French Open: Nadal, Djokovic into quarterfinals

The nine-time French Open champion is aiming to become the first Open Era player to win 10 titles in a single Grand Slam event.

Published : Jun 04, 2017 18:44 IST

Rafael Nadal celebrates after winning his tennis match against Spain's Roberto Bautista Agut at the Roland Garros 2017
Rafael Nadal celebrates after winning his tennis match against Spain's Roberto Bautista Agut at the Roland Garros 2017
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Rafael Nadal celebrates after winning his tennis match against Spain's Roberto Bautista Agut at the Roland Garros 2017

Nine-time champion Rafael Nadal surged into the French Open quarterfinals for a record-equalling 11th time on Sunday.

TOURNAMENT TRACKER

Nadal continued his ruthless form at Roland Garros by dispatching Spanish 17th seed Roberto Bautista Agut 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 to match Roger Federer's mark of last-eight appearances in Paris.

The 14-time major winner is yet to drop a set, conceding just six games in the last two rounds as he strives to become the first man to win 10 titles at a single Grand Slam.

WOMEN'S MATCHES

"I'm happy because Roberto is a very good player. It's very important for me to be in the quarter-finals one more time," said Nadal, who turned 31 on Saturday.

Defending champion Novak Djokovic will also become an 11-time quarterfinalist in Paris if he defeats Spain's Albert Ramos-Vinolas later Sunday.

Japan's Kei Nishikori fought off a fierce five-set challenge from rising South Korean talent Hyeon Chung to clinch a place in the last 16.

Eighth seed Nishikori led two sets to one but trailed by a double break at 3-0 down in the fourth set when rain halted play on Saturday.

Chung forced the contest into a deciding set as play resumed on Sunday, but the world number 67 double faulted on match point to gift Nishikori a 7-5, 6-4, 6-7 (4/7), 0-6, 6-4 victory.

"I think the rain helps me a lot, because I was really down in the fourth set and mentally I wasn't ready," admitted Nishikori.

"I knew I had to change something to beat him today, so I think I made some adjustments to make little better than yesterday."

It was the first third-round meeting between two Asian players at Roland Garros, with 2014 US Open finalist Nishikori going on to play Fernando Verdasco for a place in the quarterfinals.

Karen Khachanov will play Andy Murray in the fourth round after the giant Russian beat American 21st seed John Isner 7-6 (7/1), 6-3, 6-7 (5/7), 7-6 (7/3).

Djokovic eases past Ramos-Vinolas

Defending champion Novak Djokovic reached a record-equalling 11th French Open quarter-final on Sunday with a 7-6 (7/5), 6-1, 6-3 win over Spain's Albert Ramos-Vinolas.

Djokovic will face sixth seed Dominic Thiem for a place in the semi-finals, two weeks after routing the Austrian for the loss of just one game in the Rome semi-finals.

The world number two also beat Thiem in the semi-finals at Roland Garros last year on his way to a first title in Paris

Zeballos no match for Thiem

Dominic Thiem is through to the French Open quarterfinals for the second straight year after easing past Horacio Zeballos 6-1, 6-3, 6-1.

The sixth-seeded Austrian, a semifinalist at Roland Garros last year, next plays defending champion Novak Djokovic.

Zeballos received a thumbs up from Thiem after one superb lob midway through the third set, but the unseeded Argentine was never really in contention and lost in 1 hour, 40 minutes.

An ace down the middle gave Thiem victory on his first match point.

Carreno Busta stuns Raonic

Spanish 20th seed Pablo Carreno Busta stunned fifth-seeded Milos Raonic of Canada 4-6, 7-6 (7/2), 6-7 (6/8), 6-4, 8-6 to set up a French Open quarterfinal clash with Rafael Nadal.

Carreno Busta will be playing in his first Slam quarterfinal after needing seven match points to clinch the 4hr 17min match on Court One.

Raonic, a quarter-finalist in 2014, fired 25 aces, 92 winners but a stunning 84 unforced errors.

 

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