Djokovic v Nadal - French Open Quarter Final 2022

I believe it is. I saw some stats and the 2nd most two players had played each other at a slam was like 5 or 6.

A couple of days ago I'd have said a nailed on Novak in 3. But that Felix match has shook me all night long. Felix was right in the zone, his mind was focused and he didn't lose composure. Nadal was all over the shop, hanging in there after his big night out like Mallorca's answer to Tommy Paul. And yet he found something he really had no right to find.

In any other era Felix wins that match. The McEnroe era, the Becker era. Even the Sampras era.
The (real and ONLY) Big 3 are just not normal.

I really want Novak to win this after Nadal didn't support him in Melbourne.  But anything can happen here.

His foot is really bothering him, I wouldn't be surprised if he pulled out of retired mid match. Alternative is to take some ultra strong painkillers on the banned list.

Nadal has/had requested that today's match was scheduled first on in the men's, it was rejected, his moonballs and spin aren't going to have the same affect tonight. They probably would have obliged as they usually do but it's a TV decision.

Winner takes all.

A final 2 rounds early.

Cant see Nadal getting close here to be honest

Djock was robbed of the record so this is karma for Nadal

It's the biggest match of 2022 anyway. Nadal wins he's two clear which could be the killing blow.

Crowd booing Novak but he beat Fed at that Wimbledon in front of a crowd that hated him and he just grinned at them with grass in his mouth.

Nadal reading his own script, 14 French Open's in the same city where his team won their 14th Champions League in the space of a week

Seems there's no panic as there will be a perception Novak is doing the mouse and cheese thing here, not much intensity in his returning, looking perturbed etc.
But if he goes down an early break in Set 2... panic city

I went all in with my tennis bank at @ Nadal.

Would have gone in earlier but was still smiling from the last win from Zverev vs Alcaraz.
Nadal wins, Its 99.9% guarantee.
Djokovic is physically in my view and I always watch big tournaments, hes just not strong enough to match Nadal fast serves.

edit:

I mean went in at @ 2 odds. Should have gone in at 3.

Nadal fanboys will be unbearable if he wins this tournament

Ok Djoko is trying to make a comeback.

Novak easy from here

From 4.8 to to 2.12 in 10 minutes.

Some swing for mid 2nd set

May 31, 2022 -- 9:33PM, tobermory wrote:

Novak easy from here

Maybe not easy if it takes 20 minutes to win one game

1.71 Novak

If this was Madrid or Rome you're looking at this and thinking it's absolute Novakian Rope-a-dope

But with everything that's on the line here with the history books etc it's seems too brazen.  And yet... it's plausible

May 30, 2022 -- 10:39AM, SamuelMertensBertens wrote:

I believe it is. I saw some stats and the 2nd most two players had played each other at a slam was like 5 or 6.

Is that just current players? McEnroe- Lendl played 10. I was surprised it is only 10 between Rafa and Novak, considering 15 years both in top 4 and long periods where they hardly lost to anyone else.

Oh I see, it is just at 1 tournament

is this the longest non final set of all time

This could go on until 3am

Novak raging that they've changed his bottle?

Absolutely furious at the changeover

nadal wins this set, he will be fav

Strange that Novak brought no momentum into this set.

Any stats nerds know what the latest ever finish for a Novak/Nadal match is

ridiculous Novak still fav

Iga said in her column she was going to watch this match because she would be 'too curious' not to.

It's also her birthday. Just as well she's not the first match on court tomorrow.

May 31, 2022 -- 11:19PM, mesmerised wrote:

Any stats nerds know what the latest ever finish for a Novak/Nadal match is

Melbourne in 2012 finished 1:37am local time.

Rafa coming back to win it in the 4th Set.....yet he still hasnt gone below 1.6!!

Sporting gods, please don't let Rafa go two slams clear in a coinflip tiebreak

^
Legit forgot it's not the final

And its a win.

Well done with your full bank job.

There was some weird stuff in that match though. There was a bottle of fluid that got intercepted when it was on its way to Novak.
And he went absolutely ape about it. And then the way he gave that set up from a winning position. Really an odd match.

coin flip tie break ?

hardly, Joker has an atrocious record in TBs.

May 31, 2022 -- 9:26PM, mesmerised wrote:

Nadal fanboys will be unbearable if he wins this tournament

VAMOS

Luckily one of them is banned.

Actually woke up in a flouncing state of mind tbh.
I cannot get my head around Novak losing that fourth set.

I think he mentally switched off thinking Rafa was going to save himself for a 5th set.

So he got owned on the court and owned in the mindgames as well

Yeah, think he's admitted as much:

"Nadal showed why he is a great champion and stayed mentally tough. No doubt he deserves it,"

Novak bottled the TB immensely. Definitely not as mentally tough as others. That's why he gets himself in these bad positions where he should be winning. He undoubtedly is the better player (given Rafas slight limitations yesterday).

Novak bottled it? have a day off, simply outplayed by the better clay court player, who turned out to have his special doctor with him, apparently he wasn't available in Rome, not the first excuse he's used for a loss.

So little between Novak and Rafa but the 2 best of all-time for sure, Fed a distant 3rd imho. Rafa definitely the better player on clay, but small margins on hard courts and grass.

We are privileged to be living in this era of tennis. It's gladiatorial, a compelling rivalry, 30-29 says it all. Never forget their last match on grass in the sf in 2018, Novak edging it 10-8 in the 5th set but that was significantly played under the roof throughout which gave him a tiny advantage. If, somehow, Rafa's body holds up, I think he has the remainder of this season and next season to try & push further ahead in G.O.A.T. race. But I still think Novak will probably end up winning more Slams than him.

johnny rant.....cant see aus gov dropping vaccine requirement to play in aus open. that restricts novak to 3 slams a year. not sure he will get past rafa in goat race. agree with you about fed. not even in top 2.