Rafael Nadal vows to bounce back at French Open

Rafael Nadal thanks the crowd for their support after the quarterfinal at Roland Garros

Paris, June 4 (IANS)

14-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal has vowed to regain his French Open title after suffering only his second defeat at the Roland Garros, at the hands of World No.1 Novak Djokovic.

The Serb won the quarterfinal 7-5, 6-3, 6-1 and faces Andy Murray in the semifinals here. Before Wednesday, 9-time French Open champion Nadal lost just one match in 71 appearances at Roland Garros, against Robin Soderling in 2009.

"I lost in 2009 and it was not the end. I lost in 2015 and it's not the end. I hope to be back here the next year with another chance," Nadal said on Wednesday.

"It's not a big surprise, no, after a year that I didn't win enough before here," Nadal, who has won just one title, in Buenos Aires, since claiming his ninth French Open victory last June, said.

"It was something that could happen. When you see the draw, quarterfinals against Novak, obviously that is early for a big match like that. I was playing fine."

Nadal on Wednesday was bidding to become the first player in the Open era, and only the second ever, to win one of the Grand Slam singles titles 10 times.

"I don't like to talk about dynasty or these kind of things," he said.

"I have been very successful here for nine years out of 11. I lost twice. Everybody loses in every place. I lost not many times here, and that day arrived today (Wednesday)," the 29-year-old Spaniard concluded.