French Open 2022 Rafael Nadal, “Still playing for nights like today” after winning the match against Novak Djokovic at Roland Garros.
French Open 2022 Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic faced each other for the 59th time in their long career in the 2022 quarterfinals of the French Open on Wednesday. As for the games played, it turned out not to be the longest match. But it was a very physical fight again, so it lasted 4 hours and 12 minutes.
Rafael Nadal argued that despite Novak Djokovic’s out, there was still work to be done to win the 15th French Open. The Spaniards are still on their way to the record-breaking 22nd Men’s Grand Slam title and will meet Alexander Zverev in the semifinals on Friday, his 36th birthday. Nadal defeated defending champion Djokovic to 8-2 at the Roland Garros winning 6-2, 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7/4), which ended after 1:00 local time.
This wasn’t the best match the two icons have ever played. Their levels fluctuated and they found the best at once. But unlike last year when Nadal fell in a spectacular semi-final match, this time when Djokovic threatened to do him, he persisted and continued to fight back. Serbs were never out of shape early in the game. He won the French Open and didn’t lose a set in the first four rounds at Roland Garros.
After hitting the first set, Nadal rose by 3-0 in the second set. He took two serve breaks, was fully dialled in, and showed vintage shotmaking. But then things changed dramatically. Djokovic quickly pulled back the break, immediately held the service, and then converted the fifth breakpoint to a level in the 18-minute marathon game. After playing for 54 minutes on the second set, it was interrupted at 3-3.
However, Djokovic hasn’t finished yet because he holds the serve and wins four straight games. There were three big roars from him in the game, and the momentum shifted. The best in the world began dictating points from his forehand, and Nadal’s strength also declined significantly. After three games we were each in one set and the game clock showed 2 hours 16 minutes.
At that point, Nadal seemed to run into some sort of obstacle, even though Djokovic outperformed his game. The kind he lost to his big rivals after last year’s semi-final setup. Temperatures have dropped significantly, conditions have been harsh, and Nadal has reduced the bounce that it gives through topspin.
But more importantly, the Spaniard suddenly realized who he was playing against.
Djokovic wasn’t at his best in the opening round, but he wasn’t too bad either. It was only that he confronted the almost perfect Nadal. But you knew that all the defending champions you needed were small openings. And he got it in the second set, gained confidence, found his reach and started to control the rally.
After one set, Djokovic seemed to lose the game. Similar to the 2021 RG semifinals, he seemed to have escaped the competition again.
But then came a big turning point in the game. Nadal did not collapse. He showed a kind of resistance that Djokovic seemed unprepared for.
From the first point, Nadal’s move down the baseline was swift. He was very strong and aimed for a shot with a low margin, putting Djokovic on his hind legs. The first match had a spectacular rally and was a trademark defence from Djokovic. After 11 minutes of play, Nadal changed his third break point to 10 leads. He then made a double break-up and completed Set 62 in 49 minutes. It was a great tennis match, but don’t believe anyone telling you that you’ve seen this one-sided result.
The Roland-Grass tournament official site
Also read: Rafael Nadal vs Novak Djokovic, to play for 59th time in the Quarterfinals of the French Open 2022.
