World No.1 Novak Djokovic battled back from two sets down to defeat an ailing Lorenzo Musetti in what was a roller-coaster match to book a place in the quarter-finals of the French Open.
The 18-time Grand Slam champion looked to be in danger of suffering his earliest exit from the tournament since 2009 before fighting back to win 6-7(7), 6-7(2), 6-1, 6-0, 4-0 RET. Early on Djokovic had to contend with some emphatic play from the 19-year-old rising star. However, as the match progressed he found his footing as his rival started to rapidly physically suffer on court. So much so that a devastated Musetti was forced to retire during the closing stages of the match.
“I actually felt more nervous when I was starting the match than when I was two sets down,” Djokovic said during his press conference. “To be honest, I even liked the fact that I lost first couple of sets. I just played under certain kind of tension and wasn’t able to go through my shots, too many unforced errors and just not playing and not feeling great in the first couple of sets.’
“Towards the end of the third, beginning of the fourth, I saw that he’s struggling physically. Obviously that gave me even more motivation to try to apply more pressure on him and kind of finish him off. That was the case.”
The 18-time Grand Slam champion looked to be in danger of suffering his earliest exit from the tournament since 2009 before fighting back to win 6-7(7), 6-7(2), 6-1, 6-0, 4-0 RET. Early on Djokovic had to contend with some emphatic play from the 19-year-old rising star. However, as the match progressed he found his footing as his rival started to rapidly physically suffer on court. So much so that a devastated Musetti was forced to retire during the closing stages of the match. Djokovic served 11 aces and hit 53 winners in a match that lasted three hours and 29 minutes on Philippe Chatrier.
The first three games were pretty tight with both players doing a good job holding serve and at 2-1 it was the Belgrade native with the first three chances of the match to break and he broke to take an early lead. However, Musetti responded in the very next game by breaking right back and the match resumed normal service until 6-6.
During the opening tiebreak Djokovic raced out to 4-1 lead but the Italian was staying in it and managed to win the next three points. Then at 8-7 with a massive cross court forehand winner the underdog would take the breaker and the first set.
Almost identical to the first set the match stayed on serve until 2-1 but this time it was Musetti who broke to take a 3-1 lead but again was broken right back the very next game. At 3-2 the Italian had another chance but the Serb did a good job saving the breakpoint and holding serve once again the set would be decided by a tiebreaker.
The Italian dominated the breaker from start to finish racing out to a 4-0 lead and would put himself up two sets to none against the world number one.
However, the match totally changed after the first two sets and it seemed like Musetti had taken his foot off the gas. The youngster appeared fatigued and out of it. After holding the opening service game Djokovic earned a breakpoint and broke to take a 2-0 lead. At 4-1 he earned two more chances to break and broke to take a commanding 5-1 lead and served out the third set in 23 minutes.
The world No.1 kept the momentum going into the fourth. He raced to 6-0 bagel in just 17 minutes.
Before the beginning of the decider Musetti called the trainer and took a medical timeout off court but it was more of the same from a determined Djokovic who sensed he was close to the finish line. He earned two breakpoints in the opening game and broke to once again take an early 1-0 lead and after holding serve once again earned two more breakpoints and broke to go up a double break once more at 3-0.
After Djokovic held serve again to make it 4-0 the Italian decided to retire and the comeback was complete.
“I like to play young guys in best-of-five because I feel even if they are leading a set or two sets to Love, as it was the case today, I still like my chances because I feel I’m physically fit and I know how to wear my opponent down,” Djokovic explains.
“I’ve won most of the five-setters I have played in this tournament and in my career, so I think that experience helps.’
“It’s unfortunate for him (Musetti) to finish the match the with retirement. He was obviously struggling physically from probably the beginning of the fourth.”
Djokovic will now face another Italian in Matteo Berrettini who advanced when Roger Federer pulled out of the tournament. Itf is the 49th time of his career he has reached the last eight of a major.
