Unstoppable Nadal edges Djokovic to reach eighth Paris final

Saturday, 8 June 2013 01:08 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Reuters: Rafa Nadal displayed the athleticism and self-belief that earned him seven French Open titles to tame world number one Novak Djokovic 6-4 3-6 6-1 6-7(3) 9-7 in a pulsating 4-1/2 hour Roland Garros semi-final on Friday.

In a match of high-drama featuring a point penalty, a near tumble over the net and trick-shot mishaps, it was the sinew-stretching rallies that made the difference as Nadal withstood Djokovic’s baseline onslaught to extend his run at the claycourt major to a jaw-dropping 58-1.

Nadal had stood two points from the final in the fourth set when he inexplicably let Djokovic off the hook by dropping serve at 6-5 up.

Djokovic blitzed through the fourth set tiebreak 7-3 and then streaked into a 4-2 lead in the decider when Nadal’s fighting instincts kicked in to leave the Serb floundering.

A forehand long on match point secured Nadal an unprecedented eighth appearance in the Paris final and a meeting against either home hope Jo-Wilfried Tsonga or fellow Spaniard David Ferrer.

Discover Kapruka, the leading online shopping platform in Sri Lanka, where you can conveniently send Gifts and Flowers to your loved ones for any event including Valentine ’s Day. Explore a wide range of popular Shopping Categories on Kapruka, including Toys, Groceries, Electronics, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Flower Bouquets, Clothing, Watches, Lingerie, Gift Sets and Jewellery. Also if you’re interested in selling with Kapruka, Partner Central by Kapruka is the best solution to start with. Moreover, through Kapruka Global Shop, you can also enjoy the convenience of purchasing products from renowned platforms like Amazon and eBay and have them delivered to Sri Lanka.