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Novak Djokovic defeated Karen Khachanov in straight sets to reach the French Open quarterfinals for the eleventh year in a row on Monday, while Sofia Kenin escaped trouble to secure a place in the last eight.
2016 top seed and champion Djokovic beat No. 15 Russian Khachanov 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 to tie at the same level as Rafael Nadal in a record 14 quarter-final appearances in Paris.
Djokovic faced his toughest mission yet, but Khachanov was unable to derail his bid to become the first man in half a century to win all four Grand Slam titles twice.
The Serbian hit 44 winners and has yet to lose a set in the tournament, losing just 25 games in four rounds. He improved his record in 2020 to 35 wins against a single loss.
“It was a very close match, perhaps more difficult than the result showed,” said Djokovic, who is seeking his 18th Grand Slam title.
He admitted to having suffered an “awkward moment of deja vu” after inadvertently hitting a ball that slammed into the head of a linesman while attempting to return serve.
The incident came just weeks after Djokovic was defaulted at the US Open in New York for angrily hitting a ball that struck a female linesman, standing right behind him, in the throat.
“I’m actually trying to find the linesman and see if he’s okay because I saw that he had a little bruise,” Djokovic said.
The world number one will face Pablo Carreño Busta, the man who benefited from Djokovic’s US Open disqualification, for a place in the last four after the Spaniard swept German qualifier Daniel Altmaier in three sets.
Stefanos Tsitsipas overcame an eye problem to become the first Greek to reach the round of 16 at the French Open with a 6-3, 7-6 (11/9), 6-2 victory over Grigor Dimitrov.
The 22-year-old will now face Andrey Rublev in a replay of the recent Hamburg final that the Russian won.
Tsitsipas, fifth seed, has won 12 consecutive sets in the tournament after two sets less than Jaume Munar in the first round.
Rublev, the 13th seed, also advanced to the quarterfinals for the first time after beating Marton Fucsovics of Hungary 6-7 (4/7), 7-5, 6-4, 7-6 (7/3).
In a match that featured 12 service breaks, Rublev, 22, had suffered a break in the second and third sets. He also had to save three set points in the fourth.
“I knew it would be difficult,” said Rublev, who arrived in Paris after reaching his second US Open quarter-final last month.
“I was a bit lucky today. There was a lot of wind, so you will lose your service a lot in those conditions. “
Kenin ‘super proud’
Australian Open champion Kenin bounced back from a set down against Fiona Ferro, the last remaining local player in the singles draw, to advance 2-6, 6-2, 6-1.
“I feel like I’m playing really well,” said Kenin, who cried into his towel after sealing the win. “I am very proud to be in the quarterfinals.”
Ferro, who ranks 49th, won on clay at Palermo in August, threatening a surprise when he staggered six games on the rebound to take the first set.
But Kenin, who was carried into three sets in the first two rounds, came back to move on to a quarter-final duel with Tunisian 30th seed Ons Jabeur and Danielle Collins.
Their tie was rescheduled for Tuesday due to rain that restricted play to just Court Philippe Chatrier for much of the day.
Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova returned to the round of 16 at Roland Garros for the first time since 2012.
Seventh-seeded Kvitova, who missed last year’s tournament due to an arm injury, defeated China’s Zhang Shuai 6-2, 6-4 and will next play German veteran Laura Siegemund.
“After eight years of being in the quarterfinals again, it’s great. I’m very happy about that, because I can still play on all surfaces, ”said Kvitova, a semi-finalist eight years ago.
“When the roof is closed, it’s like being indoors and I really love to play.”
Siegemund, 32, advanced to her first Grand Slam singles quarter-finals after defeating former youth champion Paula Badosa of Spain 7-5, 6-2.
She became the fourth non-seeded player to make the last eight, joining Iga Swiatek, Nadia Podoroska and Martina Trevisan.
Siegemund won the US Open women’s doubles title last month alongside Vera Zvonareva.
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