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.
World number one Novak Djokovic defeated Jan-Lennard Struff in straight sets to reach the semi-finals
Paris:
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.
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.
In the women’s section, Ashleigh Barty’s impressive run 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.
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.
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.
In the women’s section, Ashleigh Barty’s impressive run 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.