Talks of an end to Rafael Nadal’s reign proved premature once again as the claycourt king stayed on course for a record-extending men’s 22nd Grand Slam title by beating arch rival Novak Djokovic 6-2 4-6 6-2 7-6(4) in a vintage French Open quarter-final clash on Tuesday.
The 13-time Roland Garros champion, beaten by the world number one in the semi-finals last year, arrived in Paris on the back of two injuries that had hampered his preparations.
Having already survived a five-set thriller against Felix Auger Aliassime in the previous round, the Spaniard, who has only lost three times at the French Open since his first campaign in 2005, knows every inch of the immense court Philippe Chatrier and Djokovic paid for the reminder.
