French Open: Novak Djokovic comes through testing quarter-final to set up potential Carlos Alcaraz clash | Tennis News
Novak Djokovic overcame a first-set blip to beat Karen Khachanov 4-6 7-6 (7-0) 6-2 6-4 and reach the French Open semi-finals.
The victory sets up a potential showdown with world number one Carlos Alcaraz, who takes on fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas later on Tuesday.
Djokovic, twice champion before at Roland Garros, remains on course for a record-breaking 23rd men’s singles Grand Slam title, though he didn’t have things all his own way against Khachanov.
The 36-year-old did not have a single break opportunity in the opener as he ultimately dropped his first set of the tournament.
Khachanov – a semi-finalist at the US Open last September and the Australian Open earlier this year – instead stole Djokovic’s serve to lead 3-2 and, although the Serb threatened in a 10-minute ninth game, the 11th seed held and went on to hold out for a 6-4 advantage.
There were no break points for either player in the second set as Khachanov took the world number three to a tie-break, but the Russian began to fade at the crucial moment, failing to score a point as Djokovic levelled the contest.
Djokovic followed that up with an early break of the dejected Khachanov in the third and ended up stealing his serve once more to close in on victory.
The same pattern appeared to be unfolding in the fourth set, with Djokovic again securing an early break, though this time a double fault from the Serb allowed Khachanov to level things up at 4-4.
The 27-year-old failed to convert that break in his next service game, however, being broken to love as Djokovic claimed eight points in a row to swiftly and emphatically conclude the contest, wrapping things up with an ace.
Djokovic struggles for rhythm: ‘I came in a bit sluggish’
Speaking after his win, Djokovic said: “He [Khachanov] was the better player for most of the first two sets.
“I was struggling to find my rhythm, I came into this a bit sluggish.
“Then I played a perfect tie-break and from that moment onwards I played a couple of levels higher and managed to win eight points in a row to finish it off.”
He added: “I missed a couple of easy shots today. These things happen; sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.
“He has a big serve but maybe doesn’t move as well, so I tried to expose him and played unpredictable.
“It was a big fight but that’s what you expect from a Grand Slam quarter-final.”
