Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal met in the semi-finals of the French Open on Friday.
World number one Djokovic, who lost last year's final at the hands of Nadal, had never previously won the Paris Grand Slam.
Meanwhile, seven-time champion Nadal was continuing his bid to win a fourth consecutive Roland Garros title.
Find out how the match unfolded below with Sports Mole's blow-by-blow text coverage.
Good morning and thank you for joining Sports Mole for what promises to be an exciting last-four clash between two great modern-day rivals.
Prior to today, these two have played each other on 34 occasions. That is incredible when you consider that Nadal and Roger Federer have only met 29 times.
Nadal has beaten Djokovic 19 times, while the Serbian has been successful on 15 occasions.
The last 11 matches between these two have been in finals. Djokovic won the last battle - the final of the Monte Carlo Masters in April - 6-2 7-6. However, before that, Nadal had won three in a row, all of which were played on clay.
PREDICTION: When these two met in last year's final, Nadal prevailed 6-4 6-3 2-6 7-5. I think that the Spaniard will win in four sets again today.
Both players are out on Court Philippe Chatrier, which is bathed in sunshine.
Djokovic has won the toss and elected to serve first.
The warm-ups are over and play is about to begin...
Good early signs for Djokovic as, despite failing to make first serves during the opening two points, he wins two lengthy rallies to lead 30-0.
Djokovic finds two big first serves and closes out the opening game to love.
Resilient response by Nadal, who holds to 40. Djokovic is the much more aggressive player right now, but will he be able to maintain it? He will have to, because, as we know, Nadal is frighteningly consistent.
Impressive stuff from Djokovic as he holds to 30. The world number one twice showed very good touch at the net in that game.
We are still on serve, as Nadal holds to 30. From what we have seen so far, with 21 minutes gone, it looks like it could be a long match.
First ace of the match for Djokovic - his 27th of the tournament. The ability to win cheap points will be very important in this match. 15-0.
Djokovic's forehand twice swings waywardly and, as a result, his serve is now under pressure for the first time today. 15-30.
The Serb hangs on in there with some committed hitting and holds to 40.
Nadal wins the opening point of his service game following a brilliant athletic exchange, during which Djokovic appeared to twist his left knee. However, the world number one says that he is fine and his supporters breath a sigh of relief.
Nadal holds to love.
BREAK POINT: Djokovic looks unsettled. He produces two poor unforced errors to leave Nadal with advantage.
Djokovic saves break point with an ace, but then misfires to give Nadal another chance. However, a big first serve does the trick again for the Serb. 40-40.
BREAK POINT: Nadal senses blood as he brings about a third break point with a piercing forehand winner.
NADAL BREAKS: More relentless precision and power forces an error from Djokovic, as Nadal takes command in the opening set.
I mentioned the importance of cheap points earlier. Nadal has just won four of them to hold to love. Djokovic will now serve to stay in the set.
Easy hold to 15 for Djokovic. Nadal seems content to leave it to his service game to seal the opening set.
FIRST SET NADAL: Sealed with an ace, the Spaniard holds to 15 to take the opening set 6-4.
Nadal produces the shot of the match in the first game of the second set. He seems to be losing the exchange, as Djokovic thumps a deep cross-court forehand into the ad court. However, somehow, on the run and off balance, the Spaniard manages to fire a sensational forehand winner down the line. 0-15.
Djokovic claims a vital hold to 30. It is very important that he does not allow Nadal the opportunity to race away in this match.
Nadal holds to 30, leaving Djokovic furious with himself. The Serb managed to get to 30-30, but two unforced errors then handed the game to his rival.
The roles are reversed in game three. Djokovic is under pressure at 30-30, but, this time, Nadal provides a couple of errors and the Serb holds.
Nadal receives a time violation at 0-15. He looks far from impressed.
Perhaps fuelled by his annoyance at being told off, Nadal responds in style to hold to 15 and level the set at two games each.
BREAK POINT: Nadal bludgeons his way to 30-40 on the Djokovic serve. Anticipation building...
NADAL BREAKS: Djokovic thinks that he has done enough with a drop shot, but Nadal's pace is underestimated and the Spaniard races to the net, before punching the ball down the line for simple put-away.
BREAK POINT: Delightful play from Djokovic. Nadal does his best to return everything thrown at him, but the Serb is relentless and nails an unstoppable winner to bring up his first break point.
