Novak Djokovic, Jannik Sinner Flex Muscles To Reach French Open Last 16 As Madison Keys Survives

NDTV

2 days ago

Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner flexed their muscles on Saturday, powering into the fourth round of the French Open in straight sets, as Madison Keys saved three match points to advance alongside three other American women. Djokovic eased past Austrian qualifier Filip Misolic 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 on Court Philippe Chatrier to keep his quest for a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title on track. The three-time French Open winner took just over two hours to beat 153rd-ranked Misolic and will next play Britain's 81st-ranked Cameron Norrie for a place in the quarter-finals.
Djokovic played in the night session on centre court with the match overlapping with the UEFA Champions League final between Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan.
"I don't know if it was good for me to get this scheduled slot, because it was interesting, the crowd was really following the (football) game," he said.
"And I could hear once they (PSG) scored, and it was way too many times that they were celebrating. I was like, 'Wow, there's a lot of goals from Paris' and 'What's going on?'. So now I heard it's 5-0, so it's quite a result, to be honest."
The 38-year-old faced only one break point, which he saved, while hitting just 14 unforced errors to 33 winners.
Earlier, world number one Sinner eased through 6-0, 6-1, 6-2 against outclassed world number 34 Jiri Lehecka.
"I think in early stages of Grand Slams it's good that you don't spend so much time, if you have the chance, on court," said the top-seed Italian.
"I don't think there's much I could improve."
Three-time Grand Slam winner Sinner next meets Russia's Andrey Rublev, who advanced after France's Arthur Fils withdrew injured on Friday.
Sinner has been finding his feet since his comeback from a three-month doping ban, reaching the Italian Open final where he lost to reigning Roland Garros champion Carlos Alcaraz.
And the 23-year-old has not dropped a set in Paris -- extending his winning streak at Grand Slam events to 17 matches after titles at the 2024 US Open and Australian Open this January.
British fifth seed Jack Draper proved too strong for Brazilian teenage sensation Joao Fonseca, winning 6-2, 6-4, 6-2 to progress through to the fourth round, where he will meet Kazakh Alexander Bublik.
Keys 'digs deep'
German third seed Zverev, who lost last year's final to Alcaraz, won 6-2, 7-6 (7/4), 6-1 against Hamburg champion Flavio Cobolli.
"It was quite hot today, and I definitely felt it on the court," said Zverev.
"But, yeah, happy to get through in three sets and not waste extra energy."
In the women's draw, a relieved Keys edged fellow American Sofia Kenin 4-6, 6-3, 7-5.
"I'm happy to be still in the tournament," said the 30-year-old seventh seed after she saved three match points when serving at 4-5 in the decider.
"I really tried to dig deep."
She advanced alongside fellow countrywomen Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula and Hailey Baptiste.
Keys will again face another compatriot in the next round after Baptiste downed Spain's Jessica Bouzas Maneiro 7-6 (7/4), 6-1.
Keys and Kenin shared breaks early in the decider, before the reigning Australian Open champion broke the 31st seed at 5-5 and then held serve to see out the match.
Former Australian Open champion and Roland Garros runner-up Kenin had led 3-0 in the third set, before the world number eight turned the match round to book her place in the last 16.
World number two Gauff booked her ticket to the same stage with a straight-sets win over Czech Marie Bouzkova.
The 21-year-old won through 6-1, 7-6 (7/3) against the world number 47 and next plays Ekaterina Alexandrova, the 20th seed, who beat fellow Russian Veronika Kudermetova 6-2, 6-2.
Third seed Pegula joined her fellow Americans with a 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 win over Czech Marketa Vondrousova.
Pegula, last year's US Open runner-up, next meets the unheralded Lois Boisson, ranked 361 and the last French player competing in Roland Garros.
Boisson fought through the pain to see off 138th-ranked compatriot Elsa Jacquemot 6-3, 0-6, 7-5.
"Obviously.. going to have some crazy support," said Pegula.
"I think it will be fun. It will be cool to be a part of that."
Earlier, 18-year-old Andreeva eased into the last 16 with a 6-3, 6-1 win over Kazakh Yulia Putintseva.
Sixth seed Andreeva will next play Daria Kasatkina, ranked 17 and now playing for Australia after switching allegiance from her native Russia, who beat Spanish 10th seed Paula Badosa 6-1, 7-5.