JABAR EKSPRES – Novak Djokovic advanced to the French Open quarterfinals for the 14th consecutive year on Sunday (6/4) as world number one Carlos Alcaraz eased past Lorenzo Musetti to stay on course for a meeting with the 22-time Grand Slam champion.
Third seed Djokovic ended the upset of Peru’s Juan Pablo Varillas with a 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 win, and is yet to drop a set through four matches.
The Serb, chasing a third Roland Garros title, made a record 17th French Open quarterfinal after reaching the last eight at the major for the 55th time.
“I’m proud of that, but my attention is already on the next match,” said Djokovic, who will face 11th-seeded Russian Karen Khachanov for a place in the semifinals, as broadcast by AFP on Monday (6/5).
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“I know what my goal is here. I try to stay on the mental track and of course not look too far away.”
“Obviously today’s performance gives me a lot of confidence about how I feel, about how I play.”
Varillas (27) is the first Peruvian to reach the second week of a Grand Slam since Jaime Yzaga reached the quarterfinals of the US Open 29 years ago.
Djokovic raced out to a 4-0 lead in the opening set but Varillas broke in the next game, and then had a chance to serve again in the seventh.
However, once Djokovic took a 5-2 lead, the match went smoothly for him to close out with a win in just under two hours.
Meanwhile, Alcaraz overwhelmed Musetti in straight sets to return to the last eight of the French Open.
Musetti didn’t drop a set in three rounds but Alcaraz dispatched the Italian 17th seed in just over two hours, winning 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 to avenge last year’s defeat on clay in the Hamburg final.
