Stronger than Tsitsipas, Djokovic will find Nadal in the Roland-Garros final

At Roland-Garros

For the 5th time in his career, Novak Djokovic was pushed into a 5th set after winning the first two.

But in the end, he's almost always the winner.

Admirable resilience, Stefanos Tsitsipas however made a Djokovic suffer martyrdom, however good days.

His neck pain felt in the quarterfinals seemed a distant memory.

It was the best of Novak Djokovic on Friday on the Philippe-Chatrier.

But the amazing Greek got him into a fight longer than expected.

Their sixth confrontation, the first in a Grand Slam, will be a milestone.

Between the 33-year-old Serbian machine and the flamboyant 22-year-old Greek, the gap is narrowing… “I congratulate him on this great battle even if at the end he was tired.

I knew how to stay calm even though it was bubbling inside.

Even after the loss of the third set, I remained strong and strong, ”blew the world number hot.

Djokovic, however, has long gone it alone.

Tsitsipas did not take advantage of the Serbian's very average percentage of first serves in the first set (63%) to make his opponent (a little) doubtful.

The Greek converted two of his thirteen break opportunities.

The Serb turned him into four of his five opportunities.

Implacable. 

A much more realistic Djokovic during two sets

With a superb cross forehand, the Serbian, seized the service of the Greek.

Always so realistic, he erased another break point in the seventh game, before concluding the first set 6-3 in 41 minutes.

The Djoker showing himself to be more enterprising than his opponent (12 winning moves to 7).

And definitely better on the important points.

He saved two more break points from the start of the second set and nabbed the opponent's serve in the fifth game, helped by a huge forehand error from the Greek.

The latter, however, led 40-0 in this game, before conceding five consecutive points.

A little stunned, the 5th player in the world suffered a second consecutive break.

Merciless, the winner of the 2016 edition concluded the second set with three aces. 

The beautiful reaction of Tsitsipas

Thanks to a perfect smash, he broke at the best time in the third set at 4-4.

But he stuck when serving for the meet.

The 11th break opportunity being (finally) the right one for Tsitsipas who saved a match point in passing.

The latter even offered two set points on Djokovic's service at 5-6.

The resilience of the outsider has paid off.

Tsitsipas winning the 3rd set with a splendid winning forehand (7-5).

The physiognomy of the match then changed.

A real fight has started.

By completely missing a setback, Djokovic conceded a white break from the start of the 4th round, conceding a fifth game in a row!

But the Serbian quickly came to his senses, breaking down in stride, taking advantage of Tsitsipas' decline in his service.

Djokovic pushed but Tsitsipas refused to fold.

The Serbian let slip eleven opportunities in this round.

Quite the opposite of the Greek converting his two break opportunities obtained, and sticking to two sets everywhere (6-4).

Tsitsipas cracks in the fifth round

The man with the 17 Grand Slam titles found a little realism in the decisive set.

With a cushion, he went for the station wagon which broke the legs of the Greek, who had had his adductors massaged at the end of the 4th.

Author of a double fault, Tsitsipas let fly the boss of the circuit, who concluded a sacred fight, disappointing in his last act of 31 minutes.

It must be said that Tsitsipas seemed clearly diminished ... Apart from his disqualification at the US Open, Djoko has not lost any match in 2020, and dreams of keeping his invincibility all season and taking the throne Porte d'Auteuil from Rafael Nadal.

A challenge to his disproportion even if in his kingdom, the Spaniard won six of their seven confrontations, including twice in the final (2012 and 2014).

“Rafa is a favorite.

It's my house.

I hope I can recover and play my best tennis.

Because beating Nadal at Roland Garros is the biggest challenge. ”

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