Rafael Nadal the glory in a French Open quarterfinal whose quality defied the absurd conditions in which it was played.
From May to June, their latest epic ended at 1:12am in temperatures in the mid-fifties and the Spaniard edged Novak Djokovic 6-2, 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 in hours four and 12 by protocol.
All this drama lacked was an earlier than 9pm start time and a large supply of patio heaters. Now Nadal has an opportunity to consolidate his lead (currently 21-20) in the big race to see who can win the most Grand Slams.
Their 59th meeting was never less than compelling for the faithful watching, Nadal showing greater composure in the crucial tie-break.
Capitalizing on his opponent’s errant groundstrokes, he raced to a 6-1 lead and then kept his nerve to score a backhand winner when he was back at 6-4.
He now meets Alex Zverev, who just managed to prevent a comeback from the young contender, 19-year-old Carlos Alcaraz.
Rafael Nadal (right) toasted to stardom in an incredibly entertaining French Open quarterfinal epic
The Spaniard defeated Novak Djokovic (left) 6-2, 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 in four hours and 12 minutes
Nadal, 35, was in tears after the physically, mentally and emotionally draining encounter
Nadal said: “It was (an) incredible match, it was very emotional for me, thanks to everyone who stayed. It was very tough, always playing against Novak is a great challenge.
“Winning against Novak is the only way to give your best from the first point to the last. A magical night for me. I feel everyone’s love here at the most important place in my career.”
The preparation for this 59th meeting had been dominated by the planning decision to place them at night, in the slot generously paid for by Amazon Prime’s French subsidiary.
The Spaniard’s camp weren’t happy with the choice, knowing that the cooler conditions can take some of the sting out of his vicious twisted groundstrokes.
From May to June their latest epic was played in absurd conditions, the game ending at 1:12 am in temperatures in the mid-fifties Fahrenheit (13 degrees Celsius).
Nadal was in commanding form in the opening set and looked set for a comfortable win
Compensation would likely be a louder crowd standing behind the 13-time champion against the least popular member of the Big Three.
The crowd was pro-Nadal but not overly so. Even more surprising was the way only one man felt uncomfortable with these newly introduced conditions in the first hour and that wasn’t Nadal.
The Spaniard built up his points beautifully in an almost flawless start while Djokovic was tense and spraying the errors around liberally.
With Nadal taking a 3-0 lead in set number two thanks to two breaks, it seemed like this could go the way of other night session matches here, most of which were surprisingly one-sided.
Serbian ace Djokovic roared back after a double collapse in the second set to win that 6-4
But the Spaniard bounced back brilliantly from adversity and went on to win the third set 6-2
Without warning, Djokovic awoke from his slumber and his swagger returned as he played four games.
It may not have been a coincidence that temperatures now dropped below 60 degrees and his opponent had to work harder to achieve the same penetration.
That helped reignite the Serb’s swagger but it was short-lived. Nadal, leaning on his exceptional ability to concentrate, played more conservatively in the third and came out better as the general level of play deteriorated.
Djokovic, particularly annoyed by the ball kids, slammed his racquet angrily into the net early in the fourth.
Inspired by a partisan home crowd, Nadal then won the fourth set tiebreak 7-4 to triumph
Djokovic was merciful in the loss, saying: ‘He was the better player in the important moments’
He seemingly headed for a decider and made two set points before being broken back
However, Nadal failed to capitalize on his opponent’s frustration and was broken by the only man who can beat him.
Effectively smashing through the cold night air, the Serb seemingly headed for a decider, creating two set points before being broken back to send him into a tiebreak resolution.
Djokovic was merciful in the defeat, saying: “He was the better player in the important moments, he was able to take his tennis to another level.”
On the timing, he added: “I think they start too late, but TV decides everything, that’s the world we live in.”
Alexander Zverev (left) wasted no time in telling Carlos Alcaraz (right) his time will come after delaying his coronation as Spain’s next king from Roland Garros in the quarter-finals
Zverev wasted no time in telling Alcaraz his time will come after postponing his coronation as Spain’s next king from Roland Garros.
The German met him at the net after a 6-4, 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 win: “He’s an incredible player and I told him he was going to win this tournament many times.
“I just hope I can win it in front of him,” Zverev said after a win that saw his power overcome the wide variety of Alcaraz’s abilities.
It’s not the boldest of predictions, in truth, as it seems a matter of when, not if, the teenager will become a multiple Grand Slam champion.
Alcaraz will now take to the pitch and perform at the Queen’s Club ahead of Wimbledon.
Did you miss any of the promotions? Catch up on the live blog below for Tuesday night’s French Open quarterfinal match between Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal at Roland Garros from Sportsmail’s MAX MATHEWS.