In the thrilling semifinals, he defeated the tournament three and four-time title defender Rafael Nadal 3: 6, 6: 3, 7: 6 (4), 6: 2. He will fight for the nineteenth grand slam trophy in Paris.
Djokovic repaid Nadal last year’s final loss, ending his four-year hegemony and a 33-match winning streak on Parisian clay.
He adjusted the mutual balance with a big rival to 30:28. For thirteen-time champion Roland Garros, this is only the third loss in the tournament.
In 2015, he lost to Djokovic in the quarterfinals, in 2009 he finished in the eighth final on the racket of the Swede Robin Soderling.
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Nadal faced two breakball balls right in the opening game of Friday’s duel with Djokovic, but he turned them away thanks to two quality passes.
In another game, after a series of excellent left-wing forehands, he broke Djokovic’s hand along the line and, after confirming the break, built up a 3-0 lead.
In the next game, he took service from Srb again and led 5: 0 in the first set. Djokovic fought, reduced to 3: 5 in the next minutes, but Nadal managed the end, although he turned only in the seventh place.
In the second act, Djokovic improved the length of the strokes, a two-handed backhand began to come out along the line, and Nadala got into a tight spot. In the second and sixth games of Spaniard, he broke the set and won the set in his favor.
Djokovic was a more active player in the court at these moments, dictating the pace of exchanges. Nadal was not completely in his skin, he made atypical mistakes from the forehand at important moments.
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He lost service again in the third set at 2: 2. Immediately after that he countered the ribs and equalized to 3: 3, but subsequently he did not even get a fiftin during his own service. Djokovic was close to turning the advantage of a break in a 2: 1 lead into sets.
He led 5: 3, with a score of 5: 4 on his own 30: 0. However, Nadal fought well, turned to 6: 5 and got to the set-up when Djokovic was served. However, the Serb turned him away with a stopball, so the secret of the set, in which Djokovic had the upper hand, had to decide on the win of the set.
At the beginning of the fourth act, the Serb lost 0: 2, but then he won six games in a row and advanced to the sixth final of Paris. He recorded a jubilee 80th winning match against Royal Garros against Nadal, where he triumphed in 2016.
“I played one of the most amazing matches of my career. It ‘s a privilege for me to be a part of it.
The spectators were great, they gave us a lot of energy and cheered on both players. The atmosphere was fantastic.
I had to do my best to beat Rafu Nadal at the Philipp Chatrier Center. It is an extremely difficult task.
In important moments, I was able to keep a cool head, the service kept me going, “said Djokovic in a post-match interview with former French tennis player Cedric Piolin.
A night we will never forget #RolandGarros
pic.twitter.com/Bu8a1FI4VI— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June
11, 2021
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Tsitsipas eliminated Zverev after the battle
Greek Tsitsipas made it to the first grand slam final of his career.
He won the semifinals as a fifth five over the tournament six by the German Alexander Zverev after a three-and-a-half five-hour battle 6: 3, 6: 3, 4: 6, 4: 6, 6: 2.
Tsitsipas is the historic first Greek in the finals of one of the Big Four events. At the peak of the season, he also did well last year, when he reached the semifinals in Paris, in which he lost to Djokovic in five sets.
This season it has a great shape on clay. He won the Masters 1000 series tournament in Monte Carlo and the event in Lyon. In Barcelona, he lost to Nadal in the final after a three hundred match.
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Tsitsipas had the beginning of the match with Zverevo. In the second game, thanks to two double errors, Nemca broke the opponent’s serve and after confirming the break, he built up a 3-0 lead.
The Greek benefited from a good movement around the court, served well, had a high success rate on the net. The beast could not be caught on the return. At 3: 5, he made it to the match, but then made two unforced mistakes, and so the first set became the prey of Tsitsipas.
In the second act at 1: 0, Zverev got to the first breakball and, after throwing a forehand from the Tsitsipasa rocket, turned it into one. He immediately kept the pass and bounced to the Greek for 3: 0.
However, Tsitsipas shook quickly, gaining seven games in a row and taking the lead 2: 0 on sets. In the third act, Zverev added to the aggressiveness, he managed to push Tsitsipas out of the forehand. At 1: 1, he took the hand from the Greek and turned the advantage of the break into a set profit.
The German was on horseback and immediately at the beginning of the fourth set he took Tsitsipas’ hand again. The Greek seemed nervous at these moments, talking to himself more and more often.
The beast served vigorously into Tsitsipas’s backhand, collecting easy points and forcing a fifth set. In his introduction, he had three breakballs at his disposal, but Tsitsipas managed to turn from 0:40, which greatly encouraged the Greek.
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At 2: 1, Zvereva did not let go of the break and the chance to advance to the first grand slam final. At 5: 3, he converted the fifth ball in a row at his own service.
In his first post-match interview with former French tennis player Marion Bartoli, he did not hide his tears of emotion.
“It’s a very emotional moment for me. My first thoughts are fixed on the roots. I come from a small town near Athens.
By advancing to the grand slam final, my age-old dream came true. At the beginning of the fifth set with three Sascha breakballs, the spectators helped me a lot.
I felt that they were on my side and giving me energy. Thanks to their support, I also made it to a successful end, “said Tsitsipas.
Photo: SITA / AP Thibault Camus
Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alexander Zverev
Stefanos Tsitsipas after the semi-final duel Roland Garros with Alexander Zverev.
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“It was intense and nerve-wracking. I was very pleased that there were a lot of Greek flags in the viewpoint.
I think that together with Maria Sakkari, we are making a good name for our country. Thanks to us, Greece got on the tennis map.
Today’s victory means a lot to me. It’s a beautiful patch for all those painful losses, “added the Greek.
Men’s Singles Semifinals:
Novak Djokovic (Srb.-1) – Rafael Nadal (Sp.-3) 3: 6, 6: 3, 7: 6 (4), 6: 2, Stefanos Tsitsipas (Gr.-5) – Alexander Zverev (Nem. -6) 6: 3, 6: 3, 4: 6, 4: 6, 6: 3.
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