21-time Grand Slam Champion Rafael Nadal battled past great rival Novak Djokovic in a late-night classic at Roland Garros 6-2 4-6 6-2 7-6 (7-4). The victory over the World No 1 seals his place in the semi finals at the French Open as Nadal chases a record extending 14^th Paris title.

The match was played with typical high intensity and big drama lasting four hours and 12 minutes. The epic encounter finally ended at 1.15am local time. Wimbledon Champion Djokovic beat Nadal in the semi-finals last year before beating Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final to claim the 2021 title. The Spaniard will undoubtedly be delighted he was able to inflict revenge on Djokovic and will now be favourite to win his second Grand Slam of the year.

Nadal will now play Alexander Zverev in the semi-finals on Friday who beat talented teenager Carlos Alcaraz in the quarters.

“Rafael Nadal” by swampa is licensed under CC BY 2.0.