Melzer dumps out Djokovic in epic

French Open
Venue: Roland Garros, Paris Date: 23 May-6 June
Coverage: Live video streamed from 1000 BST on BBC Sport website (UK only) and BBC red button; commentary on BBC 5 live sports extra; also live on Eurosport; text commentary on BBC Sport website Details of BBC coverage

Djokovic followed number one seed Roger Federer out of the French Open

By Piers Newbery BBC Sport at Roland Garros

Third seed Novak Djokovic let a two-set lead slip as he went out of the French Open to Austria's Jurgen Melzer in a dramatic quarter-final.

Melzer, the 22nd seed, came through 3-6 2-6 6-2 7-6 (7-3) 6-4 after four hours and 15 minutes on a pulsating Court Suzanne Lenglen, and he will face Rafael Nadal in the last four.

Djokovic, who has been struggling with an allergy in recent weeks, ran out of steam alarmingly having sailed through the opening two sets.

When he broke serve early in the third a comfortable win appeared minutes away but, over two hours later, the 23-year-old Serb found himself facing two break points at the start of a deciding set.

Melzer, 29, had begun to take his serve apart but struggled to make his dominance count, converting only three of an amazing 19 break points in the first four sets.

606: DEBATE Worth 4 hours of my day just for that enormous smile Steve

Another four would go begging in the decider and it appeared that Djokovic might escape with his seventh win in eight matches over five sets.

Melzer's 24th break point of the day proved the clincher as Djokovic played a desperately poor volley when the ball appeared to be going long.

But the Austrian, playing in his first Grand Slam quarter-final, still had to serve out the match and there was more drama to come.

A stinging Djokovic forehand looked to have taken him to 0-30 only for the umpire to check the mark and overrule, prompting a furious outburst from the Serb.

Moments later, Melzer played a woeful volley into the net on his first match point with the empty court gaping as Djokovic, and the crowd, sensed yet another twist in this extraordinary match.

It was not to be, however, and Melzer became the first Austrian since Thomas Muster in 1995 to reach the French Open semi-finals when Djokovic fired a forehand over the baseline on the second match point.

sildenafil citrate 100 | levitra prix | paroxetine prise de poids