Novak Djokovic has reached his 17th French Open quarter-final, breaking Rafael Nadal’s Record.
The 22-time grand slam winner overcame Juan Pablo Varillas 6-3 6-2 6-2 to secure his unbeaten record at Roland Garros since 2010 and set up a meeting with 11th seed Karen Khachanov.
Djokovic is still 12 championships behind Nadal in Paris, and with the Spaniard missing for the first time since 2004, his great opponent realized this opportunity.
He said: “I’m proud of it, but my attention is already on the next match. Obviously, quarter-finals, Khachanov, I know what my goal is here. I’m trying to stay the course mentally and not look too far.
“Obviously, today’s performance gives me great confidence about how I felt and played. So I’m looking forward to the next match.”
Peruvian Varillas rated 94, had the finest week of his career, but he had to play all three previous matches in five sets and could not trouble Djokovic.
The third seed had been pushed hard in his last encounter by Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and had suffered physically, so this was a pleasant, easy day.
Djokovic raced off to a 4-0 lead, and the only time he appeared nervous was when Varillas won two games in a row and forced a breakpoint in the third.
The third seed, who had previously chastised the fans for booing as he took a medical time-out, was jeered again for his reply and cupped his hand to his ear after winning the next-but-one point.
But there was enough applause when Djokovic sealed the victory after an hour and 57 minutes.
“I thought they were great, especially at the end,” he added of the audience. They gave me good cheer and support, and as a player, you always want that love from the fans.”
A semi-final showdown with Carlos Alcaraz looms ever closer, and the Spaniard looked every inch the future champion in a 6-3 6-2 6-2 triumph over Lorenzo Musetti.
The 21-year-old Italian is a huge talent, especially on clay, and this was a fun match, with Alcaraz pulling off numerous shots between his legs.
However, it was a routine victory for world No. 1 Alcaraz, who missed the Australian Open due to injury, as he continued his quest for a second consecutive grand slam triumph.