Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal will clash in a quarterfinal blockbuster on Wednesday at Roland Garros in one of the sport’s most-eagerly awaited clashes of recent times.
World No.1 and top seed Djokovic eased into the last eight on Monday with a 6-1, 6-2, 6-3 win over Richard Gasquet.
Defending champion Nadal, seeking a 10th Roland Garros crown, saw off unseeded Jack Sock, 6-3, 6-1, 5-7, 6-2.
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In the women’s tournament, defending champion Maria Sharapova was sent packing at the fourth-round stage, but top seed Serena Williams survived a scare to seal her quarterfinal place.
Sharapova, seeded two, was beaten 7-6(3), 6-4 by Lucie Safarova, the 13th seed, who will now meet Garbine Muguruza of Spain in the last eight.
Williams lost the first set against compatriot Sloane Stephens on the same Court Philippe Chatrier but came back to win 1-6, 7-5, 6-3 and set up a quarterfinal clash with Sara Errani of Italy.
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“I had a few small openings but I wasn’t able to keep up my level. She was more consistent and aggressive, created the angles and that was the difference,” said Sharapova, who had been battling a heavy cold all week.
“It was a tough day at the office.”
Williams was oddly out of sorts for the third match in a row at the outset and dropped the opening set. And for the third match in a row, almost as though this was the plan all along, Williams righted herself to pull out a victory.
“It’s not how you start, I guess. It’s how you finish,” Williams said. “That’s kind of how I’m looking at it.”
“There’s a reason,” said Stephens, “why she’s the No. 1 player in the world.”
“I feel like I’m living on the edge,” Williams said. “But, you know, I’ve got to get off the edge.”
“I don’t really like to live like this,” Williams said. “Believe me, I’m thinking, ‘OK, Serena, pull yourself together.’”
Williams’s quarterfinal opponent, Sara Errani, beat Julia Goerges 6-2, 6-2.
Timea Bacsinszky completed the quarterfinal line-up by rallying to beat fourth seed Petra Kvitova 2-6, 6-0, 6-3.
The victory over Sock was Nadal’s 70th career win here against just one defeat and his 39th in a row at the tournament he has dominated for a decade.
“It’s the biggest challenge I can have on clay,” said Djokovic, who needs a Roland Garros title to complete the career Grand Slam.
“He’s lost just once here.”
On facing Djokovic, sixth seed Nadal said: “I will have to play my best tennis. He’s the world No. 1 and is having a great season. It’ll be a complicated match.”
Nadal beat Djokovic in the 2012 and 2014 finals in Paris as well as the 2013 semifinals and holds a career 23-20 edge in head-to-head meetings.
But Djokovic is the overwhelming favourite to break that stranglehold this year after claiming a 26th successive win on Monday.
The 28-year-old has lost just twice all year and has not been defeated since February.
Against Gasquet, he was almost unplayable.
He carved out an astonishing 23 break points and was just broken once as his concentration wavered in the third set.
The in-form Serb also fired 47 winners as he reached a 24th successive Grand Slam quarterfinal.
Nadal could also have had an easier afternoon.
The Spaniard had match-point in the 10th game of the third set before the Sock kept his campaign alive.
But the young American paid a heavy price for his nine double faults and 44 unforced errors.
Second seed Roger Federer made the last eight for the 11th time with a 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 win over Gael Monfils and goes on to face Stan Wawrinka.
Andy Murray saw off unseeded Jeremy Chardy 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2.
He will next take on seventh-seeded David Ferrer.
Federer raced through the final two sets on Monday in just over an hour after the last-16 tie was delicately poised at a set apiece when it was suspended in the chilly gloom of Sunday evening.
“I feel fresh and pumped up to be back in the quarterfinals again after missing out last year,” said Federer.
Ferrer recorded his 40th career win at Roland Garros with a 6-2, 6-2, 6-4 victory over Croatian ninth-seeded US Open champion Marin Cilic.
Nagal advances Sumit Nagal entered the second round of the boys’ singles after getting the better of Yosuke Watanuki of Japan 6-3, 7-5 while Y. Pranjala and her Chinese partner Wushuang Zheng outplayed Cindy Castille and Carla Hassaine 6-0, 6-1 in the girls’ doubles first round.