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PARIS: Rafael Nadal set up a blockbuster French Open quarter-final against world number one Novak Djokovic on Sunday when he defeated Felix Auger-Aliassime in a five-set fourth round epic.
Nadal, the 13-time champion at Roland Garros and holder of a record 21 Grand Slam titles, triumphed over the Canadian 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 in a match which lasted four hours and 21 minutes.
It was only the third time in his 17-year, 111-match career in Paris that Nadal had been stretched to five sets.
Nadal and Djokovic will meet for the 10th time at Roland Garros and 59th overall in a rivalry stretching back to 2006.
“We know each other well, we have a lot of history. The only thing I can say is that I will be focussed, try my best and fight until the end,” said Nadal of renewing his rivalry with the defending champion on Tuesday.
Nadal hailed Auger-Aliassime who has been working with his uncle and former coach Toni since April last year.
“Felix is a great player, one of the best in the world. He’s very young with a lot of power and great mobility,” said the 35-year-old Spaniard.
“He was a very tough opponent for me, he is doing a lot of things well and has improved every year.
“He is a great guy and a good colleague on the tour.”
Meanwhile Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas continue their campaigns in the men’s draw.
Tsitsipas, last year’s runner-up, takes on Holger Rune who has become the first Danish man to reach the last 16 of a Grand Slam event since Kenneth Carlsen at the 1993 Australian Open.
Greek star Tsitsipas struggled past Lorenzo Musetti in five sets in his opening round before needing over four hours to beat Czech world number 134 Zdenek Kolar in four sets.
But he was back to his best in round three with a straight-sets demolition of Mikael Ymer.
Tsitsipas is still searching for a maiden major title, having blown a two-set lead to lose to Novak Djokovic in the 2021 final in Paris.
The 19-year-old Rune only made his Grand Slam debut at last year’s US Open, taking a set off Djokovic.
Monday’s night match on Court Philippe Chatrier sees world number two Daniil Medvedev play former US Open champion Marin Cilic.
His fellow Russians Veronika Kudermetova, Daria Kasatkina and Andrey Rublev are all also in action as they look to make a mark before missing out on Wimbledon after being banned over their country’s invasion of Ukraine.
Poland's Iga Swiatek (left) and China's Zheng Qinwen will face each other on Monday. (AFP)
Swiatek eyes third straight French Open quarter-final
In the wemen category, world number one Iga Swiatek faces rising Chinese star Zheng Qinwen for a place in the French Open quarter-finals on Monday.
Swiatek, the Roland Garros champion in 2020, is on a 31-match winning streak and bidding to reach the last eight for a third straight year.
“From my point of view, I don’t really mind the streak,” she said after her third-round win over Danka Kovinic.
“I’m just playing my tennis. I gain so much points this season already that I try to look at it from that perspective that I actually have nothing to lose here.”
Swiatek, who has won WTA 1,000 titles this season at Indian Wells, Miami and Rome, has not even dropped a set in her last nine matches.
But she may face a tougher test against Zheng who has knocked out former champion Simona Halep and home favorite Alize Cornet during her run to the fourth round.
The 19-year-old has won five second-tier ITF titles since the start of last year and has quickly climbed to 74th in the WTA rankings.
“I’m not really familiar (with Zheng), honestly,” said Swiatek of her upcoming opponent. “Because I didn’t watch a lot of tennis during the past couple of months, but I have heard some other players talking about her.”
Zheng was the only Chinese player to get past the first round and is bringing some joy to tennis fans back home, who have had little on court to cheer following the Covid pandemic and the Peng Shuai scandal.
“I have been prepared for this match, because I really want to play against her. So I’m excited for this match,” said Zheng after Cornet retired from their third-round meeting while trailing 6-0, 3-0.
“I know what I can do and I have to be patient and to wait for the moment to come.”