Novak Djokovic keeps French Open title defense alive after battling back to beat Lorenzo Musetti in record 3am finish at Roland Garros
Novak Djokovic’s French Open title defense – and his hold on No. 1 in the rankings – are still alive and kicking thanks to a 7-5, 6-7 (6), 2-6, 6-3, 6-0 comeback victory over 22-year-old Italian Lorenzo Musetti.
The third round match lasted four and a half hours, with Djokovic only securing victory after 3am in Paris – the last finish in tournament history.
It is Djokovic’s 369th victory at a Grand Slam tournament, tying Roger Federer for the most wins in tennis history.
Djokovic briefly looked like he might be in trouble against Musetti but instead ran away with the final set and will now continue his bid for a record 25th Grand Slam title and fourth place at Roland Garros.
The 37-year-old Djokovic, longing for a break as he leaned forward with his hands on his knees, or taking so much time between points that he earned a warning, looked exhausted at times against his much younger, back-carrying opponent.
Novak Djokovic defeated the Italian Lorenzo Musetti on Saturday evening for more than four and a half hours
Musetti was propelled into the lead by a one-handed backhand, a deft touch of the net and a 5-of-5 success rate on break chances.
But Djokovic is nothing if not a determined problem solver. And once Djokovic headed in the right direction in the fourth set, the thirtieth-ranked Musetti could not resist the attack.
Djokovic turned the tide by playing more aggressively on service returns and closer to the baseline during groundstroke exchanges.
Djokovic has now improved to 39-11 in fifth sets for his career, while Musetti fell to 2-6.