PARIS: Rafael Nadal knocked out Jannik Sinner in straight sets to reach the French Open quarterfinals for the 15th time while Novak Djokovic came back from two sets down to advance on Monday.
Third seed Nadal extended his remarkable Roland Garros run after beating the 19-year-old Sinner 7-5, 6-3, 6-0, having won 104 matches out of 106 since his debut in 2005.
“I started well but was a little too defensive. I gave him the chance to come inside the court and play his best shots. That was a mistake,” said Nadal.
The Spaniard will face 10th seed Diego Schwartzman of Argentina in the quarter-finals as he aims for his 14th title at Roland Garros and a record-setting 21st Grand Slam to move clear of Roger Federer’s 20.
Current world No. 1 Djokovic was outplayed early by world No. 76 Musetti in the first two sets but fought back with the heart of a champion by winning 19 successive points at the end of the third set and the start of the fourth to avoid a shock fourth-round exit at the French Open, 6-7 (7), 6-7 (2), 6-1, 6-0, 4-0.
“After I lost the second set and went out to change and came back, I just felt different. I was a different player,” Djokovic said.
Having almost shocked the world, the 19-year-old Italian had to retire due to injury when trailing 0-4 in the fifth set.
“It was a fantastic experience. I was playing, I think, my best tennis. I have never played like today,” Musetti said.
“Of course I’m a little bit disappointed but I played against the number one in the world and I took the first two sets. He started to play really good and then I had some problems with my physical part. I think I have to work there.”
In the women’s draw, last year’s French Open finalist, fourth-seeded Sofia Kenin was knocked out by Maria Sakkari 6-1, 6-3, handing the Greek a quarter-final berth for the first time in her career and the third win over a top-five player this season.
With a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Ukrainian teenager Marta Kostyuk, reigning champion and eighth seed Iga Swiatek has won 22 straight sets at Roland Garros to set up her clash with Sakkari in the last eight, becoming the only remaining top-10 seeded player after Kenin’s exit.