Nadal outlasts Djokovic to reach 8th French Open final

Nadal made his second double fault of the match to fall to 0-30 at the start of the fifth set. A forehand return that had fluency written all over it won three break points for the Serbian. Aware of the danger, Nadal played with renewed purpose to save two of them. But the Spaniard sent a forehand long on the next point to suffer the early break in the decisive final set.

Djokovic surrendered an immediate break point though when he botched an easy overhead put away in the second game. At risk of squandering the break, Djokovic rose to the challenge snuffing out Nadal’s chances to take a 2-0 lead. As the air intensified, both players made double faults in their subsequent service games. But each man fought stoically to hold their own under mounting pressure.

The eighth game turned into a momentous duel that threatened to burn down the court in the heat of its intensity. Djokovic was docked a point midway through the unfolding drama, when he fell on the net after crunching a smash winner. Nadal took advantage of the blip, to clinch back the break and claw back to 4-4 in the final set.

Nadal held serve in the next game to leave Djokovic serving to stay in the match. An incredible forehand winner that looped in the air before falling on the baseline left the match poised on razor edge at 30-30. The power and persistence of the Serbian, who responds to danger like a seasoned warrior, helped Djokovic stave off the threat.

But the dynamics of the fifth set had been altered beyond recognition. Now it was Djokovic who would constantly play catch up. Nadal held serve easily to take the lead for the first time at 6-5. As always, Djokovic produced his best under stress. He produced four blistering first serves to help himself to a hold at love to stay even at 6-6.

At the other end, Nadal was also at his belligerent best, striking winners on either flank as if they had only stepped on court moments ago. As the men stretched every sinew in their body seeking an elusive edge, Nadal kept his nose ahead holding serve to 8-7. Needing to hold serve to stay in the match, Djokovic suffered a crippling bout of self-doubt that proved to be fatal.

The Serbian made a couple of forehand errors – one that sailed long and another that refused to clear the net as he fell 0-30 behind in what proved to be final game. Djokovic offered Nadal three match points when he flailed a backhand long on the next point. Yet another classic between these two titans drew to a close when Djokovic sent his forehand beyond the baseline on the next point.

The gut busting victory took Nadal into his 8^th final at Roland Garros in nine attempts, making him the overwhelming favourite for another epochal title at this premier clay court championship. After witnessing such a high quality tussle between two equally determined men, it is difficult to pick otherwise, especially when the probable man across the net – Jo-Wilfried Tsonga or David Ferrer – lacks the experience or pedigree to mount a serious enough threat to the throne of the seven-time champion.

Nadal is now 58-1 at the French Open, his only loss having come in the fourth round in 2009 against Robin Soderling. With due respect to his opponent, count on Nadal to become the first man to win an unprecedented eight titles at the same grand slam event on Sunday.