By Mitch Rice
As Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic prepared to do battle for the 59th time, many felt that this was one French Open encounter where Djokovic had the edge. The fact that the match was being played at night, with the clay court playing slower than in the baking sun of the afternoon, would surely play into Djokovic’s hands and nullify Nadal’s venomous forehand. Add in the fact that the Serbian defeated the Spaniard in last year’s semi-finals, and it was no surprise that Djokovic had the edge among those betting on tennis before this quarter-final match-up.
Nadal had other ideas. From the very first ball, you could tell he was firing on all cylinders. Djokovic’s serve was immediately broken, as his inspired opponent cruised to win the first set 6-2, and with a 3-0 lead in the second set, it was looking as though it would be a short night’s work for the 13-time Roland-Garros champion.
Djokovic, as he always does, fought back. Amazingly, he managed to turn the second set around to win it 6-4, despite being two breaks down at one point. It looked as though the real Djokovic had entered the building, and you could have forgiven Nadal’s fans for being on edge.
They needn’t have worried though, as Nadal found another level. He produced a commanding performance to win the third set 6-2, and then showed all his fighting qualities to come from 5-2 down in the fourth to force a tiebreak and win the match without requiring a deciding set. Cue the roars from the Court Philippe-Chatrier crowd, as Nadal celebrated and Djokovic wearily trudged out of the arena.
For the latter, this French Open has showcased two key truths about his current state. The first is that, when on top form, he is still the best player in the world despite the controversies that have plagued him in recent months. The second is that, as strong as his best game is, the Djokovic that turned up in Paris was one sorely lacking in Grand Slam match practice, and that arguably made the difference when push came to shove against Nadal.
Indeed, up until this mammoth four-hour-plus quarter-final, the last time Djokovic played a match longer than three sets was the semi-final of last year’s US Open, where he beat Alexander Zverev in a five-set epic. Those kinds of matches don’t come around all that often, but the fact that Djokovic missed the Australian Open, and has been absent from a number of other events this season, meant that he was perhaps lacking match sharpness as far as Grand Slam contests are concerned.
When the dust settles and Djokovic’s disappointment subsides, he may look at this French Open campaign as a valuable experience in terms of understanding where both his game and fitness levels are at. With Wimbledon on the horizon, he’ll be in a better position when the London-based Grand Slam gets underway next month, and he’ll be targeting that as his best chance of getting back on the winner’s circuit in majors.
There’s no denying that since losing to Daniil Medvedev in straights sets in the US Open final last year, and after all the controversy of his Australian Open deportation debacle, Djokovic is not at the same level in pure playing terms. This French Open will have taught him some important lessons though, and it may well prove that losing to Nadal this time around could benefit Djokovic in the long run more than if he’d beaten him.
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