Djokovic battles past Berrettini to set up French Open semi-final with Nadal

Serb beats Matteo Berrettini 6-3, 6-2, 6-7 (5), 7-5
Fans urged to leave court before finish due to national curfew

Novak Djokovic moved into the semi-final of Roland Garros for a 58th showdown with Rafael Nadal, surviving a third set hiccup to defeat Matteo Berrettini 6-3, 6-2, 6-7 (5), 7-5 in a match soundtracked by both cheers and silence the players were forced to leave the court so that spectators could be persuaded to go home as the national curfew approached.

A rowdy crowd had convened for the first night session with spectators at this year’s tournament due to the relaxation of restrictions in France and a later 11pm curfew. Although they cheered loudly for his opponent, they witnessed Djokovic tearing past Berrettini with relative ease for much of the evening as he established a two sets lead. He then conceded just three points on his serve as they reached a third set tiebreak.