21-time Grand Slam winner, Rafael Nadal, claimed a satisfying revenge as he defeated Novak Djokovic in a game of four sets at the French Open quarterfinals. Nadal, who lost to Djokovic at last year’s French Open semis, came back from 5-2 in the fourth set to win 7-6, with the final scoreline at 6-2 4-6 6-2 7-6 (7-4). The match, which went on for four hours, was, by far, one of the highlights of the tournament and one of the most breathtaking games in recent times. All Nadal vs. Djokovic’s games have always been very intense, and Tuesday’s own was not any different.
The first set was quite easy for Nadal, as he wasted no time in defeating Djokovic 6-2. The second set, however, was not in his favour, and it was Djokovic who finished the victor. The third set was just like the first, ending with the same score margin in favour of the Spaniard. But the fourth set was where things got quite heated.
At a point, Djokovic was leading the set 5-2 and looked all set to win until Nadal showed reminded us why he’s the acclaimed king of clay. He eventually levelled it to 5-5, forcing a tie break. This was where Nadal sealed his win after leading 6-1. Djokovic had to play catch up, but he only managed to make the scoreline 6-4 before Nadal smashed in a backhand to win the match.
The game technically took two months, as it was stated in May but finished in the early hours of June. That just shows how intense the match was. The match surpassed expectations as it reminded us of what it was to have two of the best players of all time go against each other.
Speaking after the match, Nadal described it as a “magic night,” as he said, “Novak is one of the best players in history and playing against him is always an amazing challenge. Today was another one.
The only way to win against him is to play your best from the first point to the last. A magic night for me.”
He would now face German Alexander Zverev in the semifinals on Friday.
Written by: Leon Osamor
