Novak Djokovic has already reserved his front row seat to Phillippe Chatrier this Friday. Got it after getting rid of a bully Karen Khachanova With 4-6, 7-6 (0), 6-2 and 6-4. For the twelfth time in Paris, he will seek a third title in the penultimate round of former #1 Roland Garros, beating the away record shared with Rafael Nadal at the 23rd Grand Slam. The second substitute awaits this Tuesday night session, where they will face Carlos Alcaraz and Stefanos Tsitsipas in the quarterfinals.
It didn’t start well Djokovic. On the other side of the net was a real wall. A Khachanov He said he had nothing to do with the tennis player he had beaten 10 times before. Backed by a great serve (88% points on the first serve), the Russian tennis player was strong in his forehand, safe from the baseline, and even on unknown drop shots, he not only kept his heart rate, but also snatched the first set. to the Serbs of the tournament.
an unexpected blow For Djokovic. He did not expect this and did not have the patience to resist the Russians (world 11). He was wrong (17 imperative mistakes against 12 winners alone) and the wind wasn’t helping him either. This cost him a ‘break’ (2-3). Khachanov He knew how to defend without giving up the breaking point until he scored the first set at 56 minutes.
The scenario did not change much in the second set. Khachanov He remained tough and aggressive to follow the pulse until he reached the “tie break”. Djokovic It still hasn’t gotten a ‘breaking point’. But in the decisive game, Djokovic used an advantage. Khachanov’s faultlooking for a setback (2-0), he wants to attack his prey with a killer instinct and earn seven points without any response from the Russian tennis player.
Cries of “Nole, Nole” from the crowd confirmed that if Murcian beat Tsitsipas in the night, few would want the Serb to lose and miss their semi-final date with Alcaraz.
series of 15-0
Djokovic’s first timeout At the start of the third set, he would not come until the 2 hours and 14 minutes of the game. It was the starting signal for a change of scenery. Djokovic scored 15 points in a row and three games to win the set in 45 minutes.
The worst is over and Djokovic Khachanov would still be frightened when 4-2 rebounded from 15-40 and tied the score at 4-4. He saved with a tear in the next match and confirmed his transition to the semi-finals after 3 hours 38 minutes.