French Open 2022: Nadal reaches final as Zverev retires

Bengaluru, June 3: Birthday boy Rafael Nadal advanced to the French Open 2022 finals in tragic circumstances after his opponent Alexander Zverev was forced to quit midway through their semifinal clash on Friday (June 3) after suffering a horror right ankle injury.

Zverev had to leave the court in a wheelchair after turning his ankle trailing 6-7 (8-10), 6-6 after more than three hours of play in the Parisian clay.

Deep in the second set of the Roland Garros semifinal against Nadal, who turned 36 on Friday (June 3) Zverev ran for a ball behind the baseline and turned his ankle.

Immediately, the German yelled in pain, then writhed on the terre battue as the 13-time French Open champion walked across the net to offer support, a moment which just showed how the sport is bigger than the individual.

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After screaming in anguish, a tearful Zverev was helped from the court by medics.

Minutes later, the 25-year-old returned to the court on crutches and conceded the match.

"It's very tough and very sad for him. He was playing an unbelievable tournament and he's a very good colleague on the tour," said Nadal.

"I know how much he's fighting to win a Grand Slam. For the moment, he was very unlucky. I'm sure he'll win not one, but much more than one. I wish him all the best.

"It had been a super tough match. Over three hours and we didn't even finish the second set. It's one of the biggest challenges on the tour when he's playing like he did today."

He added: "For me, to be in the final of Roland Garros is a dream, without a doubt, but at the same time, for it to finish that way... I have been there in the small room with Sascha and to see him crying like that - I wish him all the best."

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Earlier, the fifth-seeded Spaniard had booked his semifinal slot by beating world number one and defending champion Djokovic of Serbia in match that was decided in four sets, 6-2 4-6 6-2 7-6(4) in the last eight match that last for four hours and 12 minutes.

Zverev made an ideal start when breaking Nadal's service in the first game of the match, but Spain's king of clay hit back in the eighth game of the opener, eventually winning a fiercely competitive tie-break to conclude a draining 91-minute set.

Nadal struggled to build on that success in a bizarre opening to the second set, which opened with four consecutive breaks as the Spaniard failed to win a single first-serve point until his third service game.

Having been broken again to go 4-2 down, Nadal made light of any suggestion he was feeling the effects of his four-set quarter-final win over Novak Djokovic, roaring back with another break as Zverev cut a frustrated figure, arguing with the umpire after being warned for shouting an obscenity.

Worse was to come for Zverev during the exact point at which Nadal forced another tie-break, with the third seed left crying out on the clay after appearing to roll his ankle while chasing the Spaniard's forehand.

In Sunday's final, Nadal will take on Casper Ruud who beat Marin Cilic 3-6, 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 in the other last-four encounter as the Mallorcan bids for a record-extending 14th Roland Garros title.

(With inputs from Agencies)