Nadal meets Djokovic at Roland Garros

The Spaniard beats Auger-Aliassime in five sets and the pass to the semifinals will be played against the number one

Bernabé Zapata stood up but fell to Zverev

MADRID, 29 May. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The Spanish tennis player Rafa Nadal won (3-6, 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3) the Canadian Auger-Aliassime to reach the quarterfinal round of Roland Garros, second 'Grand Slam' of the season, where he will face the number one and defending champion Novak Djokovic, while Bernabé Zapata gave in on his historic path.

Nadal had the first serious rival this week in Paris with the pupil of his uncle Toni. Auger-Aliassime, a powerful rival, young and regularly on the clay tour, entered without complexes and snatched the Spanish his first set of the tournament. He took control of the 13-time champion and still gave himself another bit of recital to win the fifth set against a near-perfect Felix.

The man from Manacor did not stand still with the 1-5 and began an awakening that, although he did not succeed in avoiding giving up the opening set, did show him the way and the level he needed. In the second set he still had to defend against the American, who was close to breaking in the third game. Nadal grew up and smelled the blood at the decisive moment.

The Spaniard broke in the eighth game and then leveled the match. The one from Manacor did not finish submitting his rival, with options for both in the third set that Nadal scored, taking better advantage of his options and without any fatigue approaching the three hours of the match. The fourth set seemed like an obligation.

However, Auger-Aliassime returned to the game with game and head, while Nadal saw the challenge lengthen and complicate. The Spaniard entered the rush and left many options for the Canadian to add two 'break' (3-6). The Balearic saw himself for the third time, in 112 games, in a fifth set in Paris.

The king of the earth curbed his eagerness to win and gave no more gifts. His rival, 21 years old, held her pulse until he felt the pressure of the 21-year-old champion in the eighth game. On the attack, Nadal broke and then fastened the declaration of intentions of the head of the Philippe Chatrier, without physical problems despite the four-and-a-half hours, for the great challenge of a fresher Djokovic.

For his 59th confrontation with 'Nole', defeated in the semi-finals in Paris last year, the Spaniard will have to improve. The number one goes like a shot on the French land, with the run he brought from Belgrade and Rome, and Diego Schwartzman suffered in the fourth round (6-1, 6-3, 6-3). The Argentine was far from the battle that planted the Serbian in 2017, although he started breaking in the first two sets.

The champion's response was overwhelming, with five games in a row in the first act and six in the second. In the third set no door was left open for a 'Nole' who feels strong in search of his 21st 'Grand Slam', after starting the year with deportation in Australia.

Meanwhile, Zapata fought like a titan against Alexander Zverev, but the award went to the German (7-6(11), 7-5, 6-3) although a standing ovation from Suzanne Lenglen took the Spanish and tournament surprise . On his way from qualifying to his first fourth round in a 'Grand Slam', the Valencian ran into one of the favourites. The German, who has been left with honey on his lips so far on the dirt tour, lowered his rival from the cloud.

Despite starting the match with 1-4 against, the Spaniard reacted until he had three set points in the tie-break. Zapata also fought him in the second set, with a 'break' to start, but the German accepted the back and forth with more determination. He was not in control of the world number three, but in another crazy set of alternatives, he sentenced his ticket to the second week.