Mysterious Djokovic hobbles and stumbles - yet remains upright
Title: Novak Djokovic Overcomes Knee Injury and Physical Strain to Reach French Open Quarterfinals
Novak Djokovic, the top-seeded tennis player from Serbia, evaded elimination by showcasing his power again at the French Open, allowing him to keep dreaming of winning another title in Paris. In an almost five-and-a-half-hour-long match, Djokovic defeated Francisco Cerundolo from Argentina in a fierce five-set battle.
Djokovic seems to thrive in nail-biting situations. Just two days after his groundbreaking night match in the third round, he officially progressed to the quarterfinals of the French Open. Despite shoulder pain and an outward discontentment with himself and the world, Djokovic delivered yet another thrilling five-set extravaganza, defeating Cerúndolo 6-1, 5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3. Addressing the audience after his comeback from a 1-2 set deficit, he smiled smugly, saying, "You've been waiting for this!"
Djokovic scored his 370th win at a Grand Slam tournament, surpassing Swiss tennis legend Roger Federer in that category. He also broke the record for the most quarterfinals at the four major tournaments, with a grand total of 59. In Paris, he made it to the round of 16 15 times in a row, yet, wary of his physical condition, his game in the quarterfinals was less than optimal.
After finishing his third-round match against Italian Lorenzo Musetti on Saturday night after 3 a.m. and four and a half hours, Djokovic initially appeared to have recovered well from the strain. But in the second set, during a medical timeout, the 24-time Grand Slam winner complained about his right knee. He explained to the umpire during a later outburst about the excessive sand on the court, "I twisted my knee. I've been slipping and sliding the whole time."
Djokovic also engaged in a confrontation with the noisy audience in Court Philippe Chatrier, who had been too noisy during a ball change. After Cerúndolo prevailed in the second set in the 13th attempt, Djokovic also protested to his team. Since his third-round match, Boris Becker, his former coach, had warned, "The volcano is alive - the question is when it will erupt."
Djokovic's body language was enigmatic. He moved slowly or hunched over after ball changes. After losing the third set, he appeared uninterested, stretching his injured leg languidly on the bench. However, in the fourth set, he regained his competitive spirit and saved himself with an impressive display of strength to make it to the final round. There, he exhibited unwavering composure.
Before that, Australian Alex de Minaur created one of the rare upsets in Paris, advancing to the quarterfinals. The 25-year-old defeated Russian fifth-ranked player Daniil Medvedev 4-6, 6-2, 6-1, 6-3. De Minaur, who had already triumphed over German professional Jan-Lennard Struff in the third round, was set to play against the winner of the match between German Olympic champion Alexander Zverev and Dane Holger Rune, planned for late Monday evening.
