Even an 18-time Grand Slam singles champion is gobsmacked by the quality on show here...

Charlene: This is extraordinary. I'm going to miss this rivalry and match up. Another level.

Pradeep Nair: This is absolute treat at Roland Garros. Stratospheric tennis!

The pressure does tell! Novak Djokovic gets the break at the third opportunity and the defending champion is up against it here.

Djokovic maintains the pressure, attacking the Nadal serve and the Spaniard hands over a third break point opportunity as he goes long...

The crowd are loving this.

Djokovic gets himself into the point but is unable to chip a Nadal drop shot back over the net.

Nadal saves the second break point with an ace. Deuce.

Nadal goes long!

Two break points to Novak Djokovic.

Russell Fuller
BBC tennis correspondent at Roland Garros

Nadal is really up against it.

It really is draining and thrilling in equal measure, watching these two taking lumps out of each other in the second set.

There's a real excitement inside the stadium. There is a possibility that Rafael Nadal could lose a match in the Philippe-Chatrier stadium.

It really does feel like it is in the balance.

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Nadal responds with an ace as he looks to edge ahead once more in this third set.

Djokovic goes after the Nadal backhand once again and continues to get joy from that tactic, as his opponent hits into the tramlines for 15-15.

Wow! Nadal goes for a smash but gets it all wrong, framing the ball and handing the Serb an opening...

Here we go then, on the Djokovic serve, and the Serb puts away a forehand before Nadal fires into the net for a comfortable start.

Nadal attempts to up the pace on the next point but a backhand hits the net once more and it's a hold to love as the Spaniard pulls a shot wide from the baseline.

Image source, Getty Images

Suman Gownder: What a battle this is. Just wow. Match very much on now. Such high quality tennis like no other from both players. Stunning.

Abu: If Nadal and Djokovic continue to pummel one another, the only winner today will be Tsitsipas....

Think we're all in a glass case of emotion...

And from there Nadal gets over the line to hold with a deliciously slapped forehand winner that wrong-foots his opponent. It remains on serve in the third.

A huge roar from Rafael Nadal and it's to greet a Novak Djokovic forehand drifting long.

He saves the break once more.

He's just can't get over the line, Rafael Nadal. Reaching low for a backhand and looping it into the tape. A second break point for Novak Djokovic.

Huge serve and a forehand winner from mid-court to boot from Rafael Nadal. Deuce.

But Djokovic is not going away... a pacy forehand from the Serb leaves Nadal stretching and the Spaniard can only coax it wide. Break point.

Sublime from the world number one. Somehow taking all the pace off a Rafael Nadal backhand at the baseline and just letting it drop over the tape. 15-15.

Nadal then prods long and he's finding the depth of Djokovic's returns tricky to deal with at the moment. Down? No chance, the Spaniard responds by finishing off a battling rally with a delightfully angled forehand winner. 30-30.

Nadal jumps into a winner and Djokovic is left rooted to the baseline. The Serb responds with an equally impressive backhand and then an ace to hold serve.

Rafael Nadal, perhaps feeling refreshed after that break, punches his way to 40-0 before Novak Djokovic rifles in a return that the Spaniard can't handle.

It's a brief blemish as Nadal forces Djokovic to his left before wheeling a superb forehand winner on to the baseline chalk to hold.