Nadal tops Djokovic in French Open quarter-final thriller

PARIS (AP):

Rafael Nadal insists he can’t know for sure whether any match at Roland Garros might be his very last at a place he loves.

For now, if he keeps winning and keeps performing the way he did during his monumental quarter-final victory over long-time rival Novak Djokovic that began in May and ended in June, Nadal will have more chances to play.

With a mix of brilliant shot-making and his trademark resilience, Nadal got past the top-seeded defending French Open champion Djokovic 6-2, 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 (4) to move a step closer to his 14th championship at the clay-court Grand Slam tournament and what would be a 22nd major trophy overall, adding to records that he already owns.

“One of those magic nights for me,” Nadal said.

For anyone lucky enough to be there, too – provided they were able to stay awake – or even anyone watching from afar, the match began a little past 9 p.m. on Tuesday and concluded more than four hours later, after 1 a.m. on Wednesday.

“TV decides,” Djokovic said about the late start. “That’s the world we are living in.”

The bracket said this was a quarter-final, yes, but it felt like a final, from the quality of play to the quality of effort, from the anticipation that preceded it to the atmosphere that enveloped it.

The only missing ingredient: There was no trophy handed to the winner.

Nadal turns 36 on Friday, when he will face third-seeded Alexander Zverev in the semi-finals.