The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
Novak stuns Nadal in thriller in Paris
Rafael Nadal was beaten for just the third time at the French Open as Novak Djokovic won an extraordinary semi-final on a night of sporting drama at Roland Garros.
The great Spaniard went into the contest having won 105 of his previous 107 matches on the Parisian clay, losing only to Robin Soderling in the fourth round in 2009 and Djokovic in the last eight six years ago.
He had won all 13 of his previous semi-finals but, in a 58th match between the pair that was on a par with almost any that came before, Djokovic found the answers to the greatest challenge in sport to win 3-6 6-3 7-6 (4) 6-2.
It is the world number one who will take on Stefanos Tsitsipas – winner of a five-set contest with Alexander Zverev earlier – in the final tomorrow, bidding for a 19th grand slam title and to become the first man in the Open era to win each title at least twice.
Nadal had been trying to claim the outright men’s record with 21 slam titles and went in as a clear, albeit narrow, favourite, particularly given his drubbing of Djokovic in the final last October.
Meanwhile Tsitsipas faltered but refused to crumble as he battled past Alexander Zverev in five sets at Roland Garros and into his first grand slam final.
The Greek, who has won more matches than any other player in 2021, has looked like a man on a mission all fortnight at Roland Garros and he appeared to be easing to victory when he opened up a two-set lead.
But Zverev seized the momentum and turned the tables completely, winning the third and fourth sets as he threatened a repeat of last year’s US Open semifinal, when he came from two sets down to beat Pablo Carreno Busta.
Tsitsipas was 0-40 down in the opening game of the deciding set but he dug deep to hold and that proved the catalyst for a revival and a 6-3 6-3 4-6 4-6 6-3 victory.
Zverev saved four match points at 5-2 in the fifth, three with big serves and one with the bravest of drop shots, but Tsitsipas kept his nerve brilliantly to serve it out, holding his arms aloft in delight and relief.
The 22-year-old, the first Greek player to reach a slam final, said through tears as the crowd roared in support: “It was nerve-racking.
“It was so intense.”