French Open PIX: Djokovic\, Barty reach quarters

French Open PIX: Djokovic reaches 10th successive quarters; Barty too hot for Kenin

Djokovic reaches 10th successive French Open quarter-final

Novak Djokovic

IMAGE: Serbia's Novak Djokovic reacts after winning his fourth round match against Germany's Jan-Lennard Struff. Photograph: Vincent Kessler/Reuters

Top seed Novak Djokovic’s untroubled progress continued at the French Open as he chalked up a fourth successive straight-sets victory on Monday, this time outclassing Jan-Lennard Struff to reach the quarter-finals.

 

His 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 defeat of the 45th-ranked German means Djokovic is the first man to reach 10 successive quarter-finals at Roland Garros — a feat even Rafael Nadal has not achieved.

Struff was bidding to reach his first Grand Slam quarter-final and provided some early resistance in drizzly conditions on Court Philippe Chatrier.

Djokovic had an early chance to break in the second game but Struff won a fierce baseline rally to avert the danger.

It felt like only a matter of time before Djokovic moved up a gear though, and in the seventh game he brought up two more break points with a stunning backhand passing shot.

He duly converted with a smash after softening up Struff with a series of punishing groundstrokes into the corners.

After holding serve to take the opening set, Djokovic rolled through the next two in cruise control, making only 11 unforced errors in the one hour 33 minute workout.

He will face either Italian Fabio Fognini or German’s Alexander Zverev in the quarter-final.

Djokovic is bidding to become only the second man to hold all four Grand Slams simultaneously twice, having first achieved the feat three years ago when he won his only French Open title.

Barty too hot for Kenin as Aussie's French Open run continues

Ashleigh Barty

IMAGE: Barty's impressive run at the French Open continued on Monday. Photograph: Clive Mason/Getty Images

Ashleigh Barty's impressive run at the French Open continued on Monday when the Australian saw off American Sofia Kenin 6-3, 3-6, 6-0 to reach the quarter-finals.

The eighth seed, who claimed a career-boosting title at the Miami Open this year, will play her second Grand Slam last-eight match against another American, Madison Keys.

The 14th-seeded Keys experienced little trouble in a 6-2, 6-4 victory against Czech Katerina Siniakova.

"I just wanted to enjoy myself here, play with freedom," said Barty, who also reached the last eight at the Australian Open this year.

Barty rushed to a 5-1 lead, wrapping up the opening set on serve after Kenin briefly threatened a comeback by pulling a break back.

The American had found her range, though, and she went 3-0 up in the second, pulling her opponent around the court -- just as she did in beating 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams in the previous round.

She saved two break points at 5-3 and levelled the tie at the third attempt when Barty fluffed a forehand.

But she had nothing left in the tank in the decider, being fed a bagel that put a brutal end to her Paris run.

On Court Suzanne Lenglen, Keys was always in control against world number 42 Siniakova, advancing smoothly in light drizzle.

After easing into a one-set lead Keys, a semi-finalist here last year, encountered some resistance from Siniakova, who however bowed out on her serve when she sent a forehand long.

Nishikori reaches quarters as Frenchman goes 'Paire-shaped'

Kei Nishikori

IMAGE: Japan's Kei Nishikori reacts after winning his fourth round match against France's Benoit Paire. Photograph: Gonzalo Fuentes/Reuters

Kei Nishikori extinguished the hot-headed Benoit Paire's fiery challenge to book his place in the quarter-finals of the French Open with an error-strewn 6-2, 6-7(8), 6-2, 6-7(8), 7-5 victory.

Local favourite Paire's focus, or lack of, was the key to a match that was interrupted by failing light on Sunday, as the Japanese seventh seed set up a meeting with 11-time champion Rafael Nadal.

The match resumed on Court Suzanne Lenglen at two sets to one, with Paire taking command in the fourth with an early break.

He then wasted a chance to get another break and Nishikori eventually forced a tiebreak only to get tight-armed, wasting two match points on serve before handing a set point with an ugly double fault.

Paire, who hit a woeful 79 unforced errors -- including 16 double faults -- this time converted.

He went 3-1 up in the decider as Nishikori continued to lack consistency, then 5-3 up with another break immediately after himself handing a break to his Japanese opponent.

Serving for the match, however, Paire dropped serve, and then did so again to allow Nishikori to lead 6-5 with his service to come.

This time, Nishikori delivered to reach the Roland Garros last eight for the third time, although his display suggests he is unlikely to progress further, with Nadal resting on his 33rd birthday on Monday.

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