Roland Garros | Djokovic takes Nadal down in Paris and changes history

If anyone could beat Rafa Nadal at Roland Garros, where the Spaniard had only been beaten twice in 16 years, it was Novak Djokovic. Because he is one of the best tennis players ever, number one right now, and because he had already beaten the great dominator of the tournament six years ago, in the quarterfinals of 2015 (the other executioner of the Balearic was Soderling, in the eighth 2009). This Thursday, the Serbian was the best in a tremendous and vibrant show that raised passions live, on Philippe Chatrier, and in millions of homes on television. With their victory by 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (4) and 6-2 in four hours and 11 minutes, Djokovic gives a blow to the history of tennis at Nadal's home and he puts himself in a position to change it, because if he also defeats Stefanos Tsitsipas on Sunday in the final (his 29th in majors) and lifts his second title in the French tournament, He will stay with one of the 20 Grand Slam that the Balearic Islands have, who is prevented from adding 21, and Roger Federer.

“It's the biggest game I've played here,” he said before leaving the court. He had just done what seemed impossible against a plethora of Rafa who was penalized for his bad day with the serve (eight double faults and bad percentages). That, before the best receiver on the circuit, is a death sentence. However, and as he always does, he gave everything and gave his magic to an opponent who scored perfection from 5-0 against him at the start. Following Chapter 58 of the racket sport's greatest rivalry, the most repeated, Novak now dominates the head-to-head 30-28 and stops the streak of five victories against him from the world number three on clay.

The first game lasted nine minutes, a symbol of the battle that always forms in their matches, even when one of the two gets a large score. In that beginning there was a bit of everything: two break points for Djokovic (in the 2020 final he also had three at the beginning) answered with as many saquetazos; then a couple of winning shots and a double fault from the Spaniard, who got out of the mess thanks to the unforced errors of the Balkan. Defending his serve helped him into a trance and with fantastic parallel drives and a feline response to continuous drops and even Novak's spikes., He threatened to put another donut like last year on the same stage. However, the number one was intoned when he lost 5-0, subtracted much better and shortened to 5-3 to clarify that he had not left the game. However, the set did not escape Nadal after taking advantage of his seventh set ball.

The good inertia of the Belgrade player continued at the start of the second heat and for the first time he took the lead on the scoreboard with a resounding break. Unfortunately for him, he missed a couple of rights and Rafa returned the break with another powerful parallel, executed with an innate skill but at the same time it is not by chance, he had worked it in pre-crash training. The story came close to repeating itself in a similar sequence, with an impressive athletic response from Nadal and a bulky blunder from Djokovic., who was trying to change his game with high and heavy balls. So the guy endured and got a more than interesting 5-2. He then served to close the set and swallowed an incredible and agonizing cross backhand from the champion, which again threatened to break. A professional escapist, Nole saved the situation and leveled the match.

Alternatives and show

Nadal also slipped out of a compromising situation in the opening bars of the third set to save two break points., but the second attack to the rest of the Serb could not save him after messing it up by throwing out a quite frank shot. Then, with that breed that only the largest have, he made up lost ground in a spectacular turn with which the two astonished an increasingly devoted audience that alternately chanted the names of both. The effort took its toll on Rafa, who gave up his next blank serve. He could not get well and paid for it. Neither did Djokovic, although he had a 30-0 with 5-4, Rafa found a new hole to break him and knew how to suffer to consolidate the break with an ace despite the mischief that his rival did. He celebrated with rage. “We will not leave”, the public sang 25 minutes before the mandatory departure due to the 23:00 curfew. Before Nadal had an advantage to regain command of the match. He did not take advantage of it and the rien ne va plus, He does not go more than a tiebreaker in which the Balkan was better and the Spanish erred. He had not lost two sets at Roland Garros since those mentioned quarters of 2015, when he fell in three precisely against Djokovic.

To the joy of the respectable, the authorities allowed the public to remain in the stadium. A debatable decision. The euphoric crowd sang the French national anthem, the Marseillaise, and the duel continued with a Nadal break. And with the subsequent reply of his stubborn adversary, who also struck twice to put the king of Paris in an extreme situation. “Rafa, Rafa …” they encouraged him. But Djokovic in those moments floated on the track and had dictated the rhythm and directions to melt the manacorí, who made the comeback impossible. Someday he had to lose.

Results, table and calendar.