Novak Djokovic defeats Rafael Nadal in straight sets to advance to French Open semis

Make that 70-2.

Novak Djokovic handed Rafael Nadal just the second loss of his career at Roland Garros, advancing past the quarterfinals with a shockingly routine 7-5, 6-3, 6-1 win Wednesday. And so, the French Open will have a new champion for the first time since 2009.

Perhaps it was inevitable that, after all the hype, the match would fail to live up to expectations. These things are designed to disappoint. But in truth, if you looked past all the noise, the history, the sentimental favoritism, the result ought never have been in doubt.

Djokovic, as he's been all year, was impenetrable. Nadal, as he's been doing all year, played tentatively, failing to assert himself or take control, leaving his shots short and relying on his defense and his legs.

With Nadal camping out well behind the baseline from the get-go, Djokovic went into attack mode. He jumped all over Nadal's second serve, yanked him side to side with clean, flat strokes from both wings, pushed him back with deep shots only to pull him forward with tailing droppers.

The writing seemed to be on the wall when Djokovic stormed out to a 4-0 lead in the first set, Nadal winning just one point in his first two service games. But something strange and pleasantly surprising happened after that. Nadal dug deep and came up with four straight games to level things up. The two stayed on serve until the 12th game, with Nadal fighting off five set points. Djokovic appeared to be growing frustrated.

For a moment, it looked like so many matches Nadal had played on Roland Garros in the past decade. He was fighting through some early struggles, but he'd do enough to keep himself in it, and his relentlessness would ultimately wear his opponent out. That was the only moment, and it evaporated quickly. On his sixth chance, a nervy Djokovic finally grabbed the set.

Even as he barked at the chair umpire about the state of the increasingly slippery clay - which Djokovic insisted should be watered - he seemed to relax completely after that, and subsequently didn't face a single break point. His groundstrokes started to sing. He was almost impossibly precise. He was spryer, faster, calmer, more measured. Nadal seemed to be back on heels and on the run before the points even began.

Nadal won nine French Open titles in 10 years, and he did it, in large part, by obliterating the belief of his opponents; running down everything in sight, making them hit extra shots, turning defense to offense in a blink. Djokovic turned the tables on him Wednesday. After losing the second set (marking the first time he'd ever trailed two sets to love at Roland Garros), Nadal looked totally defeated.

As last year's brutal final between these two did, the match ended with a double-fault. Unlike last year, it felt like an appropriate conclusion. It felt like total capitulation.

There will naturally be a rush to suss out what this means. Nadal hasn't looked right since winning this tournament last year, is yet to win a clay-court title above the 250 level this season, and is about to see his ranking dip at least as low as No. 10, possibly No. 11. Before taking the court against Djokovic, he turned 29. Is this what the end looks like?

It's tough to answer that right now. Nadal's 39-match winning streak at Roland Garros wasn't going to last forever, and there's certainly no shame in seeing it end at the hands of the world's best player, whom nobody living has been able to solve this year.

Nadal has made a career out of bouncing back from injuries and seemingly returning from the dead. Still, he's never had to climb out of a slump this prolonged. And he's never looked so overmatched as he did on Wednesday.

In the end, though, perhaps this is less about Nadal's fall than about Djokovic's rise. He still hasn't lost a match on clay in 2015, and has now finally exorcised his Nadal demons at the French Open (after six straight losses). Amazingly, he still has two matches to win to complete his career Grand Slam.

Right now, they feel like little more than formalities.

See below for a full running diary of the match.

Live Blog

All time stamps are in Eastern Time

12:14 - Final match stats:

12:13 - Nadal double-faults on match point and that's a wrap. Djokovic unseats the King of Clay with a dominant 7-5, 6-3, 6-1 win, and is through to the French Open semifinals.

12:09 - Djokovic now a game away after holding at love. This is plain cruel:

12:06 - Nadal finally gets a hold in a game Djokovic didn't seem to have much interest in winning. Likely conserving his energy for his service games, as he's two holds from the semis. 4-1.

12:02 - Djokovic is stepping into his groundstrokes with all the confidence in the world, hammering everything in sight; hard, flat, and clean. The ball is rocketing off his strings, and Nadal has no answers. Yet another net cord to hold for 4-0.

11:56 - Nadal is continually being pushed back, his balls are landing short, and Djokovic is dictating almost every point. A net cord on break point gives Djokovic the 3-0, double-break lead. Nadal looking like a beaten man.

11:52 - Djokovic consolidates with a relatively tension-free hold, aided by a couple sloppy Nadal errors. Turning the screw. 2-0.

11:48 - Nadal saves two break points, but can't save a third, punching what should've been an easy put-away volley wide. Djokovic is up two sets and a break, serving at 1-0.

11:45 - Second set stats:

11:42 - Nadal up against it.

11:39 - After Nadal saves a third set point, Djokovic digs a ball right off the dirt and chips back a sharp-angled half-volley drop shot winner. Then closes the set on his fourth chance. It's 7-5, 6-3 and Nadal is a set away from defeat.

