Novak Djokovic continues his perfect start to Roland Garros by winning another match in three sets, while Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti qualifies for the first time in the round of 16 of a Grand Slam tournament, at just 19 years old. Disappointment among women for Elina Svitolina, seed number 5, who lost in straight sets.
Djokovic passes without trembling
The turns go by and look the same for Novak Djokovic. The Serbian made short work of Lithuanian Ricardas Berankis in the third round of the French Open with a three-set victory (6-1, 6-4, 6-1) and an hour and a half of play on the court Philippe-Chatrier. Seed number 1, unhappy finalist in 2020, Djokovic has still not lost a round in this 2021 edition of Roland-Garros.
After crushing Tennys Sandgren in the first round and then Pablo Cuevas in the second, the Serbian easily got rid of Berankis, whom he had beaten in the second round of the last edition. The Lithuanian has never managed to level with the world number 1. He barely managed to stand up to Djokovic in the second set, without preventing him from breaking him at 3-2.
As in 2020, Djokovic therefore passes his first laps without difficulty. In the fall (the tournament had been postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic), the Serbian dropped his first set in the quarterfinals against the Spaniard Pablo Carreño Busta. In the eighth, Djokovic will meet the young and astonishing Italian Lorenzo Musetti, who is playing his very first major tournament.
Musetti amazes for his first Grand Slam
At the end of a bitter fight of three hours and seven minutes, the Italian Lorenzo Musetti validated his ticket for the round of 16 of the tournament by winning against his compatriot Marco Cecchinato (3-6, 6-4, 6 -4, 3-6, 6-3). For his first Grand Slam tournament, the young Musetti impresses, after having eliminated David Goffin in the first round then Yoshihito Nishioka in the second.
On court number 7 electrified by this duel between Italians, the beautiful promise of world tennis (19 years old), who currently occupies the 76e place in the ATP ranking, delivered a remarkable performance against Cecchinato. The two players offered the public intense exchanges, Musetti making a blow behind the back which will certainly remain among the most beautiful of this 2021 edition of Roland-Garros.
? ?? ?? The Italians have gone mad on court N ° 7 with a blow in the back of Lorenzo Musetti who responds to a… https://t.co/WOKJxinxrM
Musetti still needed five match points to wrap up and become the sixth player since 2000 to rise in week two for his Major debut. Ten years his senior, Cecchinato was no match and let Musetti slip away in the round of 16, where he will find Djokovic.
Svitolina out, Kenin rare survivor seed
Roland-Garros is decidedly not suitable for the best players in the world. After the untimely exits of Ashleigh Barty (number 1), Naomi Osaka (2e) or Aryna Sabalenka (4e) earlier in the week, it’s the turn of Ukrainian Elina Svitolina, 6e world player, to take the exit in the third round. The 26-year-old, quarter-finalist in 2020, lost in straight sets against Czech Barbora Krejcikova (33e), 6-3, 6-2.
Krejcikova notably emerged victorious from a 4-3 marathon service game in her favor in the first set, to allow her to confirm the break she had just achieved and soar to the victory of the first set. She then unfolded in the second set and reached the knockout stages of a Grand Slam for the second time in her career, after the 2020 Roland-Garros edition.
She will meet Sloane Stephens there (58e). The American will face her third Czech player in a row in the tournament, after her victories against Karolina Pliskova (10e) in the second round, then Karolina Muchova (18e) Saturday.
World fourth player Sofia Kenin also had a tough game, even conceding the first set against fellow American Jessica Pegula 6-4. But she was able to bounce back with authority, winning without trembling the next two sets (6-1, 6-4) to reach the round of 16.