Djokovic beats Norrie to join Nadal in French Open century club
Three-times champion Novak Djokovic reached a century of wins at the French Open in a straight sets victory against Cameron Norrie on Monday and Jannik Sinner produced another masterclass to also blaze into the quarter-finals.
Men's fifth seed Jack Draper bowed out though, as did women's third seed Jessica Pegula who was stunned by world France's world number 361 Lois Boisson.
Serbian Djokovic, the sixth seed, looked serene in outclassing Britain's Norrie 6-2 6-3 6-2 to edge closer to a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title.
Djokovic became the second man to win 100 matches at the Paris Grand Slam after retired 14-times champion Rafael Nadal (112), to set up a last-eight clash against Alexander Zverev.
"It's a number which is very good and nice, but a 101st win is even better," Djokovic, who won the Olympic gold medal last year in Paris to complete his trophy cabinet, told the appreciative crowd in fluent French.
"It's not finished for me here the tournament and I feel very good and good to make history here. I hope there will be another win here in two days."
His German opponent in the last eight spent even less time on the court, third seed Zverev punching his ticket when Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor r etired midway through the second set with an abdominal injury.
Zverev has reached his seventh French Open quarter-final in the last eight years and is still looking to secure a maiden Grand Slam title.
"From now on I have the toughest draw in the tournament," Zverev said. "I'm looking forward to the battles ahead, and I'm looking forward to playing the best in the world."
Sublime Sinner
World number one Sinner lit up the night session with a sublime display to beat Andrey Rublev 6-1 6-3 6-4 and stretch his winning streak in Grand Slam play to 18 matches.
Italian Sinner, the U.S. and Australian Open champion, has won all 12 sets he has played this year on Parisian clay and looks in ominous form as he closes on a first French Open title.
While Djokovic, Sinner and Zverev were all smiles, Britain's dark horse Draper was heading for home after succumbing to a mesmeric display by Kazakh Alexander Bublik, who a few months ago questioned his future having dropped down the pecking order.
The 27-year-old, among the most naturally gifted players on tour who has admitted to lacking the commitment of other top professionals, seized his moment to drop shot his way past young gun Draper to reach his first Grand Slam quarter-final.
Bublik, who had never got past the second round in Paris, hit a staggering 37 drop shots in his 5-7 6-3 6-2 6-4 win.
"Standing here is the best moment of my life, period,", Bublik, in tears, told the crowd.
"I'm standing here like I won the thing. I can't cry here, let me be in peace, I'm a professional tennis player, I've got one more match, I've got to get ready."
Bublik's victory was the second upset of the day after unheralded Boisson shook up the women's draw with a shock 3-6 6-4 6-4 win over Pegula.
Wild card Boisson outplayed the American favourite with the aid of a fierce forehand that had the Chatrier crowd on their feet.
As if that was not enough for the home crowd, they also got to see the Champions League soccer trophy minutes later, after Paris St Germain's victory over Inter Milan on Saturday.
PSG forward Ousmane Dembele carried it onto the court to ear-splitting cheers as his team became the second French outfit to lift the European Cup after Olympique de Marseille in 1993.
Second seed Coco Gauff was in no mood for surprises, however, as she brushed aside Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-0 7-5 to stay on course for her first title in Paris.
Gauff, who got to the final in 2022 and semis last year, is the youngest American to reach at least the fourth round at seven straight Grand Slams since Venus Williams from 1997-1999.
The Americans are guaranteed a semi-finalist with Gauff next facing Australian Open champion Madison Keys, who eased past Hailey Baptiste.
Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva also booked a last-eight spot by overcoming Australian 17th seed Daria Kasatkina 6-3 7-5 to become the youngest player to reach back-to-back French Open quarter-finals in nearly three decades.
