Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic will meet in the quarterfinals at Roland Garros for the 59th time on Tuesday.
Whoever wins on Saturday will be the favorite to win on Sunday.
Djokovic, the defending champion and world No. 1, advanced to the quarterfinals with a 6-1, 6-3, 6-3 victory over No. 15 Diego Schwartzman.
Nadal, the No. 5 seed and 13-time winner of the French Open, had a considerably tougher time beating No. 9 seed Felix Auger-Aliassime, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3, in 4 hours and 21 minutes.
After a short rally, Nadal broke in the eighth game of the fifth set and then served it out with a forehand winner into the open court.
After Nadal beat Djokovic in straights in 2020 final held in October, Djokovic defeated Nadal in four sets in the semifinals last year, halting Nadal’s 35-match winning streak in Paris.
