The Big Three are all into the French Open quarterfinals.
Novak Djokovic joined Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal in the last eight by sweeping German Jan-Lennard Struff 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 on Monday. He hasn’t dropped a set, or even been taken to a tiebreak, in four matches against unseeded players.
“Played as closest to my best tennis on clay as I think I can be at the moment,” Djokovic said. “Everything is coming together beautifully. … But it’s still a long way to go.”
The competition level rises starting with Wednesday’s quarterfinals. Djokovic, the No. 1 seed seeking a fourth straight Grand Slam title (for the second time in his career), gets No. 5 Alexander Zverev next.
Djokovic is the first man in the Open Era to reach 10 straight French Open quarterfinals. Zverev, who beat Djokovic at the ATP Finals in November, has never advanced past a Slam quarterfinal.
A potential semifinal opponent will be seeded no lower than 10th, potentially No. 4 Dominic Thiem. Federer and Nadal, who play separate quarterfinals Tuesday, are in the other half of the draw.
Also Monday, No. 14 Madison Keys made her fifth quarterfinal in her last seven Slams, topping Czech Katerina Siniakova 6-2, 6-4. Siniakova had upset No. 1 Naomi Osaka in the third round.
American Sofia Kenin fell to No. 8 Ashleigh Barty 6-3, 3-6, 6-0, two days after upsetting Serena Williams. Keys gets Barty in the quarters.
Yet another American, Amanda Anisimova, became the first man or woman born in the 2000s to make a Grand Slam quarterfinal, four months after she became the first to make the fourth round of a Slam.
It’s the first time three or more U.S. women made a Grand Slam’s quarterfinals, without either Williams sister in that group, since the 1995 U.S. Open. Since then, it happened 26 times with a Williams sister.
Anisimova gets defending champion Simona Halep in the quarterfinals. Halep is the only woman left from the top six and one of two women left who have won a Slam, along with Sloane Stephens.
FRENCH OPEN: TV Schedule | Scores | Men’s Draw | Women’s Draw
Men’s Quarterfinals
(1) Novak Djokovic – (5) Alexander Zverev (Wednesday)
(4) Dominic Thiem – (10) Karen Khachanov (Wednesday)
(3) Roger Federer – (24) Stan Wawrinka (Tuesday)
(2) Rafael Nadal – (7) Kei Nishikori (Tuesday)
Women’s Quarterfinals
(8) Ashleigh Barty – (14) Madison Keys (Wednesday)
(3) Simona Halep – Amanda Anisimova (Wednesday)
(7) Sloane Stephens – (26) Jo Konta (Tuesday)
(31) Petra Martic – Marketa Vondrousova (Tuesday)
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