Nadal vs Djokovic 2013 Men's semi-final | Roland-Garros Classic Match

Ready? Today it's the Nadal Djokovic rematch at the semi-final stage. The world number one from Belgrade won their only encounter so far this year, ending the Spaniard's eight-year reign on the Monte Carlo clay. However, in this event, Nadal has raised his game as the temperature has climbed. It's going to be a must-see match with no one confident of the outcome. For me it's not a dream. I prefer an easier opponent. But it's always interesting to play against Novak. I think he's playing great. I think I played very bad the first couple of matches. That's my feeling. But I am improving during the tournament. I play a little bit better every day. The round of 16 against Nishikori was an important improvement for me. I started to manage very well all the aspects of the game and all the things that make me play well. So that's fantastic news for me. And for sure the semi-finals is a very advanced round. So it's a great thing. These kind of matches are always special because you know that if you are not playing at your best, you will not have chances. Playing against Novak is always a special feeling because we played so many times. He beat me a lot of times. I beat him a lot of times too. That makes the match interesting and will be a difficult battle. Hopefully for both of us. I hope to play my best match. Well, Nadal talks about their play to one another a lot of times. They sure have. This is the 35th meeting between Djokovic and Nadal and at the moment Nadal leads 19 to 15. And this is what the warmer conditions, how they affect Nadal's play. Applause from Djokovic. They've played to one another many times. He knew where that was going. But it was just too good a shot. He's out of camera range when he hits this. And he threads the needle. Very low over the net. Cross court. Good angle. While Djokovic saw him hesitate, nearly stumbled in this one here. He can barely get out of the way. So he's forced to go to the forehand but it's not anywhere near close enough to the line. Stumbles here. And watch how balanced he is when he makes this shot. Just knows it's right there in the slot. 40-15. Set points. Good serve into the body. Moving into the body. Djokovic couldn't control it. So it's Nadal. First blood. First set. Six games to four. Both these fellas got great respect for one another. But I'm sure Djokovic had a few quiet words for himself when this one went in. The way he wants him, accordingly. But it is Nadal who has the break. Sat in 3-2. He knew too much about this one when he moves in. He didn't really get down to it. But the racket head stays firm. Plays the drop volley. Didn't bend the knees too much. But just enough that Nadal couldn't do anything with it when he got there. Crowd reaction. This one is now 5-3. Djokovic serving to even it up. Djokovic, man. I think you're a wise man, Fred Stolivic. At 30-love, Rafa missed the first serve. And the ability by Djokovic to step on the second serve. And I think that just created the momentum for him in that game. From Djokovic. You guys know one another so well. They respect one another. It's just who is just that little bit better on the day and comes up with some miraculous shots. Always entertaining. He hit the off one. The last one had a lot of heavy topspin on it. It was right under the line. Caps his heart. Say, well, I'm in this. And he is. It's one set apiece. That's just brilliant. Both boys winning the ball. We were setting the bit. It was Nadal and Djokovic not so good. And then Djokovic came through. And now this is just perfect stuff now. This is top class. Top shelf. Go on, Kents. A bit of a hobble there. Kents up. Set point number three. Lovely. There's a point penalty. Lovely. You know, the crowd, they're not happy. But it's got to be done. It has to be done. They make the rules. They have to abide by them. Good call. They don't understand the rules. That is the third set two. The seven-time champion here, Rafael Nadal. And he now leads two sets to one. Yeah, that gets a partial standing ovation in here. Lots of effort put in there. See the dust fly off the line. Just haven't been able to make enough of these today. Djokovic still facing a break point. Oh, that one's long. And he frames it. So Djokovic in trouble. Nadal with that break at 4-3 in the fourth set. Leading two sets to one. This one very early. But you know what, Fiery? There wasn't a lot of bounce off of the Nadal forehand. We've seen so much kick from that wing Nadal in this match. Break points, 15-40. A shag return from Djokovic. Takes Nadal out of the court. There was, and at the cross-court backhand. Certainly surmised that that's ignited his improved play. That happened a few matches ago. Backhand cross-court was in working order then. Purpose this one from Nadal. Rolls it there, three-quarter court. And he takes the risks. What a crowd are loving at Wynn. That's been a match-winning shot all day. Forehand down the line by Nadal. And there was a big effort in that rally. You could hear from his grunting. It's a bit of a gamble. He held his ground, covered the line. A number of times he's been burnt by Rafa's incredible cross-court pass. Great serve out wide, took his man off the court. But it was an awesome return by Nadal. Gutsy forehand, as you said, Fred. Not an easy smash, that took an awkward bounce. It just hung up in the air. Bruisy conditions. 