Djokovic clinches an exciting victory, seeking to celebrate.
Defender champion Novak Djokovic almost got eliminated in the third round of the French Open with a remarkable five-set showdown. The 37-year-old Serbian battled it out for a total of five and a half hours against the enduring Italian, Lorenzo Musetti. He eventually won with a score of 7:5, 6:7 (6:8), 2:6, 6:3, 6:0, securing his place in the quarterfinals against Argentine Francisco Cerundolo.
After the match, an exhilarated Djokovic shared, "I'm full of energy and I can't sleep! This was probably the best game I've played here. So if there's a party anywhere, I'm coming!" He also praised Musetti, "I hold him in high esteem. I told him at the net that he played an amazing match. He was close to winning." In what seemed like a turnaround for Djokovic, who was trailing 1:2 sets, he demonstrated his power towards the end of the game.
Djokovic, the world's top-seeded player, tied the record of legendary Swiss tennis player Roger Federer with his 369th Grand Slam match win. With his 24th Grand Slam tournament win, he has surpassed both Federer (20) and Spanish tennis star Rafael Nadal (22). "I came into this year's Paris Open with low expectations and high hopes," Djokovic said prior to his first serve at Roland Garros. So far this season, the former tour dominator has yet to find his groove and hasn't captured any tournaments. "Of course, it affects me," he admitted.
Amidst the rainy days, with seven straight days in a row, tournament organizers changed the schedule to accommodate more matches at the Centre Courts, causing a delayed night session with Djokovic. On Court Suzanne Lenglen, past-year's finalist, Casper Ruud from Norway beat Tomás Martín Etcheverry from Argentina with a score of 6:4, 1:6, 6:2, 6:2.
