Paris – Novak Djokovic pulled off a fine comeback to reach his 15th French Open quarter-final on Monday, defeating 23rd seed Francisco Cerundolo of Argentina in a five-set thriller.
After four hours and 39 minutes, Cerundolo, who is number one in the world, lost two sets 6-1, 5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 before suffering an injury to his right knee.
He won his 370th Grand Slam, equaling the mark he shared with Roger Federer.
“Definitely deserves a round of applause. I don’t know how I won this game.
Djokovic will play last year’s finalist Kasper Ruud or Taylor Fritz as he continues his quest for a 25th Grand Slam title.
The 37-year-old Djokovic suffered a knee injury after taking a medical timeout early in the second set, five sets into the third round, which ended at 3.07am on Sunday.
But the Frenchman once again showed extraordinary resilience as he broke in the fourth set to remain in contention for his fourth Open crown.
The Serb worked on his knees while lying on his back on the towel and immediately pressed on as the match resumed.
After failing to convert any of his seven breaks in three different games, Cerundolo finally took advantage to break Djokovic for the set.
Djokovic broke to take the second set to Cerundolo, and the 25-year-old took the third set as he raced to a 3-0 lead.
Appeal Court
The Serbian complained about the clay in the previous match against Lorenzo Musetti.
Djokovic pleaded in vain for the clay to be regularly mopped up, blaming his knees for his “rebellion”.
Djokovic agreed that he had to go long again, like he did against Musetti, as Cerundolo closed out the third set with ease.
Cerundolo, who is seeking his first Grand Slam quarter-final, broke Djokovic 4-2 in the fourth set to move two games away from the biggest win of his career.
As Djokovic has done many times, Cerundolo dug deep into his reserves to level just 4 when Cerundolo hit a spear into the net.
After Djokovic’s performance in the next match, the three-time French Open champion picked up on the crowd who felt he wasn’t done yet.
He saved a break point to take a 6-5 lead and Cerundolo was the first to shine in the end, the top seed forcing a tie in the fourth set.
It felt like Djokovic was desperate for a break to open the fifth set. Cerundolo didn’t leave despite his huge debt.
The Argentinian hit back Djokovic was furious on the court after falling awkwardly.
Djokovic was broken in two sets by a forehand from Cerundolo, proof of the exceptional quality produced by both players despite being tested to their limits.
In the eighth game, Djokovic hit a forehand winner to grab a crucial break before sealing another victory.
