NOS Sport•in the present day, 09:27•Modified in the present day, 17:57
Djokovic fights his well past Musetti, the Serbian solely ending at 3:07
Novak Djokovic has superior to the spherical of 16 at Roland Garros after a spectacular comeback in opposition to Italian Lorenzo Musetti, in opposition to whom he received in 5 units: 7-5, 6-7 (6), 2-6, 6-3, 6- 0.
Defending champion Djokovic solely got here onto the court docket at half previous ten final evening as a result of many rain breaks. Simply after 3 a.m., 3:07 a.m. to be actual, the match was over. By no means earlier than had a match at Roland Garros ended so late.
The 37-year-old Djokovic recorded his 369th victory at a Grand Slam match in opposition to Musetti, fifteen years his junior, who cashed in all 5 of his break factors, coming subsequent to file holder Roger Federer.
‘Occasion?’
The world primary joked afterwards that he was nonetheless up for a celebration: “Who can sleep with all that adrenaline of their physique?” Moreover, he didn’t wish to waste too many phrases in regards to the late time at which the sport needed to be performed. “I do not wish to get into that debate.”
AFPNovak Djokovic
In the end, Djokovic was tempted into making an announcement. “After all I’ve an opinion about it. I believe some issues might have been dealt with in a different way. There’s something stunning in successful a match at three within the morning, when it’s the final of the match. However that was no longer the case.”
“I now need to recuperate as shortly as potential,” mentioned the Serbian, who’s in his twentieth Roland Garros, the match he received thrice. “Bodily, I actually did my greatest to win this match. The situations have been very powerful. It was very chilly.”
Additionally evening work for Ruud
Casper Ruud additionally solely left the monitor late at evening. The Norwegian, a shedding finalist in Paris for the previous two years, defeated the Argentinian Tomas Etcheverry simply earlier than one o’clock: 6-4, 1-6, 6-2, 6-2.