Novak Djokovic continued his relentless march at Roland Garros on Monday, easing past Britain’s Cameron Norrie in straight sets to reach a record-breaking 19th French Open quarter-final.
The world No. 6 and three-time Roland Garros champion dispatched Norrie 6-2, 6-3, 6-2 on Court Philippe-Chatrier to book a last-eight showdown with third seed Alexander Zverev.
With the win, Djokovic notched his 100th career victory at the French Open—becoming the first man to reach 19 quarter-finals at a single Grand Slam tournament.
“I feel good. I know I can play better. But 12 sets played, 12 sets won—it’s been solid so far,” said the 38-year-old Serb. “It’s great, but victory number 101 would be better. I’m very honoured… but I need to keep going.”
Djokovic holds an 8–5 head-to-head advantage over Zverev, although their last encounter ended in disappointment for the Serb, who retired injured during their Australian Open semi-final in January.
“He’s 10 years younger. He calls himself a veteran of the game—what should I call myself then?” Djokovic joked when asked about facing the 27-year-old German.
No trouble on court, despite chaos off it
Djokovic showed no signs of distraction following a chaotic return to his hotel on Sunday night after attending Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League victory celebrations at the Parc des Princes.
PSG forward Ousmane Dembélé even presented the trophy to the Roland Garros crowd before Djokovic’s match.
“There were moments where we were advised not to go back at all—maybe to find a place to sleep nearby,” Djokovic said, describing scenes of unrest in the streets. “There were gas bombs, cars on fire… it was really dangerous.”
“Eventually, we waited it out and made it back fine. But it was loud, chaotic. Still, I understand—people were really excited.”
Djokovic in command
On the court, it was business as usual for the 24-time Grand Slam winner, who took control from the outset. He broke Norrie three times to breeze through the first set and crucially saved a break point early in the second before pulling away.
Norrie, ranked 81st and making his first appearance in the second week at Roland Garros, has now lost all six of his career meetings with Djokovic. He offered little resistance in the final set, as Djokovic closed out the win on his first match point.
With history within reach, Djokovic remains on course to become the first man to win 25 Grand Slam singles titles.
He will face a familiar challenge in Zverev on Wednesday, as the veteran continues his pursuit of another record-breaking triumph in Paris.
AFP
