Djokovic wins thriller to send Nadal crashing out of French Open

World number one Novak Djokovic confirmed his supremacy in men’s tennis with a hard-fought win over rival Rafael Nadal as he moved one step closer to a 19th Grand Slam title. He came from one set down to win the game 3-6 6-3 7-6 6-2.

In a match that lasted for four hours and 11 minutes, both men battled to a standstill. Nadal won the opening set in just over an hour before Djokovic attempted to take over, leading to Nadal putting up a fight that was ultimately not enough on the night. Djokovic has handed Nadal only his third defeat ever in the French Open, and in his words, this was the best match he had ever played on clay, and it was in his top three of all-time. Djokovic will face 22-year-old Greek star Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final.

In their semifinal, Tsitsipas dispatched Alexander Zverev after surviving a rally from the German who came from two sets down to level things up before Tsitsipas won the last set. The match ended 6-3 6-3 4-6 4-6 6-3. Tsitsipas is aiming to become to youngest man to win the French Open since Rafael Nadal on Sunday.