World No.1 Novak Djokovic will face Lorenzo Musetti (30th) on Saturday for a place in the round of 16, during the night of the day. In five confrontations, the Italian had beaten the Serb once, in 2023, in the eighth of Monte-Carlo (4-6, 7-5, 6-4) while “Nole” presented himself as one of the big favorites of the clay court tournament.
Gaining momentum during his second round won against the Spaniard Roberto Carballes (63rd), world No.1 Novak Djokovic will face Lorenzo Musetti (30th) on Saturday for a place in the round of 16, during the night of the day. In five confrontations, the Italian had beaten the Serb once, in 2023, in the eighth of Monte-Carlo (4-6, 7-5, 6-4) while “Nole” presented himself as one of the big favorites of the clay court tournament. Their only duel at Roland-Garros in 2021 – for the Italian’s first participation – remains a mixed memory for Musetti who had to give up in the fifth set, at 4-0, after leading two sets to nothing before breaking down.
“Musetti who is a superb player”
“I am delighted with this superb poster which fully deserves to be scheduled as a night session with Musetti who is a superb player and who is not yet well known to the general public. He has already beaten Djokovic in Monte-Carlo last year I think there will be a match, especially since we are in doubt regarding the Serb’s state of form”, declared Cédric Pioline, tennis consultant for Europe 1.
Before the night, the favorites Alexander Zverev (N.4), Aryna Sabalenka (N.2) and Elena Rybakina (N.4) will each face the Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor, the Spaniard Paula Badosa and the Belgian Elise Mertens on the court Philippe-Chatrier. For his part, the double finalist Casper Ruud, after having had to battle in the second round against Alejandro Davidovich, will face the Argentinian Tomas Martin Etcheverry (29th) on the Suzanne-Lenglen court in match 4. It is the French Varvara Gracheva who will open the festivities on the court against the Romanian Irina-Camelia Begu (127th) to perhaps reach the round of 16 in Paris for the first time in her career.