11:38 - Nadal, somehow, saves both set points. Djokovic narrowly missed a backhand down the line on the first, Nadal forced him into a difficult volley at net on the second. Deuce.

11:35 - Nadal really struggling with his forehands down the line, unable to get them to stick. Three more errors and it's 40-15, Djokovic a point from being up two sets to love.

11:33 - Djokovic breaks through after Nadal sends two forehands wide, the second coming after the two traded a flurry of haymakers from the baseline. 5-3 and Djokovic to serve for the set.

11:30 - Djokovic sets up the first break point of the set, only to give it back by pushing a routine backhand wide. Deuce.

11:28 - Nadal counters a fantastic Djokovic dropper with an even better one, then sends Djokovic's chip shot back with a backhand smash winner. 30-30.

11:24 - Djokovic responds in kind, winning consecutive points at net on his way to a love hold. Nary a break point thus far in the second set.

11:21 - Nadal, doing a better job protecting his second serve, wins a couple points by moving forward and cutting beautiful drop volleys. 3-3.

11:15 - The two men trade love holds and we're still on serve, now 3-2 in the second set.

11:07 - Djokovic, still barking at the chair umpire and occasionally himself, nonetheless manages to hold at 15 and stay on serve. 2-1.

11:04 - Nadal recovers from a backhand shank and an incredible Djokovic slice-pass to hold and level things at 1. Djokovic still complaining about the untreated surface.

11:00 - Djokovic serves to start the second set and holds routinely for 1-0. He complains that the clay isn't being watered in between sets. Says he asks every year.

10:59 - First set stats:

10:53 - Djokovic finally, finally closes the set, taking Nadal side-to-side before a gasping running forehand eventually sails wide. 7-5, and after an hour and seven minutes Djokovic is one set to the good.

10:51 - Djokovic goes back to the drop-shot well to set up set point No. 5. Then dumps a second-serve return into net to go back to deuce.

10:50 - After Nadal misses an easy overhead at net, Djokovic rips a couple forehands that earn him his fourth set point. Nadal saves it with a far more difficult overhead that he had to hit while falling backwards. Deuce.

10:47 - More incredible defense from Nadal to save a crucial point that, if lost, would've put him in an 0-30 hole. 15-15 instead.

10:44 - Djokovic, who looked a bit nervy at points in the last game when he had three cracks at the set, rebounds with a routine hold. 6-5, and Nadal will again have to serve to extend the first.

10:41 - Nadal takes the game with an unreturned serve and it's 5-5! Massive hold.

10:40 - Nadal busts out another nasty drop shot that Djokovic gets to but can't put over the net. Deuce.

10:39 - Nadal receives a time warning from the chair umpire and promptly loses the point, getting wrong-footed by a Djokovic cross-court backhand. Set point No. 3.

10:36 - Set point No. 2 for Djokovic, who has rediscovered his drop shot and drew Nadal forward before burning him with a lob. Nadal saves it with a stunning dropper of his own, the first time he's managed to employ it effectively in the match. Back to deuce.

10:33 - Djokovic gets his first set point with a quick move to the net and a backhand volley. Nadal calmly saves it with a forehand deep into the ad corner that Djokovic returns long. Deuce.

10:31 - Some ridiculous defense from Nadal to steal a point Djokovic should have had for 30-15. Then nets a backhand for 30-30. Tense moment.

10:27 - Djokovic stops the bleeding, responding with a much-needed hold at love, doing damage with his first serve and his forehand. On serve at 5-4. Nadal serving to stay in the set.

10:25 - Nadal holds at love to level things at 4, cranking his first two aces of the match.

10:21 - Djokovic misses a sitter at the net and Nadal has suddenly recovered both breaks. 4-3 with Nadal to serve. Djokovic makes this face:

10:19 - Djokovic saves a third break point after another dizzying baseline rally. Nadal sets up another one with a whipping inside-out forehand. Shaping up as a critical game as Nadal tries to get back on serve.

10:15 - Slowly, but surely, Nadal is finding his legs. Wins a long baseline exchange to grab two break points. Djokovic gets one back with a prefect approach and put-away volley, then another with a serve up the T that doesn't come back.

10:11 - Nadal finally holds to consolidate, and trails 4-2. He's still not getting much going with his forehand, leaving the balls short and in the middle of the court, but Djokovic donates a couple of unforced errors.

10:07 - Nadal has been getting hammered on his serve, but he plays a diligent return game - which includes a tremendous backhand passer down the line - and gets the break right back when Djokovic pushes a forehand long. 4-1.

10:02 - Nadal falls behind 0-40 on serve, gets one point back, then an outrageous rally that sees each man lob the other ends with Nadal's attempted dropper finding the net. Double-break to Djokovic. 4-0.

9:57 - Djokovic holds to go up 3-0 with a drop shot that Nadal can't quite flick back. Nadal is playing well behind the baseline and Djokovic is controlling the points.

9:54 - Djokovic grabs an early break with a couple of vicious forehands down the line as Nadal leaves too much court open trying to protect to his backhand. 2-0.

9:46 - Djokovic serves and the match is underway.