The 59th meeting between Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic lived up to expectations, as the pair dueled for a little over four hours in the quarterfinals of the French Open.
The Spaniard came out on top, putting in a near-flawless performance to reach the semifinals with a 6-2, 4-6, 6-2, 7-6(4) victory.
Djokovic was very much the favorite on Tuesday, given the 21-time Grand Slam champion's poor run of form heading into the tournament and recent injury concerns. But the Mallorcan produced a performance for the ages in front of a packed Court Phillippe-Chartrier crowd to dispose of the defending champion.
Tennis fans on social media were equal parts delighted and surprised at the World No. 5's display. Many took to Twitter to hail Nadal for his ability to come back stronger from injury, while others were of the opinion that the Serb was unusually lacklustre on the night.
But one common opinion was that the duo showcased once again why their rivalry is one of the most exciting to ever take place on the ATP tour.
Despite both players blowing hot and cold for some portions of the matches, most fans were more than satisfied with the quality they had the good fortune to witness.
"Beating Rafael Nadal at the French Open remains one of the truly greatest challenges in all of sports," one fan tweeted.
"Nadal’s best always beats everyone else on that court, that never changed. The only questions were whether and how often he could access that best at 36," another user wrote.
"Over four hours on court. An epic battle between two gladiators which started in May and finished in June," one user wrote.
"Nadal's level was absolutely incredible today, and outworked Djokovic in key moments too. Novak was inconsistent but so much of that was Rafa never allowing for a rhythm. What he's doing in 2022 is staggering to comprehend," another user tweeted.
"Nobody can compare to Rafa, nobody! you go find me another athlete or sportsman that can display this level of play with an active career-threatening injury. This man, I have no words. Just Vamos forever," one fan posted.
Rafael Nadal takes on Alexander Zverev in the semifinals of the French Open
Following his victory over Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal will cross swords with Alexander Zverev in the semifinals of the 2022 French Open. The German defeated one of the title favorites in the quarterfinals, prevailing over Carlos Alcaraz in four sets.
The head-to-head is currently 6-3 in favor of the 35-year-old, who won their most recent encounter at the 2021 Rome Masters. While Zverev will come in slightly better rested than the 21-time Grand Slam champion, the World No. 5 is now the undisputed favorite to win a record-extending 14th title on the claycourts of Paris.
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