Novak Djokovic has cruised into the last eight of the French Open after producing a comprehensive straight sets win over Diego Schwartzman.
The world No.1 was in clinical form throughout his 6-1, 6-3, 6-3, victory over the 15th seed who won a clay court title earlier this year at the Buenos Aires Open. Djokovic dictated proceedings with the help of 27 winners against 31 unforced errors as he won 74% of his first service points. The victory moves him into the quarter-final of a major tournament for the 52nd time in his career, which is the second-highest tally in men’s tennis after Roger Federer (58).
Heading into the fourth round clash Djokovic boasted a winning 6-0 record against his Argentine rival and had won their three most recent encounters in straight sets. He continued that dominance at the start of their latest encounter at Roland Garros by racing through the opener in just 36 minutes.
Schwartzman, who reached the French Open semi-finals in 2020, was unable to match the intensity of the top seed as he produced an array of costly errors. Four games into the match, Djokovic got his maiden break with the help of back-to-back mistakes across the court. Two games later the double break was sealed when a Schwartzman double fault moved him to a commanding 5-1 lead. The opener was then sealed with a love service game that concluded with a Schwartzman backhand crashing into the net.
The one-sided start prompted the French crowd to get behind the Argentine who finally gave himself something to cheer about in the second frame by surging to a 3-0 lead. Much to the frustration of Djokovic who shook his head after dropping serve.
However, the comeback of the underdog was short lived. Under pressure for the first time, a determined Djokovic battled back valiantly by winning five games in a row to dampen Schwartzman’s spirits. Gaining momentum, he went on to seal the two-set lead on his first opportunity with a forehand towards the baseline that proved too much for his opponent who failed to return it over the net.
Closing in on his 327th win at a major tournament, Djokovic broke an exasperated Schwartzman one again midway through the third set. In poll position he stormed towards the finish line. After failing to convert his first match point whilst leading 5-2 in the third, he prevailed in the following game when a drop shot triggered yet another error from his opponent.
“I have a lot of respect for Diego (Schwartzman), he is a very good person on and off the court. I wish him a lot of happiness for the rest of the season,” the 20-time Grand Slam champion said during his on-court interview.
Djokovic could take on 13-time champion Rafael Nadal in the next round which will be their 59th meeting on the Tour and a repeat of the French Open final last year. Nadal will play Felix Auger-Aliassime in his fourth round match later on Sunday.
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