Rafael Nadal (5) Beats Top-Ranked Novak Djokovic In Thrilling French Open Duel

Top-ranked Novak Djokovic lost to No. 5 Rafael Nadal in a stellar Classic Quarterfinals match between tennis legends from Roland-Garros late Tuesday.

The four-hour match went on until the wee hours of Wednesday (1 a.m.) in Paris, France.

After cruising toward claiming the first set, Nadal shook up Djokovic enough to get him more involved in the second set, where the Serbian began to surge back against Nadal's strong start.

It didn't take long for Nadal to respond to Djokovic's contentious second-set performance: answering with a 6-2 third set win and fourth set tiebreak to emerge as victor for the 29th time against Novak.

The series still tilts in Djokovic's favor, 30-29, after 59 meetups.

The marquee matchup at Roland-Garros ended in an upset as Nadal embarks on a quest for his 22nd title at the Open. Nadal recently earned the title of all-time leader in Grand Slam titles (21).

Djokovic has 20 to his name. He was set to challenge Nadal for the historic 21st title at the Australian Open until the Serbian was prohibited from competing over his vaccination status.

Nadal captured the victory over his longtime foe in four sets — 6-2, 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 (4) — and advanced to the French Open semifinals, where he will face off against third-ranked Alexander Zverev.

Follow along on Twitter: @AlejandroAveela