DJOKOVIC BREAKS: Nadal saves two break points but then provides the Serb with a third, which is converted when the defending champion drills a forehand into the tramline on the ad court.
Djokovic consolidates his break by holding to 30.
BREAK POINT: Nadal is stuttering right now and double faults at deuce to leave Djokovic with the chance to take at 5-3 lead.
DJOKOVIC BREAKS: The Serb wins his third straight game, as he forces Nadal incredibly deep and cracks a venomous forehand to leave the Spaniard with no chance.
SECOND SET DJOKOVIC: The world number one has hit his way right back into this match. He needed to up his aggression - and he has done just that.
This match is 100 minutes and 125 points old. Djokovic has won 62 of them, while Nadal has claimed one more.
Both players have recorded three aces, the fasted of which was hit at 201 kmph by the Serb.
Nadal has hit 24 winners and 17 unforced errors, while Djokovic has made 21 winners and 25 unforced errors.
Lucky escape for Nadal at the start of set three. Djokovic forces the opening game to deuce but then plays two loose shots to donate a vital hold to his Spanish opponent.
BREAK POINT: Nadal reels off three straight points to leave him 30-40 up on his opponent's serve.
NADAL BREAKS: Nadal takes control of the point immediately by attacking a tame second serve. Djokovic is forced to go for broke and his all-or-nothing cross-court drive lands just wide.
Easy love hold for Nadal, who, in the blink of an eye, has amassed a three-game lead in set three.
NADAL BREAKS: Djokovic appears to have thrown the towel in as far as the third set is concerned. Errors a plenty as he is broken to 15 for a 4-0 deficit.
Djokovic looks like he is trying to conserve energy for sets four and five. Nadal holds to love and leads 5-0 in the third.
Djokovic's semi-compliant slump continues as he falls 15-40 behind on his own serve. However, he responds by digging in to finally put a game on the board in set three.
That hold for Djokovic could prove to be important. It means that, if Nadal now holds, the Serb will serve first in the fourth set.
Nadal has THREE SET POINTS, but one is quickly taken off him by the umpire, who acts on the previous TIME VIOLATION warning.
THIRD SET NADAL: The Spaniard holds to 15 and now leads 6-4 3-6 6-1.
Djokovic was well out of sorts in that set, winning only 12 of 40 points, hitting 13 unforced errors and making just five winners.
Perfect start to the set for Djokovic, who holds to love.
Nadal responds in kind to square the set up at one game each.
Djokovic earns another important hold (to 30), as well as the respect of his opponent, who offers his applause after the Serb wins a stunning exchange involving five extravagant drop shots.
The set continues to go comfortably with serve, as Nadal holds to 15.
The Djokovic serve is really starting to fire now. The world number one holds to love again, meaning that he has now won 14 of his last 16 service points.
Nadal holds to 15. The first player to blink will lose this set.
Djokovic is on the brink of blinking. He's under pressure at 0-30.
TWO BREAK POINTS: Djokovic gives us the bad and the brilliant within moments of each other. First, he constructs a glorious point, finished with a sublime forehand onto the line. However, he undoes his good work straight away with a tired error to leave Nadal with two break points.
NADAL BREAKS: The Spaniard takes the game to 30 and this match seems to be coming to a close.
Or is it? With nothing to lose, Djokovic lets loose and thrashes his way to TWO BREAK POINTS of his own.
DJOKOVIC BREAKS: It's back on serve as the world number one breaks straight back to 15. Nadal looks perplexed - he did nothing wrong, Djokovic just played phenomenally. The Serb now needs to maintain this level of performance.
Djokovic holds to love. All of a sudden, Nadal must serve to stay in the set...
Nadal passes the test with flying colours, holding to love to pile the pressure back onto his opponent.
BREAK POINT: Nadal grinds his way to deuce and, after surviving one game point, his opponent nets a regulation forehand. Advantage Nadal.
NADAL BREAKS: Djokovic looks like he is in control of the rally, but Nadal's sensational defence keeps him alive in the point before the Serb goes long with a flat forehand drive. Nadal will now serve for a place in the French Open final for the eighth time in nine years.
BREAK POINT: This is not over yet! More almost-apathetic hitting by Djokovic allows him to turn 30-15 into 30-40.
DJOKOVIC BREAKS: We are heading for a tie-break! Extraordinary. Twice in this set Djokovic has looked down and out, but responded with tennis of the highest order.
Fourth set tie-break: Djokovic *1-0 Nadal.
