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| A Timeless Epic Takes 4 Hours 37 Minutes | A Timeless Epic Takes 4 Hours 37 Minutes |
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| PARIS — It was a mere semifinal, and it was even relegated to the first slot on the Friday schedule, which meant that the French love affair with the leisurely lunch guaranteed there would be plenty of empty seats at the Philippe Chatrier court when Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic walked on the red clay to renew the best rivalry in tennis. | PARIS — It was a mere semifinal, and it was even relegated to the first slot on the Friday schedule, which meant that the French love affair with the leisurely lunch guaranteed there would be plenty of empty seats at the Philippe Chatrier court when Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic walked on the red clay to renew the best rivalry in tennis. |
| But long before they finished chasing down each other’s bold strokes in the afternoon sunlight, it was clear that this match — the latest astonishing tennis match in this remarkable era — was anything but an undercard. | But long before they finished chasing down each other’s bold strokes in the afternoon sunlight, it was clear that this match — the latest astonishing tennis match in this remarkable era — was anything but an undercard. |
| The rematch of last year’s French Open final required 4 hours 37 minutes, and Nadal, the seven-time French Open champion, prevailed, 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 6-7 (3), 9-7, over Djokovic, the world’s No. 1 player. | The rematch of last year’s French Open final required 4 hours 37 minutes, and Nadal, the seven-time French Open champion, prevailed, 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 6-7 (3), 9-7, over Djokovic, the world’s No. 1 player. |
| “These kind of matches make the sport big,” Nadal said. “I lost similar one in Australia. Today was for me.” | “These kind of matches make the sport big,” Nadal said. “I lost similar one in Australia. Today was for me.” |
| The grueling victory earned, truly earned, Nadal a chance to retain his title Sunday against his fellow Spaniard David Ferrer, the fourth seed, who defeated Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France, 6-1, 7-6 (3), 6-2. | The grueling victory earned, truly earned, Nadal a chance to retain his title Sunday against his fellow Spaniard David Ferrer, the fourth seed, who defeated Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France, 6-1, 7-6 (3), 6-2. |
| This will be the first Grand Slam final for Ferrer, 31, who has long dwelled and excelled deep in Nadal’s shadow at home and abroad. | This will be the first Grand Slam final for Ferrer, 31, who has long dwelled and excelled deep in Nadal’s shadow at home and abroad. |
| Tsonga’s nationality — and the big French television audience that went along with it — explains why his match with Ferrer was scheduled second, in the slot typically reserved for the main event. | |
| But there was nothing minor in key about the operatic duel between Nadal and Djokovic, supreme athletes who symbolize this golden age with their ability to transition from defense to offense and back to defense in the matter of a few heartbeats. | But there was nothing minor in key about the operatic duel between Nadal and Djokovic, supreme athletes who symbolize this golden age with their ability to transition from defense to offense and back to defense in the matter of a few heartbeats. |
| Nadal, the 27-year-old from Majorca, has lost just one match in his long career at Roland Garros. That came against Robin Soderling of Sweden in the fourth round in 2009. | Nadal, the 27-year-old from Majorca, has lost just one match in his long career at Roland Garros. That came against Robin Soderling of Sweden in the fourth round in 2009. |
| After holding off Nadal at the end of the fourth set and leading by a service break and 4-3 in the fifth set, Djokovic appeared poised to give Soderling company and himself a chance to win the only Grand Slam singles title he lacks. | After holding off Nadal at the end of the fourth set and leading by a service break and 4-3 in the fifth set, Djokovic appeared poised to give Soderling company and himself a chance to win the only Grand Slam singles title he lacks. |
| But Nadal is one of the game’s great competitors and problem solvers. Looking slightly fresher down the stretch, he broke Djokovic’s serve in the long, eventful eighth game of the final set to get back to 4-4, then kept his cool and belief until breaking Djokovic’s serve at love to win the match. | But Nadal is one of the game’s great competitors and problem solvers. Looking slightly fresher down the stretch, he broke Djokovic’s serve in the long, eventful eighth game of the final set to get back to 4-4, then kept his cool and belief until breaking Djokovic’s serve at love to win the match. |
| “It’s been an unbelievable match to be a part of, but all I can feel now is disappointment; that’s it,” Djokovic said. “I congratulate my opponent because he showed the courage in the right moments and went for his shots and, you know, when he was a break down in the fifth, he made some incredible shots from the baseline. | “It’s been an unbelievable match to be a part of, but all I can feel now is disappointment; that’s it,” Djokovic said. “I congratulate my opponent because he showed the courage in the right moments and went for his shots and, you know, when he was a break down in the fifth, he made some incredible shots from the baseline. |
| “I congratulate him because that’s why he’s a champion. That’s why he’s been ruling Roland Garros for many years, and for me it’s another year.” | “I congratulate him because that’s why he’s a champion. That’s why he’s been ruling Roland Garros for many years, and for me it’s another year.” |
| Nadal recently missed seven months of action with injuries, returning to the circuit only in February. | Nadal recently missed seven months of action with injuries, returning to the circuit only in February. |
| Toni Nadal, Nadal’s uncle and longtime coach, said he could not have imagined then that his nephew would be back in the French Open final. | |