7-6, we're heading all the way. A couple of calls at the back of the court there with Ash calling. It was not, and there's a reaction from Djokovic. One love, final set, service break. Great shot again from Nadal, and then he's got to do it again. Off the back foot, creates the angle. But these guys are fatiguing as well. It's like the more fatigue, it just lifts the level. Two love. He's hit a number of winners in this game, Rafa, and he still hasn't clinched it. One of those things where Djokovic went back into there five or six times, and then he finished up painting the line at 3-2. The risk you take when you go back there. The backhand has been pretty tentative like this. He's playing that one safely. Not the forehand, though. Lost the point. This is a correct call, though. If you touch the neck before the ball bounces, it's not there. If he hits it. But if it hasn't bounced the second time, the ball is still alive. Djokovic is trying to argue that the ball was outside of the court, and that is totally irrelevant. It has to bounce twice for the ball to be considered dead. And in an effort to try and finish this point off, I mean, if he'd just let that bounce. Rafa knows what the rule is. Just have to hesitate a little. 30-15 now. Adele just happy to keep that last rally going. It's in. And it goes in the court. Unbelievable. That's a forehand that's played after four hours and 22 minutes. This is a winner that Djokovic hits here. Or he thought it might have been. He never even took a step. One step. Another incredible winner from Nadal. Doesn't let the ball come to him. Well, Nadal had given that away because he played the between-the-leg shot. And if he thought he'd done anything, if he wanted to play it up, he'd have basically given it away. And Djokovic misses the overhead. Djokovic wanting Pascal Maria to make a decision on the court surface. He said it's very slippery. He said get out and check it for yourself behind the baseline, how slippery it is. You mentioned a few games ago that Djokovic, I think, requested for the court to be watered again to basically stop it from being as slippery behind the baseline. But, of course, that can't happen. As Mark Woodford said, you've got to come out there and bag the court to take away the marks and then water it. And that conversation is still ongoing as well. Not necessarily between Djokovic, but Pascal Maria is on the walkie-talkie to Stéphane Françin, the referee. That may have been why Stéphane Françin came out and spoke to Djokovic. We were wondering why that happened a couple of games ago. And I think they just finished the conversation saying that the court guy doesn't think the court needs watering either. Retrieving skills from the Spaniard. Unbelievable. Threw up that very, very high lob. Under the gun, he's made Djokovic play four or five pretty tough overheads the last few games. That's going to take it out of him. Lob 15. Good serve. And he took the chance to come in. Wasn't a great approach shot down the centre third of the court. Rafa still having to stretch. And boy, he finds the corner. I think Djokovic had a play and just pulled back from it. Lob 30. There's three match points now for Djokovic. Uncle Tony's out of his seat. He's jumping up and down. That will do it. He's through to yet another French final. And what an effort from these boys. Novak Djokovic. His dream will have to wait for another year. But a fabulous effort. I mean, it's just amazing. It took a superhuman effort. And Nadal, I don't think we should ever question his fighting ability. Absolutely amazing. A reverse of what happened at the Australian Open. And Nadal moves through to another final. And boy, it is going to take a superman effort. Regardless of his opponent come Sunday. But what a classy act though to Nadal after all that. He goes out and he gets the accolades from the crowd. And then points to Djokovic. Uncle Tony applauding Djokovic. Nadal applauding Djokovic. And these boys obviously got a standing ovation when this one finished. We feel a lot of emotion in your eyes, in your voice. Because you served for the match in the 4th set. You were down the break in the 5th. And you fight and you fight. And finally you make it. Yes, it's the only way. You know how a good player is. It's Novak, he's a fighter. And you know that when I was serving for the match with the 6-5 in the 4th. I was serving against the wind. So I know that was going to be a tough game. Because Novak always in the difficult moments he puts one more ball inside. And he has this special feeling in these very tough moments. So I was ready for the fight. I was a little bit lucky in that game in the 4-3. But I think I really fighted a lot. In Australia in 2012 was a similar match. And then he won. Today was me. That's the good thing about the sport. Sometimes one, sometimes others. And that makes the sport very big. Match to be part of. No, I can't feel now. I'm just disappointed. That's it. I congratulate my opponent. Because he showed the courage in the right moments. And went for his shots. When he was break down in the 5th. He made some incredible shots from the baseline. And I congratulate him. Because that's why he's a champion. That's why he's been ruling Roland-Garros for many years. For me it's another year. What makes this match classic is because we play a lot of times in important moments. In important situations for both of our careers. Happened the same with Roger and Novak. We already played a lot of times in very important moments for both of us. That makes this match interesting. That makes this match special for us and for the people too. Because become a classic match. And that's all. I really hope to have the chance to keep playing tennis for a lot of years. And have the chance to have rivals like Novak.