As Novak Djokovic looked to close out victory over Alexander Zverev in the French Open quarter-finals, he went back to the tactic he had deployed throughout the night session match on Court Philippe-Chatrier. Only this time Djokovic, playing against the increasing wind, brought it to another level. Even at 38, he could not remember a time where he had hit so many drop shots during a closing game.

“Just trying to mix it up,” Djokovic said. “At one point, I felt like I couldn't go through him, so I tried to bring him to the net. I tried to risk it with the dropshot, serve and volley. It had to be done.”

Djokovic finished the 4-6 6-3 6-2 6-4 win against the third seed with 35 drop shots in total, consistently catching Zverev behind the baseline across the three-hour match. Djokovic also used the drop shot on some of the biggest points, saving Zverev’s only break point in the fourth set to end a 41-shot rally. When it wasn’t the drop shot, Djokovic was running through his other patterns, landing wide serves and drop volleys. An exasperated Zverev never got to grips with it and was punished for his deep positioning.

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“What do you want me to say? He's won 24 of these things,” Zverev said. “Yes, I expected him to be able to play like this. I have not seen him play like this this year yet. I think it was very, very high level from him.”

By the end, Djokovic and Zverev followed a similar script and produced the same result. As Djokovic avenged his retirement against Zverev after losing the first set of their Australian Open semi-final, he also proved to himself that he is reaching the levels required to compete for a 25th grand slam title. Djokovic is now the second-oldest player to reach a Roland Garros semi-final, where he will play World No 1 Jannik Sinner in a blockbuster on Friday.

“I think the win against [Carlos] Alcaraz in quarters of the Australian Open, in quarters against Zverev tonight proves to myself and others that I can still play on the highest level and I just thrive on these occasions,” Djokovic said. “This is where I kind of lock in and really give my best. I just hope that I will be able to physically keep up, you know, with Sinner in a few days' time. It's a big challenge for me. It's only going to get tougher, but it's good. It is how it's supposed to be.”

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While Djokovic had improved his form by winning his 100th title in Geneva and carrying his winning run into Roland Garros, the Serbian had yet to be tested on his return to Paris. Zverev is a physical player who could have dragged Djokovic into a lengthy and attritional contest. Their previous meeting came in the Australian Open semi-finals, when Djokovic retired after an 82-minute opening set having suffered a leg injury in his previous win over Alcaraz.

The first set came down to Zverev’s opening break of serve. Djokovic appeared distracted as he paused between serves on 30-30 and then pushed the forehand long. The break followed and proved decisive, with Zverev saving the only break point he faced by winning a 30-shot rally on 4-3. The German served extremely well, but as the conditions cooled it began to lose its efficiency.

Djokovic’s level, though, was rising. With the first set behind him, he broke for the first time to lead 3-1 in the second, capitalising on a service game from the German that contained four groundstroke errors. The single break was enough for Djokovic to level the match, although he almost squandered three set points in the final game. Instead, he turned to the drop shot that landed delicately over the net.

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By then, everyone in Chatrier could see Djokovic’s game-plan. But Zverev couldn’t stop it and his efforts left him gesturing to his box. Djokovic broke to lead 3-2 in the third, beginning a run of six games in a row where the 38-year-old found another level, barely missing and directing Zverev around the court as if one string.

“I, at some point, felt like I didn't know how to win a point from the baseline against him,” Zverev said. By the time Zverev ended the run, Djokovic was a break up in the fourth, which would again be enough as he converted his fifth match point.

A month ago, Djokovic contemplated facing a “new reality” after falling to a third straight defeat and continuing his run of early exits at the Madrid Open. But going to Geneva to win his 100th title has helped his confidence and facing Sinner in the semi-finals is where he expects to be. “Of course, semi-finals of a grand slam against the No 1 in the world. there is no bigger occasion for me,” Djokovic said. “I'll try to do my best to step it up and perform as well as I did tonight.”

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