French Open 2023: Won't reveal chess moves, says Khachanov ahead of Djokovic challenge in quarter-final

The quarterfinal will be the 10th meeting between Djokovic and Khachanov with the Serbian dominating their head-to-head record with 8 wins.

Novak Djokovic continued his quest for the 23rd Grand Slam title with a commanding victory over his opponent Juan Pablo Varillas. The Serbian star won the match with a dominating 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 scoreline, securing his place in the Roland-Garros quarter-finals for the 17th time in his iconic career.

Varillas, who had battled through three consecutive five-set matches to reach the fourth round, seemed unable to pose a significant challenge to the Djokovic.

Djokovic expressed his satisfaction with his performance in his post-match comments on the court, indicating his contentment with his display.

“I really enjoyed it, best performance so far in the tournament came exactly at the right time as I’m coming into the second week and obviously playing another quarter-final match, it’s going to get tougher, bigger challenges, but I like the way I’m playing, the way I’m feeling, so I’m looking forward to a new challenge.”

Novak Djokovic is once again hitting his stride is a step closer to the 23rd Glad Slam Title. He has proved time and time again to be a master of peaking at the right time in the biggest tournaments. It appears that, despite all the concern about injury and form coming into the event, this year’s French Open is no different. 

Djokovic facing a tricky test against the in-form Russian Karen Khachanov, the eleventh seed, next. He will be well aware, however, that should he come through that test, a certain Carlos Alcaraz is likely to be the opponent on the other side of the net come semi-finals Friday.

Considering Djokovic's stellar form and Khachanov's fighting spirit, their quarterfinal clash is expected to be a thriller. Djokovic is a tough opponent to beat, especially on clay, but Khachanov has demonstrated his tenacity and is surely aiming to cause an upset.

The quarterfinal will be the 10th meeting between Novak Djokovic and Karen Khachanov with the Serbian dominating their head-to-head record with 8 wins. Their most recent encounter took place at the 2002 Rolex Paris Masters, where Djokovic triumphed with a 6-4, 6-1 scoreline in the Round of 16.

When asked about Khachanov's plans for the next game against Novak Djokovic, he replied saying - 'He won't be revealing his chess moves' 

All things considered, Djokovic, the World No. 3, should get the better of Khachanov and progress to the semifinals where he will potentially meet Alcaraz.

Carlos Alcaraz is just about the only man left in the draw who can stop Djokovic from winning the 23rd Grand Slam title.