Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic were locked in a tight French Open final duel on Sunday when rain caused a suspension until Monday, only the second time in history that the tournament has not finished on time.
Nadal, chasing a record seventh Roland Garros title, was leading 6-4, 6-3, 2-6, 1-2 when play was halted for a second and final time at 6.50 p.m. local time with conditions on Philippe Chatrier Court becoming increasingly treacherous.
The final will resume on Monday at 1.00 p.m. local time (4.30 p.m. IST).
Previous instance
The last time a French Open men's final failed to be completed on a Sunday was in 1973 when it was played on the following Tuesday with Ilie Nastase beating Niki Pilic.
World No. 1 Djokovic, bidding to become only the third man, and first in 43 years, to hold all four Grand Slam titles at the same time had looked down and out at one stage.
After slipping two sets down, he was also a break down at 0-2 in the third before he reeled off eight games in succession to take the third set and lead 2-0 in the fourth.
Nadal had stopped the rot for 2-1 before play was suspended.
The Spanish second seed, playing in his 16th Grand Slam final and seeking his 11th major, went into Sunday's final with a staggering record of 51 wins against just one loss at Roland Garros.
Djokovic, the Wimbledon, US Open and Australian Open champion, was looking to emulate Don Budge (1938) and Rod Laver (1962 and 1969) by holding four majors at the same time. In a record fourth successive Grand Slam final between the two, and following their almost six-hour epic in Australia, Nadal swept into a two-set lead with Djokovic undone by 30 unforced errors.
Storming back
But, Djokovic, who had been two sets to love down to Andreas Seppi in the fourth round, and saved four match points in his quarter-final victory over Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, refused to buckle.
From 2-0 down in the third, he reeled off eight games in succession to take the third set and lead 2-0 in the fourth.
Nadal held to love to get on board in that set before play was halted.
Roland Garros will eventually avoid more late finishes as a main court with a retractable roof will be built from 2017.
The result (final): Nadal leads Djokovic 6-4, 6-3, 2-6, 1-2.
Keywords: French Open 2012, French Open tennis tournament, Nadal, Djokovic
Next time it drizzles, continue play after (expediently) replacing part or all of the excessively wet clay; and, periodically replace the wet balls. Attach a temporary, less slippery cover to the court's marking strips. Move the main camera or close-in its focus more to the proximity of the court's perimeter for a more magnified 'fish-eye' view and higher (contrast) definition, even if at the expense of not covering the view of some (or all) of the spectators immediately in front of the camera. Alternative - install a retractible clear (plastic) roof (A/C or ventilation system, optional).
Nothing about Nadal's unhappiness with the delay in stopping play is mentioned in the article. Saw that in related articles on the Net.
The way djokovic is playing, he is definitely the best of the lot right now. How many times in the history of the sport has it happened that a third person who could have lost himself in the pages of history as a good number 3 player has now completely turned the game upside down. All this praise about novak and i still believe that if it wasn't for the rain, nadal would have ended the match without dropping a set
we miss our ever green hero federer in the finals
who ever wins will not matter but we audience will get a satisfaction of
watching a spectacular tennis
Djokovic gonna win this
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