World No 1 to face fifth seed Alexander Zverev
Monday 3 June 2019 20:02, UK
Novak Djokovic became the first man to reach the French Open quarter-finals 10 years in a row with an emphatic straight-sets victory against unseeded German Jan-Lennard Struff.
The 15-time Grand Slam champion eased past the 29-year-old Struff, ranked world No 45, 6-3 6-2 6-2 on Monday to maintain his bid to hold all four Grand Slam titles simultaneously for the second time in his career.
Djokovic is one of only three players yet to lose a set at this year's tournament and will face fifth seed Alexander Zverev in the last eight after the German defeated Fabio Fognini.
"I [have] reached the quarter-finals and played as closest to my best tennis on clay as I think I can be at the moment," Djokovic said.
"I'm really pleased with every aspect of my game. So everything is coming together beautifully
The Serb broke Struff's initial resistance in the first set when he converted his second break point of the match at 4-3, before he won 11 of the next 13 games to take command of the contest.
The world No 1 saved the only break point he faced as he served for the match in the third set, as he continued his quest for a second French Open title in ruthless fashion.
Djokovic, who won his first title at Roland Garros in 2016 to complete the career Grand Slam, is viewed as the favourite for the men's title, alongside 11-time champion Rafael Nadal.
Zverev recorded his first victory against a top-20 opponent at a Grand Slam as he beat Italian ninth seed Fognini 3-6 6-2 6-2 7-6 (7-5).
The 22-year-old has now reached the last eight at Roland Garros in each of the past two years but is yet to reach a semi-final at a slam, despite being ranked world No 5.
Zverev saved seven break points against Fognini, who won the Monte-Carlo Masters title in April, including one at 5-5 in the fourth set as he avoided being taken the distance for the third time this fortnight.
Meanwhile, Kei Nishikori completed a five-set win over two days to reach the last eight, or better, at a Grand Slam for the fourth straight tournament.
The seventh-seed overcame French favourite Benoit Paire to win 6-2 6-7 (8-10) 6-2 6-7 (8-10) 7-5 and he will next face defending champion Nadal on Tuesday.
Their fourth-round match had been suspended by darkness on Sunday, with Nishikori leading two sets to one.
Paire saved two match points in the fourth-set tiebreaker to level at two sets apiece and led 4-1 and 5-3 in the decider before suffering defeat.
Nishikori broke back with a backhand winner and made the decisive break in the 11th game, sealing victory on his next service game when Paire, who finished with 79 unforced errors, sent a forehand return into the net.
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