Djokovic storms into quarters
PARIS: World number three Novak Djokovic inched closer to a record-breaking 23rd men’s Grand Slam title as he crushed Peruvian Juan Pablo Varillas 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 on Sunday to reach the French Open quarter-finals.
The Serbian, who is currently tied with Spain’s Rafael Nadal at 22 majors, was untroubled by his 94thranked opponent, the first Peruvian in 29 years to reach a Grand Slam fourth round, on a windy day on Philippe Chatrier court.
He attacked Varillas at every opportunity to avoid being drawn into lengthy baseline battles that had seen the 27-year-old win all his three previous rounds in fiveset marathons.
A two-time champion in Paris, Djokovic has now reached the quarter-finals at the French Open for a record 17th time, one more than 14-time champion Nadal, who is absent from his favourite Slam this year due to injury.
Svitolina enters quarter-finals by downing Kasatkina
A charged-up Elina Svitolina powered into the quarter-finals for the fourth time with a 6-4, 7-6(5) victory over Russian ninth seed Daria Kasatkina as she kept alive hopes of winning a maiden Grand Slam title.
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 stage in Paris in 2015, 2017 and 2020.
“I definitely would not have dreamt of this when I was giving birth,” said Svitolina, whose daughter Skai was born in October 2022. “It is unbelievable to be able to compete.
“And going all the way to the quarter-finals is a special feeling. I hope that I can push even further. I am really motivated for the next few matches,” added Svitolina.
In the quarter-finals, Svitolina will take on world number two Aryna Sabalenka or 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens.
She began brightly on a shadowy Court Suzanne Lenglen to bag two early breaks before handing one straight back to Kasatkina. But the 28-year-old ensured that it was the only blip in the 45 minutes she took to wrap up the first set.
Svitolina, who is married to French player Gael Monfils and enjoys huge support among the local fans, roared back from 0-2 down in the second set with both players struggling to hold serve and got her nose in front with some heavy hitting late on.
RESULTS: Fourth round: Men’s singles: N Djokovic bt J Varillas 6-3, 6-2, 6-2; C Alcaraz bt L Musetti 6-3, 6-2, 6-2; K Khachanov bt L Sonego 1-6, 6-4, 7-6(7), 6-1. Women’s singles: K Muchova bt E Avanesyan 6-4, 6-3; E Svitolina bt D Kasatkina 6-4, 7-6(5); A Pavlyuchenkova bt E Mertens 3-6, 7-6(3), 6-3