| “I know that this is very, very difficult for us to be here in the final when we have so many problems,” Toni Nadal said. | |
| Asked about his nephew’s knee problems, Toni Nadal agreed that it was a miracle, broke down in tears, halted the interview and retreated down the stairs leading to the main player locker room at Roland Garros. He said Rafael Nadal had also teared up when they met after the match. “Yes, Rafael was very, very emotional,” Toni Nadal said. | Asked about his nephew’s knee problems, Toni Nadal agreed that it was a miracle, broke down in tears, halted the interview and retreated down the stairs leading to the main player locker room at Roland Garros. He said Rafael Nadal had also teared up when they met after the match. “Yes, Rafael was very, very emotional,” Toni Nadal said. |
| But doubts about Rafael Nadal’s competitiveness were resolved months ago. Since his return, he has won six of eight tournaments, although he was still far from a prohibitive favorite on Friday at the event he has dominated as no other man has. | But doubts about Rafael Nadal’s competitiveness were resolved months ago. Since his return, he has won six of eight tournaments, although he was still far from a prohibitive favorite on Friday at the event he has dominated as no other man has. |
| Djokovic had made winning this tournament the main goal of his season, and he had also expressed a desire to win to honor the memory of his childhood coach Jelena Gencic, who died last Saturday in Serbia. Djokovic also had the faith derived from having beaten Nadal on red clay in their most recent match — the Monte Carlo Masters final in April, another event Nadal had ruled for years. But despite all his hunger and talent, the top-seeded Djokovic could not knock the third-seeded Nadal off his throne in Paris. | Djokovic had made winning this tournament the main goal of his season, and he had also expressed a desire to win to honor the memory of his childhood coach Jelena Gencic, who died last Saturday in Serbia. Djokovic also had the faith derived from having beaten Nadal on red clay in their most recent match — the Monte Carlo Masters final in April, another event Nadal had ruled for years. But despite all his hunger and talent, the top-seeded Djokovic could not knock the third-seeded Nadal off his throne in Paris. |
| Nadal now leads, 20-15, in their head-to-head rivalry, and this match will serve as a clay-court counterpoint to the 2012 Australian Open final, which Djokovic won in five sets and 5 hours 53 minutes, with both men too weary to stand at the awards ceremony. | |
| Paris has been a dark and dreary spot for most of this spring, but this was a warm, sunny day, and straw hats and bare shoulders were on display. The mood on the Roland Garros grounds was light, but the intensity on court was heavy from the start. | Paris has been a dark and dreary spot for most of this spring, but this was a warm, sunny day, and straw hats and bare shoulders were on display. The mood on the Roland Garros grounds was light, but the intensity on court was heavy from the start. |
| In the quick, windy conditions, Nadal’s wicked topspin forehand was often too much even for Djokovic and his versatile two-handed backhand in the early going. Djokovic also struggled to apply much pressure to Nadal’s serve, but he found his range on returns in the second set and evened the match with a surge of aggressive shotmaking. | In the quick, windy conditions, Nadal’s wicked topspin forehand was often too much even for Djokovic and his versatile two-handed backhand in the early going. Djokovic also struggled to apply much pressure to Nadal’s serve, but he found his range on returns in the second set and evened the match with a surge of aggressive shotmaking. |
| But Djokovic was soon wearing a flushed, slightly vacant look as Nadal’s level remained high and his own plummeted. Nadal had several chances to close out the match in the fourth set. He was twice up a break of serve and served for the match at 6-5, only to be broken himself. | But Djokovic was soon wearing a flushed, slightly vacant look as Nadal’s level remained high and his own plummeted. Nadal had several chances to close out the match in the fourth set. He was twice up a break of serve and served for the match at 6-5, only to be broken himself. |
| The match was, as expected, largely a baseline duel, but it ultimately turned for good at the net. Djokovic missed overheads that would have been routine for the Australian greats of tennis’s serve-and-volley past. | The match was, as expected, largely a baseline duel, but it ultimately turned for good at the net. Djokovic missed overheads that would have been routine for the Australian greats of tennis’s serve-and-volley past. |
| Up by 4-3 in the fifth set, and serving at deuce, Djokovic moved in to knock away a high volley and ended up running into the net after striking the ball for what would have been a winner. Though he protested, the chair umpire, Pascal Maria, applied the rules, giving Nadal the point because the ball had not yet bounced a second time when Djokovic touched the net. | |
| “What can I say, you know?” Djokovic said. “These particular moments in the matches with your biggest rivals, you need to make sure you use the opportunities.” | “What can I say, you know?” Djokovic said. “These particular moments in the matches with your biggest rivals, you need to make sure you use the opportunities.” |
| This was only the second five-set match that Nadal has played at the French Open. He beat John Isner in five sets in the first round here in 2011. He beat Djokovic in last year’s final in four sets over two days. | This was only the second five-set match that Nadal has played at the French Open. He beat John Isner in five sets in the first round here in 2011. He beat Djokovic in last year’s final in four sets over two days. |
| This time their summit meeting came one round earlier, and Sunday’s final is now in grave danger of becoming an anticlimax. Nadal, after all, leads Ferrer, 19-4. | This time their summit meeting came one round earlier, and Sunday’s final is now in grave danger of becoming an anticlimax. Nadal, after all, leads Ferrer, 19-4. |