Djokovic labours into French Open quarter-finals

Thursday, 2 June 2016 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Untitled-2

Novak Djokovic

REUTERS: Novak Djokovic recovered from a mediocre start to reach the French Open quarter-finals on Wednesday with a 3-6 6-4 6-1 7-5 rain-delayed victory over plucky Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut.

The world number one, chasing the only grand slam title to elude him, will take on either former runner-up David Ferrer of Spain or Czech seventh seed Tomas Berdych.

After conceding the opening set in damp conditions on Tuesday, Serbian Djokovic played tighter and had won the second set and was 4-1 ahead in the third when rain cut short his victory charge on day 10 of the championships.

Back on Court Philippe Chatrier on Wednesday for a match that should have been played on Monday, Djokovic closed it out but encountered stiff resistance from the 14th seed, who forced him into lung-busting rallies.

“He’s a player with great qualities on claycourts. I have the feeling I played three matches against him,” said Djokovic, wearing courtside interviewer Fabrice Santoro’s yellow rain hat.

“I had to come back focused today.”

The match started a day late after Roland Garros suffered its first washout in 16 years. A second delay was threatened on Tuesday as steady drizzle fell on Paris and Djokovic found it hard to adjust.

Discover Kapruka, the leading online shopping platform in Sri Lanka, where you can conveniently send Gifts and Flowers to your loved ones for any event including Valentine ’s Day. Explore a wide range of popular Shopping Categories on Kapruka, including Toys, Groceries, Electronics, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Flower Bouquets, Clothing, Watches, Lingerie, Gift Sets and Jewellery. Also if you’re interested in selling with Kapruka, Partner Central by Kapruka is the best solution to start with. Moreover, through Kapruka Global Shop, you can also enjoy the convenience of purchasing products from renowned platforms like Amazon and eBay and have them delivered to Sri Lanka.