Fourth set tie-break: Djokovic 2-0* Nadal.
Fourth set tie-break: Djokovic *2-1 Nadal.
Fourth set tie-break: Djokovic *3-1 Nadal.
Fourth set tie-break: Djokovic 4-1* Nadal. The momentum is swinging in the world number one's favour. What must be going on in Nadal's head?
Fourth set tie-break: Djokovic 4-2* Nadal. Well, he certainly hasn't given up hope. The Spaniard lets out a huge "VAMOS" as he wins the final point before the change of ends.
Fourth set tie-break: Djokovic *4-3 Nadal.
Fourth set tie-break: Djokovic *5-3 Nadal.
Fourth set tie-break: Djokovic 6-3* Nadal. THREE SETS POINTS FOR DJOKOVIC...
FOURTH SET DJOKOVIC: The Serb takes the breaker 7-3 and this match is going the distance.
Djokovic looked down and out in that last set, but he came up with really brave plays at crucial moments. He came to the net on 10 occasions, winning nine points.
THREE BREAK POINTS: The momentum is certainly with Djokovic, who races into a 0-40 lead at the start of the deciding set.
DJOKOVIC BREAKS: He fails to convert his first two break points but makes no mistake at the third time of asking. Nadal gives a member of the crowd an evil stare, after they called out mid-point.
BREAK POINT: At 30-30, Djokovic fails to see off Nadal with two huge smashes. The Spaniard somehow manages to get the second back into play, and Djokovic goes long.
Brilliant from Djokovic, who saves break point and then holds to 40 courtesy of some brutal baseline bashing.
Nadal keeps his head above water with a gritty hold to 30.
Incredible return from Nadal to take a 0-15 lead. Djokovic finds the baseline with a powerful double-handed backhand, but, somehow, Nadal manages to get to it and redirect it down the line for a sensational winner.
Frustration for Nadal, who wastes his previous good work with a hat-trick of errors to allow Djokovic to hold to 30.
Nadal hits two fabulous forehands onto the line as he holds to 40. He then raises his fist in the air and stares across the net at Djokovic. This is far from over.
Perfect response from Djokovic, who secures a love service game - the first of the final set.
Nadal holds to 15, but, if he fails to break Djokovic in the next game, the world number one will be just one game away from a place in the final of Nadal's Grand Slam!
Nadal has a real sniff of a break at 0-30 as Djokovic's tentative forehand is punished by the Spaniard.
Nadal bangs his racket against his head after a sloppy unforced error into the net. 15-30.
30-30.
BREAK POINT: An unbelievable backhand from Nadal finds the line and he moves to within one point of levelling the match once again.
Gutsy stuff from Djokovic and the break point is saved. 40-40.
Time violation warning for Djokovic.
BREAK POINT: Amazing point. Djokovic puts away a simple volley, but the world number one then loses his balance and falls onto the net, handing his opponent the point by default.
NADAL BREAKS: Djokovic saves the second break point, but Nadal forces a third, which is converted as Djokovic nets from the baseline.
Nadal holds to 15. The Spaniard failed to serve out for the match at the end of the fourth set, but he is just one game away from victory once again.
This is just getting silly now. Rafael Nadal has just made the most ridiculous dipping forehand to level the game at 30-30.
Djokovic shows great resilience and holds to 30.
Nadal's sixth ace of the match - first of the final set - sees him hold to 15.
Djokovic holds to love. If this was in New York then we would be heading for a decisive tie-break, but, as Roland Garros conforms to normal Grand Slam rules, the victor must win by two clear games.
Nadal holds to 15. Djokovic must again serve to stay in the French Open.
Djokovic fails to convert his first two of three game points, but he keeps calm and holds to 30.
Nadal loses the opening point of his service game, but he responds to holds authoritatively to 15.
THREE MATCH POINTS...
GAME SET AND MATCH NADAL: The third seed breaks to love and wins 6-4 3-6 6-1 6-7 9-7.
What a match! Two players at the top of their games have provided us with an absolute treat on Court Philippe Chatrier this afternoon. Djokovic, as his ranking would suggest, was world class, but this is Nadal's surface and this is Nadal's stage. The Spaniard advances to Sunday's final, where either Jo-Wilfried Tsonga or David Ferrer will attempt to stop him from winning his eight French Open singles title. Good luck with that!
Written by
Robert Summerscales
Robert Summerscales