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Gulf Today
7 hours ago
- Gulf Today
Boisson stuns Andreeva to continue dream French Open run, Sinner breezes past Bublik
An inspired Lois Boisson delighted Roland Garros as the French world number 361 downed Mirra Andreeva on Wednesday to set up a French Open semi-final against Coco Gauff. Boisson, making her debut at a Grand Slam event, powered her way to a thrilling 7-6 (8/6), 6-3 victory on a raucous Court Philippe Chatrier to become the first Frenchwoman to reach the semis since Marion Bartoli in 2011. The 22-year-old, who was due to play at last year's French Open but suffered a knee injury the week before the tournament, is the lowest-ranked woman to reach a major semi-final in 40 years. 'It was incredible to play in front of this crowd and feel support like that,' said Boisson, after hitting 24 winners past Russian sixth seed Andreeva to follow up her fourth-round win over world number three Jessica Pegula with an even more surprising victory. A dramatic first set saw Andreeva miss a set point after leading 5-3, before Boisson fought back only to see three chances of her own come and go in a marathon 12th game. But the wildcard fought off another set point in the tie-break, before taking her next opportunity, cupping her ear towards the adoring crowd in celebration. Andreeva gathered herself and quickly built a 3-0 lead in the second set, only to be left jumping up and down in anger after a missed backhand gave Boisson a much-needed hold of serve. The 18-year-old Andreeva started to crumble under the pressure, being given a warning for slamming a ball into the top tier of the stands as the atmosphere heated up under the Chatrier roof. She was roundly booed when she then argued with the umpire over a line call, and was broken later that game after another double-fault to suddenly trail 4-3. Boisson made it six consecutive games to secure a seismic victory as Andreeva, one of the pre-tournament favourites, completely unravelled. Second seed Gauff battled back from a set down to defeat fellow American, and Australian Open champion, Madison Keys in an error-strewn opening match 6-7 (6/8), 6-4, 6-1. The former US Open champion upped her level enough after dropping the first set to get through a quarter-final littered with 14 double-faults and a whopping 101 unforced errors. 'It means a lot, especially getting through this tough match today, it wasn't an easy match and I'm very happy to get through it,' she said. Gauff, the 2022 losing finalist, will be hoping to go at least one better than when she lost to Iga Swiatek in last year's semi-final. Swiatek continues her bid for a fourth consecutive Roland Garros title in a blockbuster clash with world number one Aryna Sabalenka in Thursday's other semi-final. Meanwhile, world number one Jannik Sinner continued his relentless pursuit of a maiden French Open title with a typically efficient 6-1 7-5 6-0 win over Kazakh showman Alexander Bublik to reach the semi-finals. The near-flawless victory ensured Sinner became the first Italian man to make six Grand Slam semi-finals and extended his winning run at the majors to 19 matches after his triumphs at last year's US Open and the Australian Open in January. 'I'm very happy with how I've arrived in the semi-finals. The semi-finals in Grand Slams are very special, I'm looking forward to it,' Sinner said. The retraction of Court Philippe Chatrier's roof after a cold, rainy morning signalled the opening of the floodgates as Sinner raced into a 5-0 lead before Bublik got on the board and immediately threatened to break the top seed. Sinner snuffed out his challenge to win the first set with ease but the 23-year-old ran into trouble in the next set when Bublik pulled out trademark drop shots from his bag of tricks and worked his opponent harder to stay level after 10 games. 'We've played each other a couple of times already, so we already knew what to expect a little bit. But, in other aspects, you never know how he is going to play,' Sinner added. 'I feel like he deserved to be in this quarter-final ... I tried to focus on my side of the court. I was trying to play as solid as possible because he can have some ups and downs, so I just needed to stay consistent throughout the whole match.' Agencies Paris: An inspired Lois Boisson delighted Roland Garros as the French world number 361 downed Mirra Andreeva on Wednesday to set up a French Open semi-final against Coco Gauff. Boisson, making her debut at a Grand Slam event, powered her way to a thrilling 7-6 (8/6), 6-3 victory on a raucous Court Philippe Chatrier to become the first Frenchwoman to reach the semis since Marion Bartoli in 2011. The 22-year-old, who was due to play at last year's French Open but suffered a knee injury the week before the tournament, is the lowest-ranked woman to reach a major semi-final in 40 years. 'It was incredible to play in front of this crowd and feel support like that,' said Boisson, after hitting 24 winners past Russian sixth seed Andreeva to follow up her fourth-round win over world number three Jessica Pegula with an even more surprising victory. A dramatic first set saw Andreeva miss a set point after leading 5-3, before Boisson fought back only to see three chances of her own come and go in a marathon 12th game. But the wildcard fought off another set point in the tie-break, before taking her next opportunity, cupping her ear towards the adoring crowd in celebration. Andreeva gathered herself and quickly built a 3-0 lead in the second set, only to be left jumping up and down in anger after a missed backhand gave Boisson a much-needed hold of serve. The 18-year-old Andreeva started to crumble under the pressure, being given a warning for slamming a ball into the top tier of the stands as the atmosphere heated up under the Chatrier roof. She was roundly booed when she then argued with the umpire over a line call, and was broken later that game after another double-fault to suddenly trail 4-3. Boisson made it six consecutive games to secure a seismic victory as Andreeva, one of the pre-tournament favourites, completely unravelled. Second seed Gauff battled back from a set down to defeat fellow American, and Australian Open champion, Madison Keys in an error-strewn opening match 6-7 (6/8), 6-4, 6-1. The former US Open champion upped her level enough after dropping the first set to get through a quarter-final littered with 14 double-faults and a whopping 101 unforced errors. 