PARIS - Novak Djokovic is looking forward to "tougher and bigger challenges", as he reached his 55th Grand Slam quarter-final and record 17th at the French Open on Sunday with a straight-set win over Juan Pablo Varillas.
The Serb, chasing a third Roland Garros championship and recordsetting 23rd men's Grand Slam title, eased past the 94th-ranked Peruvian 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 on Court Philippe Chatrier.
The 36-year-old, champion in Paris in 2016 and 2021, will face 11th seed Karen Khachanov for a place in the semi-finals.
He holds a commanding 8-1 career lead over the Russian, including their only previous meeting at the French Open in 2020, and is confident heading into that clash.
"(There was) great energy on the court, from the crowd and myself as well," said Djokovic after his win.
"I really enjoyed it, my best performance in the tournament so far.
"It came exactly at the right time, as I'm coming in to the second week and obviously playing another quarter-final; the matches are going to get tougher.
This story is from the June 05, 2023 edition of The Straits Times.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the June 05, 2023 edition of The Straits Times.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Chicken rice master co-created famed Chatterbox dish
Mr Kiang Joon Toh, better known as chicken rice master Sergeant Kiang, died on April 23, shortly after turning 86 on April 19.
A new family motto, thanks to lovely Grab driver 'Mrs 32'
My husband, daughter and I have been visiting Singapore for the past 2 months.
NADAL COY ON FRENCH OPEN
Spaniard unlikely to get seeding at Roland Garros, will play only if he can compete well
WE WERE JUST NOT GOOD ENOUGH: KLOPP
Shattered Reds boss apologises to fans as his first away derby loss dents title hopes
SWISS COTTAGE END LENGTHY DROUGHT
Hugo plays vital role as his side beat Jurong to seal first B boys’ basketball title since 1994
BAKEEL ALL SET TO GO TWO BETTER
Burridge’s top 3YO banking on Classic’s 400m and better draw
S'pore chipmakers see growth wave amid generative AI boom
Republic set to be key player as firms look to expand capacity, widen talent pool
Call for EU firms to use Singapore springboard into Asean region
Businesses in EU boost efforts to work with firms here in digital tech, sustainability
Singapore stocks end lower ahead of key US inflation data
STI down 0.2% amid caution; losers beat gainers 311 to 271
Condo resale prices inch up, more units sold in March
Measured price growth attributed to high interest rates, mismatch in expectations
