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Preview: Novak Djokovic is into his record 10th consecutive French Open quarter-final, something not even the ‘King of Clay’ Rafael Nadal has managed to do. And Djokovic is yet to be challenged at all this year at Roland Garros. Not only hasn’t he lost a set — he’s only twice ceded as many as four games in a set. Extending his Grand Slam winning streak to 25 matches and closing in on a fourth championship in a row, Djokovic was dominant yet again in the fourth round Monday, beating 45th-ranked Jan-Lennard Struff of Germany 6-3, 6-2, 6-2. It’s helped, certainly, that the No 1-ranked Djokovic has not needed to deal with a single seeded foe yet. That will change now: He faces No 5 Alexander Zverev for a spot in the semi-finals. Zverev reached his second straight quarter-final in Paris by coming back to eliminate No 9 Fabio Fognini 3-6, 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 (5). Unlike Djokovic, he has not exactly had an easy path to the round of eight: Zverev needed to win two five-setters in addition to going four against Fognini. Tenth-seeded Karen Khachanov also made it past the round of 16 after beating No 8 Juan Martin del Potro 7-5, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 to reach his first Grand Slam quarter-final. For a spot in the semi-finals, Khachanov will face Dominic Thiem, last year’s runner-up. Last year’s runner-up Thiem made light work of Gael Monfils as he ended French presence in the singles draw with a no-nonsense 6-4 6-4 6-2 victory to reach the French Open quarter-finals on Monday. In the women’s singles, eighth-seeded Australian ace Ashleigh Barty will go up against American Madison Keys, while defending champion Simona Halep faces unseeded teenager Amanda Anisimova. Anisimova, born in New Jersey and based in Florida, is the youngest US player to get to the round of eight in Paris since Jennifer Capriati in 1993, the youngest from any country since 2006. Barty made it as far as the fourth round only once in her first 17 Grand Slam appearances; she’s made it to the quarter-finals at each of the past two. In Keys, she’ll face someone who is in the quarters for the fifth time in the last seven majors, including a runner-up finish at the 2017 US Open and a semi-final showing in Paris a year ago. With inputs from Agencies.
Highlights, French Open Quarters 2019: Second day of quarter-final matches postponed to Thursday after rain plays spoilsport
Follow all the latest updates and action from the French Open 2019 quarter-finals, where the likes of Simona Halep, Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev are in action.
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All quarter-final matches to be played on Thursday
With two women’s singles quarter-finals being postponed to tomorrow, the semi-finals have to be pushed to Friday. The men’s and the women’s semi-finals will be played, presumably, on Friday now. On that note, we bid you goodbye. Join us tomorrow as we bring you live coverage of the matches, hopefully without any rain delays. Good bye!
Play has been called off for today!
This will no doubt give the organisers scheduling nightmare.
Now that’s a bummer
Should have just built a roof long ago
¯_(ツ)_/¯
As the rain continues to pound Paris, here’s something to pass the time
That’s not good news!
Rain has delayed start of play
The covers are on as we wait for rain to stop. The longer the delay, the higher the chances of one or both men’s quarter-final matches being carried over to tomorrow. Not an ideal situation.
Novak Djokovic vs Alexander Zverev
Zverev’s road to QF
1st round: beat Millman 7-6 (4), 6-3, 2-6, 6-7 (5), 6-3
2nd round: beat Ymer 6-1, 6-3, 7-6 (3)
3rd round: beat Lajovic 6-4, 6-2, 4-6, 1-6, 6-2
4th round: beat Fognini 3-6, 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 (5)
Novak Djokovic vs Alexander Zverev
Djokovic’s road to QF
1st round: beat Hurkacz 6-4, 6-2, 6-2
2nd round: beat Laaksonen 6-1, 6-4, 6-3
3rd round: beat Caruso 6-3, 6-3, 6-2
4th round: beat Struff 6-3, 6-2, 6-2
Dominic Thiem vs Karen Khachanov
Khachanov’s road to QF
1st round: beat Stebe 6-1, 6-1, 6-4
2nd round: beat Barrere 6-3, 7-6 (6), 0-6, 7-5
3rd round: beat Klizan 6-1, 6-4, 6-3
4th round: beat Del Potro 7-5, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3
Dominic Thiem vs Karen Khachanov
Theim’s road to QF
1st round: beat Paul 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (5), 6-2
2nd round: beat Bublik 6-3, 7-6 (6), 6-3, 7-5
3rd round: beat Cuevas 6-3, 4-6, 6-2, 7-5
4th round: beat Monfils 6-4, 6-4, 6-4
Madison Keys vs Ashleigh Barty
Barty’s road to QF
1st round: beat Pegula 6-3, 6-3
2nd round: beat Collins 7-5, 6-1
3rd round: beat Petkovic 6-3, 6-1
4th round: beat Kenin 6-3, 3-6, 6-0
Madison Keys vs Ashleigh Barty
Keys’ road to QF
1st round: beat Rodina 6-1, 6-2
2nd round: beat Hon 7-5, 5-7, 6-3
3rd round: beat Blinkova 6-3, 6-7 (5),6-4
4th round: beat Siniakova 6-2, 6-4
Simona Halep vs Amanda Anisimova
Anisimova’s road to QF
1st round: beat Tan 6-3, 6-1
2nd round: beat Sabalenka 6-4, 6-2
3rd round: beat Begu 7-6 (6), 6-4
4th round: beat Bolsova Zadoinov 6-3, 6-0
Simona Halep vs Amanda Anisimova
Halep’s road to QF
1st round: beat Tomljanovic 6-2, 3-6, 6-1
2nd round: beat Linette 6-4,5-7, 6-3
3rd round: beat Tsurenko 6-2, 6-1
4th round: beat Swiatek 6-1, 6-0
Novak Djokovic vs Alexander Zverev
Djokovic has made serene progress through the first four rounds, losing just seven games on average in each match en route to a record-breaking 10th straight French Open quarter-final.
