Three-times champion Novak Djokovic roared into the French Open quarter-finals by beating Briton Cameron Norrie 6-2 6-3 6-2 for his 100th victory at Roland Garros on Monday to join Rafa Nadal in one of sport’s most exclusive fraternities.
The Serbian’s determined performance ensured he became only the second man to win a century of matches at the Parisian Grand Slam following the retired Nadal (112), keeping him on track for a record 25th major at the site of his Olympic gold last year.
It also made Roland Garros Djokovic’s most successful Grand Slam in terms of match wins, bettering the 99 victories that he has at the Australian Open, although the 38-year-old has lifted the trophy a staggering 10 times at Melbourne Park.
By reaching the quarter-finals for the 16th straight year, Djokovic also became the oldest man entering the last eight at Roland Garros since 39-year-old Istvan Gulyas in 1971.
Djokovic arrived in Paris having won his 100th tour-level trophy in an otherwise lacklustre year and has not dropped a set in the tournament so far to remind his much younger title rivals of his undiminished hunger for more milestones.
Also on Monday, top seed Jannik Sinner continued his serene French Open progress with a 6-1 6-3 6-4 dismantling of Russian Andrey Rublev to reach the quarter-finals in ominous fashion.
Ruthlessly efficient from the baseline, the Italian dissected world number 15 Rublev’s game in stunning fashion to make light work of the Court Philippe Chatrier night match.
The 23-year-old, bidding to win a third successive Grand Slam title after his triumphs in New York and Melbourne, has won 12 out of 12 sets so far on the Parisian clay and is beginning to look unstoppable in his quest for a first French crown.
Rublev did not play at all badly, but after failing to convert either of the two break points he had in the opening game he could make little impression.
World number one Sinner was at least pushed hard in the third set as Rublev threw caution to the wind but he pounced to break the Russian’s serve in the 10th game to stretch his streak of wins in Grand Slams to 18 matches.
Meanwhile, French world number 361 Lois Boisson sent shockwaves through Roland Garros on Monday by knocking out third seed Jessica Pegula to become the first home quarter-finalist since 2017, with Coco Gauff and Mirra Andreeva also reaching the last eight.
Boisson, 22, came from a set down against last year’s US Open runner-up as the wildcard recipient completed an improbable 3-6 6-4 6-4 win to prolong her dream run on her Grand Slam debut.
She is the first French singles quarter-finalist in Paris since Caroline Garica and Kristina Mladenovic made it to the same stage eight years ago. Mary Pierce was the tournament’s last French champion in 2000.
Boisson missed last year’s French Open after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee a week before it started.
She goes on to face 18-year-old Russian rising star Andreeva on Wednesday for a place in the semi-finals.
Sixth seed Andreeva moved through in straight sets as she cut short an attempted fightback by Daria Kasatkina to advance 6-3, 7-5.
Andreeva is through to her second major quarter-final, having reached the last four at Roland Garros 12 months ago when she knocked out Aryna Sabalenka.
World number two Gauff brushed Russian 20th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova aside 6-0 7-5 to step up her pursuit of a first Roland Garros crown, and second Grand Slam title.
“It was tough. The whole match I think I played well to be honest,” said Gauff, a losing finalist in Paris in 2022.
Former US Open champion Gauff will play reigning Australian Open champion Madison Keys in an all-American quarter-final.
Eighth-ranked Keys saw off unseeded compatriot Hailey Baptiste 6-3, 7-5.
Alexander Zverev took his place in the men’s quarter-finals when Dutch opponent Tallon Griekspoor retired with an abdominal injury while trailing 6-4, 3-0.
The German third seed is still hunting a first Grand Slam title. He lost last year’s final to Carlos Alcaraz and then finished runner-up to Jannik Sinner in Melbourne.
Reuters/AFP
