Unlikely.
Stunning.
Memorable.
Huge.
It's 11:20 p.m. and Novak Djokovic can raise his arms to the stars that sparkle above Paris and distribute his gestures of love to his fans.
The world No. 1 has just achieved the feat of beating Rafael Nadal for the second time in his promised land (3-6, 6-3, 7-6, 6-2 in 4:11).
Almost invincible since 2005 (105 victories for now three losses), the Spanish ogre, crowned thirteen times at Roland Garros, remained in effect on four titles in a row.
Roland-Garros experienced this Friday one of the most absurd days in its history.
And not just because Nadal fell from his pedestal in the semifinals against his biggest rival after a breathtaking match that will be remembered.
Perhaps viewers, but above all viewers ...
🎾 Earthquake with the elimination of Rafael Nadal 🇪🇸 by Novak Djokovic 🇷🇸 after four sets of incredible intensity ... in front of a present and conquered audience.
The final will oppose Sunday the world n ° 1 to Stefanos Tsitsipas #RolandGarros (3-6, 6-3, 7-6, 6-2 in 4:11) pic.twitter.com/oeXYDy9upV
- France tv sport (@francetvsport) June 11, 2021
“It’s probably the biggest game I’ve played here,” smiles Djokovic.
I played my best tennis.
The pressure of playing against him in Paris is a very special level of our sport.
It is also the most beautiful atmosphere and the most beautiful energy that I have experienced with the audience, which has been incredibly supportive for both of us.
It was a privilege to be on this court.
"
A huge standoff
After a first fight in five sets won by Tsitsipas against Zverev (6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 4-6, 6-3), the two gladiators entered the arena around 7 p.m.
Something to thrill the fans thinking of the 23 hour chopper and a curfew that had transformed a hot quarterback Djokovic-Berrettini into a wet firecracker in the silence of the Central.
And the first game won by Nadal in almost ten minutes quickly set the tone for an evening of anthology.
The Spaniard led 5-0, almost a carbon copy of the 2020 final where he outclassed the Serbian in three short sets.
But even dominated by strokes of genius from the Mallorcan, the world No. 1 continued to hang on and took advantage of the mistakes of the master of the place, sometimes guilty of wanting too quickly to drive the point home and forced to wait for his seventh set point. to finally materialize its lead.
Djokovic had finally entered the match… and in the mind of his biggest rival, whom he had not yet beaten on earth for more than five years.
The result is a huge showdown where the two men went blow for blow and where Nadal spent his time trying to make up for the weakness of his service in return.
The organization of the tournament thanks the Elysée
Bet failed in the second round and almost succeeded in the third where Djokovic had twice the break and served for the set.
The Spaniard even let fly a set point at 6-5 before bowing down in the decisive game (7-4).
At that time, the counter was already showing 3:26 hours of play and the clock showed 22:39.
Which, in Covid-era parlance, means
Go Home!
But if Djokovic has gone for a walk in the locker room, the noisy spectators - who had been singing "We will not go" for long minutes - did not budge from their seats. And for good reason. Thanks to a government dispensation that fell from the sky, they won the right to enjoy this little moment of legend until the end. "It's great to allow us that," smiles Gilles Moretton, president of the FFT. The organization of the tournament thanks the Elysée, Matignon, the government. Such a request had to be made. The rest almost speaks for itself. In front of the stands in a trance, which let us perceive a bright future for the night sessions, Nadal takes the reins of the fourth round (2-0) before collapsing into dust.
Already winner of Porte d'Auteuil in 2016, Djokovic sees a boulevard open to become the third player (after Australians Laver and Emerson at the start of the modern era) to win all Grand Slams at least twice. And, above all, to return to a march of Nadal and Federer in the number of Majors (20 to 19 potentially) with the prospect of equaling the two monsters from the month of July at Wimbledon. Sunday, Tsitsipas will have trouble blocking his way ...