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Rafael Nadal came through a French Open classic against Felix Auger-Aliassime to set up Chapter 59 of his rivalry with Novak Djokovic. The two tennis gladiators will face each other in the quarterfinals on Tuesday as the most anticipated clash of the tournament comes to fruition.
Nadal was pushed to the limit by Auger-Aliassime, before prevailing 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 after four hours and 21 minutes on Court Philippe-Chatrier.
During his on-court interview after the fourth-round match, the Spaniard was asked about his rivalry with Djokovic and his immediate thoughts ahead of Tuesday's clash. Nadal vowed that he would give it his all in the match.
"Of course, we know each other well, we have a lot of history together. Of course, he came here after winning Rome. For me, have been not an ideal situation to arrive here," he said in a chat with Alex Corretja.
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"But here we are, we are in Roland Garros, it is my favorite place without a doubt, and the only thing I can tell you is that I am going to be focused since tomorrow. I'm gonna try my best as always. I don't know what will happen but I can guarantee you that I'll fight until the end."
While Djokovic narrowly leads their head-to-head 30-28, Nadal has won seven out of their nine matches played at the French Open. However, their last match in Paris, considered one of the greatest in their rivalry, was won by the Serb, who triumphed in four sets in the 2021 semifinals.
On Sunday, Djokovic breezed through his fourth-round match against Diego Schwartzman 6-1, 6-3, 6-3. He is yet to drop a set at the 2022 French Open.
"A very very tough opponent today" - Rafael Nadal on Felix Auger-Aliassime
Auger-Aliassime produced one of his best performances in a Grand Slam, stretching the most successful player on clay to five sets in his most successful event. Nadal lauded the Canadian for his efforts, admitting that it was a very tough test for him to overcome.
"He's a great player without a doubt. One of the best players in the world, very young with a lot of power and great mobility."
"A very very tough opponent today. He's doing a lot of things well, he's been improving every year. I wish him all the best for the rest of the season...All the best for him. It has been a very important victory for me, without a doubt."
The ninth seed was up to the task against the 21-time Major champion. Auger-Aliassime outplayed the fifth seed in the opening set, and even after going down two-sets-to-one, he kept the belief to level the match again. However, the experienced Spaniard found his mojo when it mattered most, playing an aggressive style of tennis to clinch the deciding set.
He will have to bring that aggressive mindset against Djokovic on Tuesday.
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