With both Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic denying to shy away from a battle, their high-intensity encounter in the Roland Garros semifinal is shaping out into one of the finest in recent history. 

After a tenacious 97-minute-long third set, the World No. 1 has taken a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five match, coming back from a set down, with an incredible display of strokeplay. The encounter has already eclipsed three hours.  

This has been the most tightly fought set of the match yet, however, with Nadal eyeing a fightback, that could very well change. Both the first and the second set in the match was just shy of an hour. 

The winner of the encounter will make way into the French Open grand finale against Stefanos Tsitsipas. 

In the 2012 Australian Open final, Djokovic and Nadal played the longest ever Grand Slam final at five hours and 53 minutes, Djokovic came back from 4-2 down in the fifth set to win 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-7 (5/7), 7-5.

“I think it comes out on the top because, just the fact that we played almost six hours is incredible,” said Djokovic when asked if it had been his greatest ever match, according to AFP inputs.

An exhausted Nadal added: “Physically it was the toughest match I ever played.”

This encounter wouldn’t be far behind if Nadal can rekindle his mojo.