In stark contrast, Zverev has dropped four sets already and had to come through a five-set battle against Australian John Millman in the opening round, although his form against Djokovic will give him cause for optimism.
The 22-year-old German won their only clash on clay in the 2017 Italian Open final, and also beat the Serbian star in last year’s ATP Finals championship match, winning comfortably both times 6-4, 6-3.
But Zverev had endured a mediocre clay court season until the eve of Roland Garros when he clinched the Geneva title, playing on a last-minute wild card.
The 6ft 6in (1.98m) Zverev admitted that his patchy form in 2019 has also been impacted by off-court issues.
Djokovic could become only the second man, after Rod Laver, to hold all four Grand Slams at the same time twice with a second French Open title this week, and is hoping the longer format could play into his hands against Zverev.
Head to head: Djokovic 2-2 Khachanov
Dominic Thiem vs Karen Khachanov
Thiem, who lost last year’s final to Rafael Nadal, is looking to reach a fourth straight French Open semi-final.
But he faces an opponent who unleashed a barrage of massive serves and forehands to overpower former US Open champion Del Potro in the last 16, and also won their only previous meeting in the 2018 Paris Masters semi-finals en route to the biggest title of his career to date.
His run in Paris, the third consecutive year he has made the second week, means Khachanov will break into the world’s top 10 for the first time after the tournament.
The 25-year-old Thiem is still waiting for a first Grand Slam title, but was happy to reserve some energy in a straightforward win over dangerous Frenchman Gael Monfils last time out.
Head to head: Khachanov leads Thiem 1-0
Madison Keys vs Ashleigh Barty
Australia’s Barty is the only player left in the women’s draw to have made the quarter-finals at the season’s two opening Slams.
The 23-year-old made the last eight in Paris for the first time by seeing off Sofia Kenin who had stunned Serena Williams in the third round.
Barty has been in rich form in 2019, winning the biggest title of her career in Miami.
On Wednesday, she faces Keys, a semi-finalist in the French Open in 2018 and one of three American women to have reached the quarter-finals this year.
Barty defeated Keys in the Fed Cup this year but the American came out on top at Roland Garros in the first round in 2017.
Wednesday’s tie will be a match of two of the tournament’s big servers.
Barty has fired 26 aces to Keys’ 21.
Keys also boasts the fastest serve of the tournament so far at 191km/h (118.7mph) in her second-round win over Priscilla Hon.
The 24-year-old knocked out Katerina Siniakova, the conqueror of top seed Naomi Osaka, in the last 16.
Head to head: Keys 1-1 Barty
Simona Halep vs Amanda Anisimova
Halep, who sealed her furst Grand Slam trophy in Paris last year, began her defence sluggishly but has looked unstoppable in the last two rounds playing near flawless tennis.
The Romanian’s relaxed approach at Roland Garros has worked wonders for her confidence but a tricky quarter-final opponent awaits in the form of a fearless Anisimova, who is 10 years younger than her.
Anisimova showed glimpses of her quality on the big stage en route to the Australian Open fourth round this year and will go in search of her biggest career win against Halep.
The teenager, who claimed her first WTA title in Bogota earlier this year, has not dropped a set en route to the last eight in Paris.
Head to head: This will be their first meeting.
Halep, Barty in action soon
With the women’s semi-final taking place tomorrow, both the women’s quarter-finals have been scheduled first allowing the players more rest before their semi-final matches tomorrow. At Court Philippe Chatrier, defending champion Simona Halep is up against the American Amanda Anisimova while over at Court Suzanna Lenglen, 14th seed Madison Keys will be facing off against eighth seed Ashleigh Barty.
French Open quarter-finals LIVE!
Hello and welcome to Firstpost’s live coverage of the 2019 French Open quarter-finals! We have our first semi-final match-ups confirmed with Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer setting up an intriguing last-four clash. Over in the women’s draw, Jo Konta and Marketa Vondrousova made it to their first Roland Garros semi-final after impressive wins in the quarter-final.
Today, defending champion Simona Halep takes on American Amanda Anisimova while Madison Keys takes on eighth seed Ashleigh Barty. Over in the men’s draw, World No 1 Novak Djokovic will be up against fifth seed Alexander Zverev while the second quarter-final will see fourth seed Dominic Thiem take on Karen Khachanov.