Novak Djokovic vs Francisco Cerundolo LIVE: Latest French Open ...
The French Open fourth round continues as Novak Djokovic needed five sets to overcome Argentinian Francisco Cerundolo following his 3am finish on Saturday night.
It took five sets and four hours and 39 minutes of tennis, but the world number one has booked his place in the quarter-finals. There was a moment of concern in the third set when Djokovic sustained a knee injury that needed two rounds of treatment and conversations with the doctor. But he rallied, and came from behind to battle his way back into the match and win the match on his serve.
The 37-year-old Djokovic battled past Lorenzo Musetti in the latest finish in French Open history to keep his hopes of winning a 25th grand slam title alive. The World No 1 now takes on Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo after fellow players, including Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek, criticised the scheduling of the tournament and warned Djokovic’s late-night epic was “not healthy”.
Elsewhere today, Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina marched into the quarter-finals with straight-sets wins. Rybakina first defeated Elina Svitolina in the opening match on Philippe-Chatrier before Sabalanka thrashed the American Emma Navarro.
There was a shock over on Court Suzanne-Lenglen as Alex de Minaur recovered from a set down to defeat the fifth seed Daniil Medvedev, reaching his first French Open quarter-final. The Australian will play the winner of the night session, headlined by the meeting of German fourth seed Alexander Zverev and the 21-year-old star Holger Rune.
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Rune went 2-0 up in the third, but Zverev fought back, and there was all to play for at 4-4.
Rune broke again, to take the set 7-5.
Sonia Twigg3 June 2024 22:58
Rune might have won the first, but number four seed Zverev dominated the second.
The Norwegian managed to win just one game in the second set, in a match that threatens to finish late in the evening, just two days after Djokovic finished at 3am.
Sonia Twigg3 June 2024 22:12
Zverev lost the first set against Rune in the evening match on Philippe Chatrier in the fourth round.
The duo are fighting it out for a place in the quarter-final.
Sonia Twigg3 June 2024 22:10
Novak Djokovic limped into the quarter-finals of the French Open after defying a knee injury to come through the longest Roland Garros match of his career.
The defending champion defeated Francisco Cerundolo – in another five-setter – 6-1 5-7 3-6 7-5 6-3 in four hours and 39 minutes.
World number one Djokovic blamed the slippery court for the injury he appeared to sustain at the start of the second set.
Sonia Twigg3 June 2024 20:26
Djokovic: “I want to say a big thank you because once again like the last match the win is for you and helped by you because the last match I was two sets to one down, and at the fourth set 2-2 you gave me so much energy, so really thank you, what can I say, I was maybe four points away from losing this match but Fransisco played with so much quality, well done.
“He deserves this applause that’s for sure, the words after winning today, I don’t know, but thank you for the support.”
Sonia Twigg3 June 2024 19:57
Djokovic takes one step closer to winning the match with a Cerundolo return that bounces out. His second return hits the net, and the world number one is just two points away from another quarter-final.
This time Cerundolo is equal to Djokovic’s drop shot, carves out his opportunity and plays a passing shot to make it 30-15.
A backhand return goes into the net, Djokovic is just one point away. He uses his hands to get the crowd on their feet and behind him.
It’s match point.
Djokovic wins the match after four hours and 39 minutes!
Sonia Twigg3 June 2024 19:51
Djokovic could win the match on this serve.
Sonia Twigg3 June 2024 19:46
Cerundolo is in the same vein of form in his service game, taking a 30-0 lead. It becomes 40-0, with a fortunate bounce off the net.
Djokovic pulls a point back with one that just catches the line. Cerundolo misses one as Djokovic covers an unbelievable amount of ground, and it’s 40-30.
Djokovic wins another point with a well-timed drop shot and it’s deuce, a great response from the Argentinian gives him the advantage.
But a centimetre-perfect drop shot from Djokovic makes it a second deuce. Cerundolo fires a backhand wide, and Djokovic has what could be a key break point.
Djokovic has broken! Could that be the match?
Sonia Twigg3 June 2024 19:46
Cerundolo’s shot goes long and Djokovic has the first point of his fourth service game of the fifth set.
Djokovic almost does the splits to make that shot here, that was an incredible effort to make the low volley. He smiles as he gets up after a quick swimming mime with his stomach on the clay.
A stunning effort forehand down the line and Djokovic goes 40-0 up, and he holds it to love, the first love-hold of the set.
Sonia Twigg3 June 2024 19:37
Djokovic takes the first point, but it’s level again the next.
Cerundolo is running Djokovic around, there’s a big grunt as he can’t get to one and it’s 30-30.
The Argentinian has to use his second serve but the return goes long, and he needs just one more to take the game.
Djokovic misses a drop shot, and it’s level again! This is turning into an epic contest.
Sonia Twigg3 June 2024 19:33
