Paris: Top seed Novak Djokovic passed his first real test at this year’s French Open with flying colours as he battled past Russia’s Karen Khachanov 6-4 6-3 6-3 on Monday to reach the quarter-finals for the 14th time.
The 33-year-old claimed a fourth successive straight-sets victory in his latest quest for a second French Open title, but it was nowhere near as straightforward as the score suggests.
Djokovic has won all 12 sets he’s played in Paris this year and dropped a total of only 25 games so far. He lost five games in each of his first three matches.
This victory puts Djokovic in his 47th Grand Slam quarterfinal, second only to Roger Federer’s 57.
Djokovic is seeking a second French Open championship and 18th major trophy overall. Among men, only Federer, with 20, and Rafael Nadal, with 19, have more.