French Open 2022: Not over yet, says Djokovic after easing into possible Nadal QF clash
Synopsis
Defending French Open Novak Djokovic defeated Diego Schwartzman to set up a potential clash with 13-time Roland Garros champion Rafael Nadal in the quarter-final.
)
Novak Djokovic's clay-court game continued to fire at Roland Garros on Sunday after the defending French Open champion steamrolled past Diego Schwartzman to seal a berth in his 13th straight quarter-final in the French capital.
The World no.1 defeated the Argentine in a 6-1, 6-3, 6-3 victory to set a quarter-final showdown with 13-time champion Rafael Nadal or Felix Auger-Aliassime.
If the Spaniard comes through to face Djokovic in the quarters, it will be a 59th meeting between the long-standing rivals and the first since the Serb upset the 13-time French Open champion in last year's semi-final.
The Serbian required five sets to overcome Schwartzman in the pair's previous meeting at Roland Garros in 2017, but Djokovic's all-around level this time around was such that the Argentine was unable to drag the top seed into another drawn-out battle.
Also read: French Open 2022: Honour to have football legends watch us play, says Djokovic
With this win, Djokovic is now 16-0 in fourth-round matches at the clay-court Grand Slam and also improved his ATP Head2Head series lead over Schwartzman to 7-0.
Following this victory, the 20-time Grand Slam winner lauded the Argentine for a great performance and wished him luck for the rest of the season.
"I've got a great deal of respect for Schwartzman. He is a great guy and a great player. On and off the court, he is a great person. He is an expert on clay, so it's not easy to defeat him under these conditions. Though the bounce wasn't as much, I think I did well. I am happy with my performance but want to congratulate him, and I wish him a lot of success."
Talking about his success at the Roland Garros and what it means to seal his 13th straight quarter-final berth, the Serbian added, "I am on the right path, but it is not over yet. I still have a lot of work to do, but I am happy to be where I am today."
Djokovic fans took to Twitter to express joy over their favourite star's show at Roland Garros, with several anticipating a potential popcorn showdown with Nadal in the quarter-final. Here's a look at some of the reactions:
)
)