Novak Djokovic was bothered by his right knee, then he suffered a deficit of a set and a break, before doing what he does best, that is to say orchestrating an irresistible comeback which defeated Francisco Cerundolo 6-1, 5-7, 3-6, 7-5 and 6-3 in the fourth round of the French Open tennis tournament on Monday, recording his 370e career victory in Grand Slam tournaments.
Djokovic, the reigning champion at Roland Garros, broke his lingering tie with Roger Federer for most Grand Slam victories — and also for most appearances in the quarterfinals of a major tournament by a tennis player, with a 59th career appearance.
Furthermore, the no 1 achieved this in the usual way, that is to say the one which allowed him to win 24 Grand Slam titles in his career. He first erased a deficit — go ahead, ask Federer how to convert match points against him — then emerged victorious in a duel when tensions were at their peak. The victory, after four and a half hours of play, means the Serbian now has a career record of 40-11 when the match reaches the fifth set. A record miles away from that of Cerundolo in similar circumstances (1-3), making the result of this match rather predictable.
“I was maybe three or four points away from losing that match,” Djokovic said.
For the 37-year-old veteran, it was a second straight match lasting more than four hours, after he trailed 2-1 before winning in five sets. In the third round, he beat Italian Lorenzo Musetti, a 22-year-old tennis player, and finished the match shortly after 3 a.m. Sunday morning — the latest conclusion in the history of the French Open.
“How did I manage to win again? I don’t know. The only explanation I have is you, he said, addressing the crowd. Thank you so much. »
This time, against Cerundolo, a 25-year-old Argentinian who coveted a first participation in the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam, Djokovic once again relied on his talent, his experience and his tenacity to adapt in real time to the challenge behind him. He achieved this, among other things, by playing more aggressively and increasing the velocity of his forehands, while dealing with the pain he felt in one knee.
Djokovic trailed 4-2 in the fourth set, but he bounced back and was never worried afterward.
Earlier Monday, Aryna Sabalenka’s impressive run at the French Open tennis tournament continued and she reached the quarterfinals after defeating Emma Navarro 6-2, 6-3.
And be careful, since the sun has finally come out at Porte d’Auteuil.
“When the sun comes out, I play with a lot more enthusiasm,” admitted Sabalenka, who has still not conceded a set this year at Roland-Garros.
The Belarus player briefly expressed her joy after her fourth round victory against the 22e top seed, doing some disco dance moves while leaving the field to the sound of Stayin’Alive of the Bee Gees, who was playing heavily on the phone of eighth seed Ons Jabeur, standing near the tunnel leading to the locker rooms.
Sabalenka, the second player in the world, is only one victory away from a seventh consecutive participation in the final four of the French Open. She will face Russia’s Mirra Andreeva, who reached the quarterfinals of a major tournament for the first time in her career after ousting France’s Varvara Gracheva 7-5, 6-2.
Furthermore, the 12e Top seed Jasmine Paolini defeated Elina Avanesyan 4-6, 6-0, 6-1, setting the table for a quarterfinal duel against fourth seed Elena Rybakina.
” She [Paolini] is tough. She is very mobile and a good hitter. I will have to concentrate on my footwork,” said Rybakina, Wimbledon champion in 2022.
The roofs of the Philippe-Chatrier and Suzanne-Lenglen stadiums are open on Monday at Roland-Garros, since the weather is sunny and the thermometer shows 22 degrees Celsius.
Is it really hot?
Not really, at least from the perspective of Alex De Minaur, who grew up in Australia. The 11e top seed came from behind to surprise Russian Daniil Medvedev 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 and 6-3, becoming the first Australian tennis player to reach the quarter-finals in Paris since Lleyton Hewitt in 2004. Medvedev received treatment on his right foot during the second round.
De Minaur tried to explain in French how difficult it was to face fifth-seeded Medvedev, but ultimately settled on saying it was “too difficult.” He still received a standing ovation from the crowd for the efforts he made in the language of Molière.
The Australian will now face the winner of the duel between fourth seed Alexander Zverev and Dane Holger Rune (no 13), who will face each other at the end of the day on Monday.