'It means a lot, especially getting through this tough match today, it wasn't an easy match and I'm very happy to get through it,' she said. Gauff, the 2022 losing finalist, will be hoping to go at least one better than when she lost to Iga Swiatek in last year's semi-final. Swiatek continues her bid for a fourth consecutive Roland Garros title in a blockbuster clash with world number one Aryna Sabalenka in Thursday's other semi-final. Meanwhile, world number one Jannik Sinner continued his relentless pursuit of a maiden French Open title with a typically efficient 6-1 7-5 6-0 win over Kazakh showman Alexander Bublik to reach the semi-finals. The near-flawless victory ensured Sinner became the first Italian man to make six Grand Slam semi-finals and extended his winning run at the majors to 19 matches after his triumphs at last year's US Open and the Australian Open in January. 'I'm very happy with how I've arrived in the semi-finals. The semi-finals in Grand Slams are very special, I'm looking forward to it,' Sinner said. The retraction of Court Philippe Chatrier's roof after a cold, rainy morning signalled the opening of the floodgates as Sinner raced into a 5-0 lead before Bublik got on the board and immediately threatened to break the top seed. Sinner snuffed out his challenge to win the first set with ease but the 23-year-old ran into trouble in the next set when Bublik pulled out trademark drop shots from his bag of tricks and worked his opponent harder to stay level after 10 games. 'We've played each other a couple of times already, so we already knew what to expect a little bit. But, in other aspects, you never know how he is going to play,' Sinner added. 'I feel like he deserved to be in this quarter-final ... I tried to focus on my side of the court. I was trying to play as solid as possible because he can have some ups and downs, so I just needed to stay consistent throughout the whole match.' Agencies
Dubai Eye
8 hours ago
- Dubai Eye
Boisson shocks Andreeva as Djokovic sets up Sinner showdown
Wild card Lois Boisson stunned sixth seed Mirra Andreeva to reach the French Open semi-finals, before Novak Djokovic set up a clash with world number one Jannik Sinner. While Sinner stretched his Grand Slam winning streak to 19 matches after back-to-back titles at the US Open last year and the Australian Open in January, Boisson, ranked 361st, thrilled the home crowd with a dazzling performance. Three-time French Open winner Novak Djokovic stole the show in the evening by outlasting German third seed Alexander Zverev 4-6 6-3 6-2 6-4 to remain in the hunt for a record 25th Grand Slam title at the venue of his Olympic gold medal last year. Victory after three hours and 17 minutes was the 38-year-old Serbian's 101st win at Roland Garros but he had to draw from his seemingly endless reserves of energy and experience to prevail. "There was a lot of tension, pressure but it's normal when you play Zverev, one of the best in the world, in the last five-six years," Djokovic said. "My game is based on a lot of running. I'm 38, it's not easy to keep running like that but, OK, it works." Sinner was barely troubled as he defeated Alexander Bublik 6-1 7-5 6-0 and became the first Italian man to reach six Grand Slam semi-finals. The 23-year-old, who served a three-month doping ban before returning to action in Rome last month, raced through the first set after twice breaking the Kazakh, who had stunned fifth seed Jack Draper in the previous round. Looking to become the first man representing Kazakhstan to defeat a world number one, Bublik, who hit 37 drop shots against Draper, pulled out this weapon again in the second set. Sinner broke and held to take it before the 27-year-old Bublik, ever the entertainer, delighted fans with an underarm serve but ultimately could do nothing to stop the Italian's march into the last four. Boisson Sparkles Earlier Boisson became the toast of France after staging the tournament's biggest upset with a 7-6(6) 6-3 win over Andreeva, who had been tipped as a title contender, in an electrifying match that had the home crowd on the edge of their seats. The 22-year-old had stunned third seed Jessica Pegula in round four, but on Wednesday pulled off another major shock, beating Andreeva, who had not lost a set in the tournament. "Every player dreams of winning a Slam - and for a French player, Roland Garros even more so. I'll go for it because my dream is to win the final, not the semi-final," Boisson said. Andreeva, the 18-year-old sixth seed who was bidding to become the youngest female player to reach back-to-back French Open semi-finals in nearly three decades, quickly found herself chasing Boisson's fierce forehand. The underdog, who has been a breath of fresh air in the tournament with her no-nonsense power game and down-to-earth approach, looked to have run out of steam as Andreeva went 3-0 up but she proceeded to win the next six consecutive games. Andreeva repeatedly lost her temper and was handed a warning when she fired a ball into the stands in frustration. With the home crowd the loudest it had been since the start, chants of 'Lois, Lois' echoed across the Philippe Chatrier court, with the decibel level lifted even further because the roof was closed due to rain. Boisson, who will jump almost 300 places in the rankings next week, will face 2023 U.S. Open champion Coco Gauff, who came out on top in an error-ridden quarter-final against Australian Open champion Madison Keys, with the pair littering the court with 101 unforced errors. Unforced Errors With a total of 49 unforced errors in the first set alone they both struggled to hold serve and Gauff, a semi-finalist in Paris last year, wasted a set point before Keys, who reached the French Open last four in 2018, edged ahead with a tiebreak win. Gauff, who reached the final in 2022 and is the youngest woman to claim 25 main-draw wins at Roland Garros since Martina Hingis (1995-2000), bounced back to win the next two sets. "So many unforced errors," Gauff, who also had 10 double faults, said to herself after sinking another easy baseline shot into the net. "I was just trying to be aggressive," the 21-year-old Gauff said. "Usually if you're playing too passive, in the end the more aggressive player is going to win. I knew in the second and the third that I had to try my best."
