2023 French Open: Djokovic and Alcaraz advance at Roland Garros

Novak Djokovic advances to record 17th French Open quarter-final

In a display of his superior quality, Novak Djokovic eased past Peru’s Juan Pablo Varillas in straight sets to reach a record-breaking 17th men’s singles quarter-final at the French Open. The Serbian third seed demonstrated his dominance on clay with a commanding performance that saw him win 6-3, 6-2, and 6-2.

Djokovic takes sole ownership of last-eight record

The victory also saw Djokovic overtake Rafael Nadal to take sole ownership of the last-eight records at Roland Garros. He is now eyeing another milestone by winning his record-breaking 23rd Grand Slam men’s singles title and surpassing Nadal in the process.

Alcaraz remains as main contender for the title

Carlos Alcaraz also advanced after beating Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti. Spain’s Alcaraz is seen as Djokovic’s main rival for the title following Nadal’s withdrawal due to injury. He won comfortably against Musetti with an impressive scoreline of 6-3, 6-2, and 6-2.

Potential semi-finals face-off between Djokovic and Alcaraz

Djokovic and Alcaraz are now set up for a potential thrilling clash in the semi-finals if they manage to overcome their respective opponents in their next round matches. Speaking about his achievement after setting yet another new milestone, Novak Djokovic said,

“I’m proud of it, but my attention is already in the next match. I know what my goal is here. I’m trying to stay mentally focused and not look too far ahead.”

Khachanov up next for Djokovic

Djokovic will play his quarter-final match against Russian 11th seed Karen Khachanov. The two-time champion won his previous rounds with ease, winning 2016 and 2021 titles at Roland Garros.

Dominant Alcaraz faces Tsitsipas in quarters

The world number one Carlos Alcaraz will take on fifth-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas in the quarters after beating Austrian qualifier Sebastian Ofner with a scoreline of 7-5, 6-3, and 6-0. The US Open champion has now won over eleven Grand Slam matches without losing following an injury that saw him miss out on Australian Open earlier this year.

No Drama for Djokovic

A physical third-round match against Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina also provided a talking point leading to Djokovic saying afterwards he did not have time to name his “long list” of injuries. However, the straightforward nature of beating Varillas meant it was a drama-free afternoon for the Serb.

Fans boo Novak as he progresses

Apart from being cheered by many fans at Roland Garros, Novak had some opponents among French supporters who jeered him when he made an innocuous gesture during one rally game.

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