PARIS — For 41 strokes, Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev went back and forth in a crucial exchange during the fourth set of their French Open quarterfinal.
After smacking a forehand winner, Djokovic stayed in place afterward, breathing heavily, with hands on hips, scanning the standing ovation from thousands of Court Philippe-Chatrier spectators.
The 38-year-old Djokovic, the No. 6 seed, proved too much for No. 3 seed Zverev, a man who’s a decade younger and was last year’s runner-up at Roland-Garros, winning 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 to set up a semifinal showdown against No. 1 Jannik Sinner on Friday.
Djokovic might have slogged through a pair of three-match losing skids this season and slid to No. 6 in the rankings. What hasn’t changed is Djokovic’s determination or his ability to be his best on big stages — and now he’s two wins from a record 25th Grand Slam title.
That defining 41-stroke rally arrived more than 2 1/2 hours into match and with Zverev in possession of a break point and a chance to get back into Wednesday’s match.
Friday will bring a tantalizing showdown between the player many consider the top player in tennis history, Djokovic, and the player who is at the top of the men’s game at the moment, Sinner. Djokovic and Sinner are tied 4-4 in their head-to-head series, but Sinner, who hasn’t lost a set in this French Open, has won the last three matchups.
No one has spent more weeks at No. 1 in the rankings than Djokovic. No one has won more major championships or reached more major semifinals than his total that now stands at 51 after becoming the second-oldest man to get that far in Paris.
Source: espn.com