Roland Garros 2021: Novak Djokovic dethrones Nadal in Paris and takes over the land

Lhe fans who filled all that Philippe Chatrier could be were present today in a historic event: Rafael Nadal lost a match at Roland Garros six years later and did so with what had been his last executioner. One of the two that the manacor has had throughout its 108 duels in the land of the Gallic capital.

Robin Sderling had defeated him in the eighth of 2009 and Novak Djokovic in the quarter of 2015. The Serbian giant would repeat with a display of physical and tensile power that will be counted in the chronicles and remain in the annals of the racket sport.

The world number one closed a favorable score of 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (4) and 6-2, in four hours and 11 minutes. It is then Nole who will play the final on Sunday with the Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alexander Zverev’s executioner.

The semi-final had started almost in the evening session for the more than three hours it took Stefanos Tsitsipas to knock down Alexander Zverev.

The two of them were faithful to the script established by their technicians in the locker room. The final was reminiscent of the final on October 11. It is true that this time Nole had made two break options in the first game, but he did not transform them because of two direct kicks from the king of the earth, one of them at 202 kilometers per hour, a record number for the tennis player at the present time. season.

In the second game, the world number one went from dominating 40-15 to surrendering his serve after giving away three shots from several meters from the net. He was abusing the lefties again and Nadal had enough legs to reach all of them.

Djokovic was desperate because, once again, he did not see a hole to attack. Rafa was in steamroller mode. Everything was headed for another donut for history. It would have been the fourth in this edition of the tournament after those joined by Richard Gasquet, Jannik Sinner and Diego Schwartzman.

The Belgrade tennis player breathed a sigh of relief after opening his locker in time to avoid the painful 6-0. The 13-time Bois de Boulogne musketeer was capable of inventing impossible shots to the shouts of admiration from the stands.

The 5,000 people present at the plant sounded like 20,000 after so many months of silence with empty chairs due to the pandemic.

Djokovic saved the first four set balls with an accurate shot, a passer, a long ball and a right to the net. But he could not with the fifth. His opponent raised the effectiveness with the first serve.

The feeling is that the game was even. The Belgrade tennis player would lead 2-0 in the continuation. Now the shouts of “Idemo” (Let’s go in Serbian) were heard. It didn’t matter because Rafa would break up immediately afterwards.

The joy went through the neighborhoods, but the Serbian had barely lasted a minute. Novak confirmed that he was in the match with another ‘break’, the third for him. Nadal was making a brutal physical display, hitting balls that only he punches and returns with intent. Each game was a kind of tense slaughter, each with its own style.

Djokovic will go 5-2 up after lifting three break balls. Everything was even 1 hour and 53 minutes later.

The dynamics of the semi-final was a little more on the side of the Belgrade tennis player and Rafa went to the locker room for a long time to change the rhythm. The pace was being so high that the two contenders asked for a truce.

Nole looked to break the match in the third game of the third set. He had two break balls, but the manacor saved them. He knew it was the turning point. Three other options for the same player will come in the fifth round. The third time was the charm for him.

The 20-grand champion was relying too heavily on dropouts because he couldn’t see a hole, but his fighting spirit is always there, never lacking. That’s why he returned to the scene and tied at three and then tied at five. Mind you, the battery was low.

The chair umpire gave Djokovic a warning for delaying the staging of the ball. He had escaped a 5-3 and then a 5-4 and serve. The tension was palpable in the environment. The Serbian went 30-40 to once again take the lead. And then an advantage. For the video library, the point that he left at the gates of the ‘break’ with a masterful balloon that dropped on the line.

Nole saved a third set point with a masterful drop. The outcome was to die a sudden death as the time to vacate the facility for curfew approached. The greatest show in the world was on its way to ending without an audience. However, there was a concession at the last minute from the local government. People responded with shouts of “Thank you Macron.”

The ‘tie break’ began with a double fault from the Spaniard. Nadal missed a volley half a meter from the net that gave his fearsome opponent 5-3. Djokovic will end up deciding the third set in his favor.

Rafa was physically and mentally touched. You will start the room with a break, but you will lose that income in a flash. From the bench of the defender of the crown they demanded that he continue eating to have energy for what was left. The tennis player answered that he could no longer eat. Nole was the strongest.