13-time French Open champion Rafael Nadal cruised to the quarter-final of the Roland Garros as he thrashed Italian Jannik Sinner in straight sets on Monday (June 7).
Nadal, who is yet to drop a set in Paris since the 2019 final, was given an early scare by Sinner before recovering late in the first set and then proceeding to clinch the game 7-5, 6-3, 6-0 to enter his 15th French Open quarter-final.
Jeu, set, match: Nadal @RafaelNadal makes it 35 sets in a row at #RolandGarros as he dismisses Sinner 7-5, 6-3, 6-0. pic.twitter.com/VALFKoXY8K
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 7, 2021
Nadal will next take on Diego Schwartzman, the 10th seed from Argentina, who hit sublime form defeating Germany's world No.42 Jan-Lennard Struff 7-6(9), 6-4, 7-5 to make the last-eight grade at Roland Garros for the third time.
Interestingly, Schwartzman is yet to lose a set in the tournament.
The sweet taste of victory #RolandGarros | @RafaelNadal pic.twitter.com/sofpDnAwlE
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 7, 2021
Earlier, world no.1 Novak Djokovic came back from a two-set deficit to overcome Italian teenager Lorenzo Musetti who retired in the fifth set and the Serbian moved into the French Open quarterfinals.
Djokovic prevailed 6-7(7), 6-7(2), 6-1, 6-0, 4-0 in three hours and 27 minutes, before 19-year-old Musetti retired. For the 2016 French Open champion, it was the fifth time in his career to comeback from two-sets-to-love down to win.
Djokovic will take on Italy's ninth seed Matteo Berrettini, who got a walkover after Swiss ace Roger Federer withdrew from the tournament on Sunday, for a place in the semi-finals.
Tennis - Most successive men's quarter-finals at single Grand Slam in Open Era
13 - Jimmy Connors (1973-1985)
12 - @DjokerNole (2010-2021) (+1)
11 - Roger Federer (2004-2014)
11 - Ivan Lendl (1982-1992)
11 - Jimmy Connors (1972-1982)#RolandGarros— Gracenote Olympic (@GracenoteGold) June 7, 2021
Djokovic, who is in the quarterfinals for a record 12th consecutive year, came through his first big test at this year's French Open, winning 13 games in a row from a 3-1 advantage in the third set to a 4-0 lead in the decider against Musetti.
Djokovic, the 18-time Grand Slam champion, will go into the quarterfinal contest against Berrettini full of confidence as he had beaten the Italian 6-2, 6-1 in their only previous meeting, at the 2019 Nitto ATP Finals.
