak smashes racquets, hits errant balls and accidentally hits a person, screams at ball kids, hits the net…. He’s his own worst enemy and has brought this all on himself by his behavior. My two cents‼️
I still can’t believe that Rafa won that match…he’s such a great fighter, and an inspiration every time he steps on the court. Zverv playing tough as well….he can get a set….Rafa in 4.
Finally Daria gets it done!!
Bravo!!
Come on Iga!
I’m happy for Rafa although I wanted Novak Djokovic to win the tournament you have to give Nadal credit he deserves to win and if he defeats A. Zverev which I don’t think would be easy at least on paper but Rafa might make it look easy then Rafa would definitely win the French Open.
I don’t see Cilic, Rublev or Ruud defeating Rafa they only player who might and that’s a lot to ask for is H. Rune that younger man is fearless and I like the way he plays but he would have to defeat Casper Ruud first and that would be difficult Ruud is the favourite to win but I’m secretly rooting for Rune 😂.
Nadal also had to play 5 sets vs Auger Felix I thought Novak would definitely win 😂.
I like Zverev but his nerves gets to him not very consistent Nadal can exploit that, Zverev has a habit of choking not reliable hope we have a good match.
If Nadal loses this trophy after defeating Novak that would terrible and costly, he has no choice but to win it.
I’m a Fan of Iga Swaitek but someone has got to stop her ASAP 😂 she’s making the WTA look like a joke 😂😂😂, if A. Barty hadn’t retired 😔 this won’t be happening.
Ppl talk about Rafa’s fitness as an issue. But he has two days to rest and his fitness issue is more skeletal rather than cardiovascular. As long as his foot holds up he will be fine!
I doubt that after beating Novak Rafa would let anyone take that trophy from him. No WAY no how, Rafa all the way!! VAMOS!!
RG is Rafa’s Kingdom, Djokovic has never beaten an all singing all dansing Rafa at RG. In 2015, Rafa was in his worst form and last year he was injured.
In 2015 for eight months Rafa suffered from what he calls a “mental injury”. His doctor said it was the result of all the physical injuries Rafa had suffered, especially in 2014. Quite simply Rafa felt fear on court. Not of losing, not of anything in particular. Just raw fear. He didn’t understand it at first. Said he’d go back to his room and wonder what was happening to him. I know that fear; I had two bouts of it as a teen ager. It isn’t rational; it’s visceral and it’s awful. It’s driven some good players out of tennis. It took Rafa eight months to recover but he played through it. Matchless courage.
https://twitter.com/ozmo_sasa/status/1531788607056379906?s=20&t=GePcchEjSvw5ggM28E2cvQ
Lucky,
I wanted to say something about your comment last night that you were disappointed by the quality of play. I get where you are coming from. But I think we have to adjust our expectations. Rafa and Novak are in their mid thirties. We are fortunate that they are still playing and competing for titles. Many players hang around but can’t win anymore.
Maybe it is unrealistic to expect them to produce the quality of tennis they did a few years ago. But they are still compelling to watch. With the ups and downs in their matches it is never boring. Rafa came out playing great for a set and a half. So he can play high quality tennis, but not as long as he used to. He did it in that fifth set with Felix.
That’s what I took away from this match. Not a master class by any means. But still two great champions still competing late in their brilliant careers.
Hi NNY, I understand that. I can see that both of them are a step or two slower these days due to their age; but Djoko in the match was making plenty of uncharacteristic errors, not something I would expect from him at this stage of the tournament.
As for Rafa, he played ok for most of the match except his serve, he could lose his serve three times within a set to lose the set after breaking his opponent’s serve twice! It was as bad as in 2015. At least he came back to win the third set and he did play very well, as always, when his back was against the wall, in the fourth set. He probably won’t want to play a fifth set against Djoko as anything could happen then in the fifth.
Rafa’s fighting spirit is intact, his good level of play too, as proven in the last set of both his R4 and QF matches. It’s just that he couldn’t sustain a good level of play throughout a match, and could make horrendous errors to lose a set or even two.
I hope his serving does improve, for he really needs it against a player like Zverev, and who knows, maybe against Cilic too? He can’t afford to lose serve so easily after breaking serve; or he may not even have the opportunity to break serve, given how well Zverev could serve.
ya, remaining two matches will be tricky too(if he wins SF)..There is no peace of mind for us.. hit foot might flare up at anytime when the match goes on. .
Rafa is surely hitting the fh well but how many have noticed the winners coming off the bh. Is it just this year from ao? Novak did not face this last rg
https://mobile.twitter.com/VivaFernando/status/1532040322586497024
“When it comes to preparing to play tennis’ super-geniuses, you dream about playing Roger Federer, even in defeat delighted at the chance to tell all how great it was to be dissected with such grace. You can practice for Novak Djokovic, as there are many near-facsimiles available who play the Serb’s brand of crisp, attrition-based tennis.
But nothing—no lefthander, no topspinner, no warrior—can prepare a player for what is to come versus Nadal. “I’ve never seen someone so locked in,” said Tiafoe.”
Match with Zverev , usually would expect a fairly easy win from Rafa at RG- even without the foot playing up , of which theres been not a hint of yet.Interesting matchup if Zverev can get his court position right and serve well.
Its amazing how Rafa keeps this talk of last match at RG when he still hasnt lost 4 matches there in 17 years.
But Goran says the booing helps Novak.
“Novak Djokovic faces Rafael Nadal in the French Open quarter-finals on Tuesday evening, with the match dubbed “the most important men’s match in the last 10 years” by Eurosport expert Tim Henman.” The world No. 1 is expected to receive little support inside Court Philippe-Chatrier against the clay GOAT, but his coach Goran Ivanisevic says that will only benefit his charge”.
https://www.eurosport.co.uk/tennis/rola … tory.shtml
I’m a Djoko fan and I get annoyed sometimes with his attitude.
https://www.sportskeeda.com/amp/tennis/news-rafael-nadal-stop-playing-roland-garros-chronic-foot-injury-gets-resolved-claims-spanish-journalist-angel-garcia?article-trending
God please take care for next 2 matches ..give rafa all the strength to overcome
Is this guy reliable sanju? He said 2 years ago Rafa ‘s career was about to end…
Obviously the story is terrifying…But I want to see what Genny says about it…
Very sad to read this. I do think there is truth to this. I think he’ll skip Wimbledon and see how he gets along. We’ve got accept there will come a point when it all gets too much and reluctantly he will capitulate to these hardships.
I don’t know Amy. I saw quotes from riog and Lopez on Twitter by genny that rafa needs to find a solution and can’t continue this way. Both said it does not mean retirement
Rafa vs Zverev is the day match.
I suppose they must have decided that Rudd especially needed more time to recover after being up so late. Well that is only fair!
2.45 Paris time.
Issue is zverev likes the sun too. He said after alcaraz match the court plays faster during day n his serve gets more pop
No Amy.. if rafa wins , they will do a big celebration of rafas birthday on court n that can’t be done if it’s second match . I think that’s the reason
Future testy rivalry rune n rudd
https://www.foxsports.com.au/tennis/french-open/french-open-2022-holger-rune-vs-casper-ruud-quarterfinal-argument-roland-garros-locker-room-incident-video-news/news-story/0c238e8db627483602bdbe8df9b61ea1
Here is the riog quote
https://mobile.twitter.com/genny_ss/status/1532093514057764864