Djokovic hails Nadal courage after epic

An emotional Novak Djokovic praised “champion” Rafael Nadal after the Serb suffered a heartbreaking five-set loss in the semi-finals of the French Open yesterday.

It was another classic match in an era defined by such encounters, with Djokovic and Nadal meeting for the 35th time.

The Spaniard now leads 20-15 and will bid for an unprecedented eighth title tomorrow, but it could so easily have been Djokovic celebrating reaching a second Roland Garros final in succession.