Djokovic, Thiem, Zverev and Stephens reach quarterfinals

PARIS: Resurgent former champion Novak Djokovic reached the French Open quarterfinals for the 12th time on Sunday as he subdued feisty Spanish veteran Fernando Verdasco 6-3, 6-4, 6-2.

The Serb, seeded 20 after a welldocumented slump, was given a ferocious fight in the early stages with the opening three games lasting 29 minutes on Court Philippe Chatrier.

But what looked like being a long evening for the 12-times Grand Slam champion ended up being a reasonably comfortable one as he generally called the shots.

One break of serve was enough to take the opening set and although left-hander Verdasco produced some thunderous winners to stay in touch in the second his challenge faded.

Djokovic, who completed his career Grand Slam by winning in Paris in 2016, sped away with the third set and can now look forward to a clash with either David Goffin or Marco Cecchinato.

Dominic Thiem ended Kei Nishikori’s comeback to reach the quarterfinals with a 6-2, 6-0, 5-7 ,6-4 victory on Sunday and set up a mouthwatering clash with second seed Alexander Zverev.

Impressive arsenal

The Austrian seventh seed, the last man to beat claycourt machine Rafael Nadal on his favourite surface, displayed an impressive arsenal of weapons in the first two sets before regaining his composure after the loss of the third.

Japanese 19th seed Nishikori, on the comeback trail after he ended his 2017 season in mid-year because of injury, seemed to lose interest in the match in the second set but eventually managed to put up a decent fight.

Breaking new ground

Meanwhile, Zverev’s appetite for five-set marathons showed no signs of shrinking and even blisters on his toes could not stop the German from storming into his first major quarterfinal with a 4-6, 7-6 (4), 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 win over Karen Khachanov.

The German had survived successive five-setters in the previous two rounds, including saving a match point against Damir Dzumhur in the last 32, but his fatigued legs and blistered feet again worked overtime to carry him over the finishing line against Khachanov.

American Sloane Stephens broke new ground at the French Open with a 6-2, 6-0 thrashing of below-par Estonian Anett Kontaveit in the last 16.

Five times the U.S. Open champion had fallen at the fourth-round hurdle in Paris but that never looked like being her fate as she produced a rock-solid display on Court Philippe Chatrier.

The initial exchanges offered no clue as to what was to follow as the first four games were shared but when Kontaveit double-faulted to drop serve Stephens took control.

Kontaveit could not stem the errors and Stephens, who survived a thriller against Camila Giorgi the previous day, cruised to victory in 52 minutes.

She is the second American into the quarter-finals in the top half of the draw after Madison Keys, whom she beat in last year’s U.S. Open final, eased past Mihaela Buzarnescu to register her best run at Roland Garros.

Serena Williams can make it three Americans in the last eight if she beats Maria Sharapova on Monday.

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