French Open: 'Don't give Rafa up for dead so soon' - Uncle Toni says it's foolish to write off Rafael Nadal

Toni Nadal has said critics were foolish to give his nephew Rafael «up for dead so soon» despite his injury struggles as continues his run at the French Open. Two days after Nada's extraordinary triumph over his old rival, world No. 1 Novak Djokovic, in their French Open quarter-final and ahead of his last-four clash with Alexander Zverev, Uncle Toni has had his say.

Ad/> The 13-time champion overcame the world No. 1 and reigning champion in four gruelling sets in the night match on Tuesday as fans were treated to an epic encounter between the two old rivals. Roland-Garros'Not sure I've seen him play better' — McEnroe hails 'extraordinary' Nadal21 HOURS AGO Nadal had to show all his fighting spirit and famous resistance to edge out his old foe in their titanic quarter-final 6-2 4-6 6-2 7-6(3) with the match lasting four hours and 12 minutes and finishing at 1.15am local time.

After the King of Clay edged a step closer to a record-extending 22nd Grand Slam title on Tuesday night at Roland-Garros, Toni has responded to the doubters who thought a foot injury had finished Nadal, by insisting that his nephew is a «fighter» and a winner. /> «I know it's normal, people want to see a new figure, but you also say: don't give me [Rafa] up for dead so soon because I'm not a finished guy,» Toni Nadal told El Larguero. «We have seen it with football, Madrid had everything to do against PSG, Manchester City, and they won,» he said.