Quote of the Day: Daria Kasatkina sleeps through Nadal-Djokovic classic 

WATCH: After a good night's sleep, Daria Kasatkina defeated Veronika Kudermetova in the 2022 Roland Garros quarterfinals.

Daria Kasatkina has been laser focused during this fortnight at Roland Garros, and she’s charged into her first Grand Slam semifinal without dropping a set.

Perhaps taking some inspiration from her favorite player, 21-time Grand Slam winner Rafael Nadal, Kasatkina herself has been posting some ominous scorelines on the terre battue. After dropping just five games across her opening two matches, the Russian made quick work of Shelby Rogers, 6-3, 6-2, and No. 28 seed Camila Giorgi, 6-2, 6-2 to reach the quarterfinals.

But Kasatkina knew it would take her best effort to overcome countrywoman Veronika Kudermetova on Wednesday. So the noted Nadal fan had time for about a set and half of her childhood idol’s blockbuster match against Novak Djokovic before it was time for bed…

Q. My assumption is you were probably sleeping when Rafa and Novak were finishing their match yesterday. What was your reaction when you woke up to find out that Rafa won?

DARIA KASATKINA: I went to sleep, but at 3-0 in the second (laughing) like, Okay, everything is fine.

Then I woke up the next morning and I saw the score. I'm in the application checking how the games were going, and I was like, ‘Oh, my…’

It’s good that I [went] to sleep, because if I [saw] 3-1, 3-3, I'm like, ‘Oh, I cannot go to sleep.’ So, it’s good at 3-0 I just put my laptop away and I fall asleep.

While Kasatkina peacefully slept, Djokovic had mounted a major comeback to take the second set. He pushed Nadal to the limit in the fourth, where the world No. 1 had two set points, but the Spaniard outlasted him in a classic night session battle that clocked in well past one in the morning, 6-2, 4-6, 6-2, 7-6(4).

“I'm really happy for Rafa, because I can not imagine how tough was the circumstances of everything,” Kasatkina said. “He's saying that can be his last match at Roland Garros and I cannot imagine how can you go on the match with this feeling. So another time he shows how strong he is mentally.”

Kasatkina showed her mental strength, and the value of a good night’s sleep, in her own Roland Garros battle against Kudermetova. After two close sets, the No. 20 seed clinched a 6-4, 7-6(5) victory to reach the semifinals.

She’ll take on (fellow Nadal fan) Iga Swiatek next, hoping to snap the world No. 1’s 33-match winning streak for a place in the final.