TENNIS – Novak Djokovic’s latest bid to claim a record 25th Grand Slam title was left in tatters after his 4-6 4-6 6-3 7-5 7-5 third-round defeat by Brazilian teen sensation Joao Fonseca at the French Open yesterday.
Djokovic’s defeat means the 39-year-old Serb’s wait to go past Margaret Court’s mark will continue in the twilight of his glorious career, and also further opens up the draw in Paris a day after world number one Jannik Sinner’s shock exit.
Five-time French Open quarter-finalist and Ukrainian seventh seed Elina Svitolina marched into the fourth round with a 6-2 6-3 win over Germany’s Tamara Korpatsch.
Switzerland’s Jil Teichmann, ranked 170th in the world, stunned Czech 10th seed Karolina Muchova 6-1 7-5 in the third round.
Teichmann will take on last year’s semi-finalist Russian eight seed Mirra Andreeva in the last 16. Last year’s semi-finalist Andreeva beat Czech Marie Bouzkova 6-4 6-2 to reach the fourth round.
Four-times French Open champion Iga Swiatek cruised past fellow Polish player Magda Linette 6-4 6-4 to set up a fourth-round clash with Ukrainian 15th seed Marta Kostyuk, who advanced with a 6-4 6-3 win over Swiss Viktorija Golubic.
Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk defeated Switzerland’s Viktorija Golubic 6-4 6-3 to extend her unbeaten run on clay this season.
Romanian 18th seed Sorana Cirstea thrashed Argentina’s Solana Sierra 6-0 6-0 as the 36-year-old became the oldest player in the Open Era to win by double bagel in a Grand Slam main draw. Cirstea will face China’s Wang Xiyu in the fourth round.
In the men’s side, Dutch world number 106 Jesper de Jong stunned Russian 13th seed Karen Khachanov 7-5 5-7 6-2 6-7(2) 6-2 to reach the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the first time.
Czech 26th seed Jakub Mensik bounced back from a bagel to beat Australian eighth seed Alex de Minaur 0-6 6-2 6-2 6-3, reaching the French Open fourth round for the first time.
Mensik faces Russian 11th seed Andrey Rublev in the last 16. Former quarter-finalist Rublev was tested by Portugal’s Nuno Borges, but the Russian stayed cool in the tiebreaks to win 7-5 7-6(2) 7-6(2).
Tomorrow, Fonseca will take on Norwegian 15th seed Casper Ruud, who staged a dramatic comeback to eliminate American 24th seed Tommy Paul in a match lasting four hours and 43 minutes, winning 4-6 6-7(4) 6-4 7-6(4) 7-5.
Victory in an epic clash lasting seven minutes short of five hours ensured Fonseca became the first teenager to beat Djokovic in a Grand Slam match as he announced himself as another genuine contender to claim a maiden major crown.
“I actually didn’t believe I could win the match, I just played and enjoyed being on the court. What an idol we have and what a pleasure it was to step on the court against him, so I thank him. I’m very happy,” Fonseca said.
“I was just trying to hit the ball as fast as I could, I mean Djokovic doesn’t miss and we still think he’s 20. At the end of the match he was more fit than me, which is crazy and when the day was getting darker I felt much slower.
“In the beginning I was struggling with the heat and not feeling good.”
Fonseca dedicated the hard-fought victory to his mother, who was beaming in the stands on her birthday.
Roland Garros was also assured a first-time major winner, with defending champion Carlos Alcaraz skipping the tournament due to a wrist injury.
A week after turning 39, Djokovic began strongly and played like a younger version of himself as he comfortably won five of the opening six games and put down a marker in the first set on a sun-drenched Court Philippe Chatrier.
The Serb produced a stunning lob, a couple of heavy forehand winners and two delightful drops in that spell, almost schooling his 19-year-old opponent on the art of playing on Parisian clay, and wrapped up the set after a late Fonseca comeback attempt.
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