French Open: Novak Djokovic through to quarter-finals where Karen Khachanov awaits
Novak Djokovic had an easy day at the office as he cruised past Juan Pablo Varillas and into a record-breaking 17th French Open quarter-final – against Karen Khachanov.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion was pushed extremely hard by Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in his previous match and struggled physically but there were no such concerns in a 6-3 6-2 6-2 win against Peruvian Varillas.
Djokovic raced into a 4-0 lead and the only time he looked in any discomfort was when Varillas won two games in a row and forced a break point in the next one.
The third seed, who criticized the crowd for booing while he took a medical time-out in his previous match, was again jeered for his reaction and cupped his hand to his ear after winning the next point.
There were plenty of cheers at the end, though, as Djokovic wrapped up the victory after an hour and 57 minutes.
A two-time champion in Paris, Djokovic has now reached the last eight in Paris for a record 17th time, one more than 14-time champion Rafael Nadal who is absent this year due to injury.
Khachanov showed good resilience to down Italian Lorenzo Sonego 1-6 6-4 7-6 (9-7) 6-1 and reach the quarter-finals for the second time.
The Russian 11th seed looked out of sorts in the opening set before finding his range on Court Suzanne Lenglen, using his forehand to devastating effect.
Sonego never recovered from wasting a 4-0 advantage in the third-set tiebreak, which proved to be the turning point of an entertaining encounter.
“After the first set and a half, I was thinking, what am I doing here, he was hitting all over the place so I decided all I could do was fight,” said the Russian, who made it to the last four in the last two Grand Slams in New York and Melbourne.
Alcaraz gunning for Djokovic meeting in last four
Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz is also through after he bulldozed his way to victory against Italian Lorenzo Musetti.
A semi-final blockbuster against Carlos Alcaraz is looming ever closer, and the Spaniard continued to look every inch a potential champion in a 6-3 6-2 6-2 victory over Lorenzo Musetti.
The 21-year-old Italian is a big talent, especially on clay, and this was a crowd-pleasing encounter, with Alcaraz pulling off several shots through his legs.
Ultimately it was a straightforward win, though, as world No 1 Alcaraz, who missed the Australian Open through injury, stayed on track for a second successive grand slam title.
The Spaniard should face a bigger test next against fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas, who was a 7-5 6-3 6-0 winner over Austrian Sebastian Ofner.
Tsitsipas reached the final here two years ago but Alcaraz has won all four of their previous meetings, and the top seed said: “We have played great matches.
“I won every match that we have played. But it doesn’t mean that I’m going to win every match that we are going to play. I have to be really focused. He’s a really tough opponent. But, of course, his game is a good game from my side.”
Svitolina’s magical run continues in Paris; Sabalenka snubs press again
Elina Svitolina powered into the French Open quarter-finals for the fourth time
Elina Svitolina recovered from a break down in the second set and battled through a tiebreak to knock out Russia’s ninth seed Daria Kasatkina 6-4 7-6 (7-5) and reach the quarter-finals in Paris for a fourth time.
The Ukrainian is brimming with confidence after winning the Strasbourg title last month following her maternity break and is quickly rediscovering the form that took her to the last eight in Paris in 2015, 2017 and 2020.
“Definitely I wouldn’t dream about this when I was giving birth in October last year,” said Svitolina.
“It’s unbelievable for me to be able to compete here and to get to the quarter final is special. Hopefully I can push further. I’m really motivated to give my everything for the next matches.”
Aryna Sabalenka again refused to do a press conference
In the last eight, the 28-year-old will face second seed Aryna Sabalenkawho recovered from letting a 5-0 lead slip in the first set to defeat Sloane Stephens 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 in an entertaining first women’s night session match.
Afterwards, Belarusian Sabalenka again refused to do a press conference, having previously cited mental health concerns and feeling unsafe following tense exchanges with a Ukrainian journalist.
Asked about the contest, Svitolina said: “I have played the last two matches against Russian players so it will not change, everything will be the same. So I’m used to it now.”
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova fought back from the brink to earn an impressive comeback win
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova dug deep to return to the quarter-finals for the first time since she finished as runner-up here two years ago.
Pavlyuchenkova, who was defeated in the 2021 final by Czech Barbora Krejcikova, was tested again by 28th seed Elise Mertens but rallied from a set and a break down to seal a 3-6 7-6 (7-3) 6-3 victory in a little more than three hours.
“I had a fear and doubts that maybe I will never win a match again,” said Pavlyuchenkova. “Maybe I will never get my good form back or I will never be fit again. What if I start playing again and the pain comes back and my knee is bad again?
“But I guess this motivation and this desire of coming back and competing again and being on these big stages again and playing three-hour matches like today, there was a lot more weight on that. So that kind of pushed me.
“I believed I worked so hard and, even with all the failures that I had this year – and there were sometimes ridiculous matches that I lost – still kept on believing, working hard, and just persistence and patience.”
Karolina Muchova Claimed a 6-4 6-3 win over Russian lucky loser Elina Avanesyan to progress to a meeting against Pavlyuchenkova.
