IMAGES from Day 8 of the French Open at Roland Garros on Sunday.
Impressive Djokovic canters into last eight
IMAGE: Serbia’s Novak Djokovic reacts during his fourth round match against Argentina’s Diego Schwartzman. Photograph: Yves Herman/Reuters
Novak Djokovic showed glimpses of his brilliant best to demolish Diego Schwartzman 6-1, 6-3, 6-3 on Sunday and book his place in the French Open quarter-finals where he is likely to face 13-times champion Rafael Nadal.
The world number one’s pace was too much for Argentine Schwartzman, who barely threatened despite enjoying a 3-0 lead in the second set.
From then on it was a one-way street for Serbian Djokovic, who won 12 of the remaining 15 games on a chilly Court Suzanne Lenglen.
“I have a lot of respect for him. He’s good guy on and off the court and he’s a claycourt specialist so it’s not easy especially in slow conditions today with a ball that was not bouncing high,” said Djokovic of Schwartzman, a semi-finalist at Roland Garros in 2020.
“I found the good serves at the right moments.”
IMAGE: Novak Djokovic plays a backhand return against Diego Schwartzman. Photograph: Ryan Pierse/Getty Images
The match looked nothing like the 2017 Roland Garros thriller between the pair, when Djokovic had to fight from two sets down to advance to the fourth round.
Djokovic, who has now reached the last eight here for the 13th year in a row, saved two break points at 1-1 before Schwartzman dropped serve to give his opponent the early lead in the opening set.
He raced through it, barely troubled by his opponent’s drop shots and almost managing to get the extra shot.
But the Argentine was not ready to give up and he broke for 2-0 in the second set and held for 3-0 only for Djokovic to raise his level again to break back with a crosscourt forehand winner.
Always ready with a good serve when needed, the Serbian staved off break points in the next game to level for 3-3, took the 15th seed’s serve again and wrapped up set two after another break.
Schwartzman showed signs of frustration when Djokovic left him red-faced with a delightful drop shot to go 3-2 up in the third.
Djokovic, back on the Grand Slam scene after being barred by local authorities from playing at the Australian Open over his refusal to get vaccinated against COVID-19, ended the Argentine’s ordeal by winning his final service game to love.
Teenager Fernandez tames Anisimova to book first Paris quarters
IMAGE: Canada’s Leylah Annie Fernandez celebrates a point during her fourth round match against USA’s Amanda Anisimova. Photograph: Dylan Martinez/Reuters
US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez won a baseline battle against American 27th seed Amanda Anisimova 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 to book her spot in the quarter-finals of the French Open for the first time on Sunday.
The only other time the Canadian left-hander made the second week of a Grand Slam was during her run to the final at Flushing Meadows in 2021 when she lost to fellow teenager Emma Raducanu.
“Today was a very complicated game and I’m happy I managed to get through,” she said in an on-court interview, speaking in French.
“I knew she would fire a lot of winners and that I had to accept that and not get frustrated. I was so eager to get to play here. I’m happy all the hard work we’ve done, me, my father, paid off.”
On an overcast and chilly morning on Court Philippe Chatrier, the 19-year-old Fernandez put pressure on Anisimova’s serve from the outset and quickly racked up a 4-0 lead, mixing deft drop shots with crushing forehands.
IMAGE: Amanda Anisimova plays a forehand against Leylah Fernandez. Photograph: Adam Pretty/Getty Images
The 20-year-old Anisimova, known for her easy power behind her groundstrokes, managed to get two service breaks back to make it 3-5 but could not stop Fernandez from taking the opener.
Three years ago, Anisimova, seeded 27th seed this year, became the youngest American to reach the Roland Garros semi-finals since Jennifer Capriati in 1990.
After a quick bathroom break, Anisimova returned more focused, found a bit more control with her powerful groundstrokes and advanced to the net more often to break her opponent’s delivery twice to win the second set.
Anisimova had two breakpoint opportunities on Fernandez’s first service game in the deciding set but the Canadian served an ace and then hit three crushing winners to hold.
Fernandez got the crucial break in the fifth game to nose ahead in the riveting contest as the American made her frustration evident by throwing her racket away after sending a forehand long.
The Canadian broke again in the ninth, converting her second matchpoint when Anisimova’s return did not make it past the net.
Fernandez will play Italian world number 59 Martina Trevisan, who beat 47th-ranked Aliaksandra Sasnovich of Belarus 7-6(10) 7-5, for a place in the semi-finals.
Trevisan smiles her way into last eight in Paris
IMAGE: Italy’s Martina Trevisan celebrates winning her fourth round match against Belarus’ Aliaksandra Sasnovich. Photograph: Yves Herman/Reuters
Italian world number 59 Martina Trevisan could not contain her joy when she earned a match point against Aliaksandra Sasnovich on Sunday and she put on her biggest smile before booking her French Open quarter-final spot with a 7-6(10), 7-5 win.
As she prepared to serve on her first match point and dispatch Sasnovich, the diminutive Trevisan, a quarter-finalist in Paris in 2019, beamed one of her trademark smiles and then proceeded to beat the Belarusian and extend her winning run to nine matches.
Trevisan, who had landed her first tour title days before the French Open with victory in Rabat, has so far not dropped a set en route to the last eight.
“I know that it’s weird that I was smiling but you know it helped me a lot during the moment of more patience and more nervous,” Trevisan said. “I remember to smile and I feel better.”
“It’s not easy to do because the situation is very tough but I practise it a lot.”
She will next face Canadian Leylah Fernandez, the US Open finalist, but the 28-year-old Trevisan feels no pressure and is right at home on the red clay as she looks to improve her Grand Slam record and reach her first ever semi-final.
“Here in Paris there is a magic atmosphere for me. I like so much the court, the bounce is very high but at the same time it’s a very fast court,” Trevisan said.
“Paris, right now I feel like it’s my second home. I am just enjoying the moment. It’s two incredible weeks and I keep focus every day on everything I’m doing. Keep smiling, that’s most important, the first thing.”