The National
14 hours ago
- The National
Novak Djokovic says 'forget the age' as he blasts way into French Open semi-finals
Novak Djokovic delivered a timely reminder of his enduring greatness with a hard-fought four-set victory over Alexander Zverev to reach the semi-finals of the French Open on Wednesday night, taking another step toward a record-extending 25th Grand Slam title. In front of a packed Court Philippe Chatrier, the 38-year-old Serbian recovered from a set down to defeat the third-seeded German 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 in three hours and 24 minutes of compelling tennis under the lights. The win marks Djokovic's 101st career triumph at Roland Garros, and sets up a high-stakes showdown in the last four against world No 1 Jannik Sinner. 'It was an amazing match,' Djokovic said post-match. 'Obviously beating one of the best players in the world on the biggest stages is something that I definitely work for. I still push myself on a daily basis at this age because of these kind of matches and these kind of experiences.' Zverev, last year's runner-up in Paris, came out of the blocks quickly, breaking Djokovic in the opening game and riding that momentum to take the first set – the first the Serb has dropped at this year's tournament. But if there is one lesson Djokovic has taught throughout his storied career, it's to never write him off. The three-time French Open champion responded with clinical precision, breaking Zverev early in the second set and maintaining control with trademark consistency and a shrewd use of the drop shot to nullify the German's power from the baseline. Djokovic broke twice in the third set to put clear daylight between him and his opponent, and although Zverev had his chances in the fourth – including a thrilling break point that Djokovic saved with a blistering cross-court forehand – the momentum never truly shifted back. When match point finally arrived for a fifth time, Djokovic did not falter. Arms raised, he soaked in the acclaim of a Parisian crowd well aware they are witnessing the twilight years of one of tennis's greatest champions. The significance of the moment was not lost on him. 'It's a proven kind of testament to myself that I can, and to others that I can still play on the highest level,' he said. 'I just thrive on these occasions.' Djokovic's path to this point has been marked by questions over his form and fitness. A subdued early season campaign – by his lofty standards – included an uncharacteristically early exit in Indian Wells and patchy performances during the clay-court swing. But Wednesday's win, coupled with his victory over Carlos Alcaraz in the Australian Open quarter-finals earlier this year, offers a compelling counter-narrative. 'I think the win against Alcaraz in the quarters of the Australian Open, and tonight against Zverev, proves to myself and others that I can still play on the highest level,' Djokovic said. 'Forget the age.' Even Zverev, who had every reason to be disappointed after falling short, acknowledged the scale of the challenge Djokovic still poses. 'I think at the moment he's a bit underrated, to be honest,' the German said. 'A lot of people count him out already, but this year he's had wins over Carlos at the Australian Open, and a win over me at the French Open. Forget the age. For any player, those are pretty good results.' For Zverev, defeat brings a premature end to a frustrating clay-court season. Following early exits in Monte Carlo and Madrid, and a quarter-final showing in Rome, the German's quest for a first Grand Slam title will now shift to the grass courts. But the story of the night was Djokovic – still standing, still fighting, and still chasing history. Next up is Sinner, the young Italian who has rapidly risen to the summit of the sport. Djokovic was under no illusions about the challenge ahead. 'Jannik is in tremendous form, and he has been the best player for the last couple of years,' he said. 'There is no bigger occasion for me. I'll try to do my best to step it up and perform as well as I did tonight.' At 38, Djokovic continues to defy the passage of time. And as he moves within two wins of Grand Slam No 25, there is little doubt he remains a force to be reckoned with.
