Paris: Novak Djokovic etched another chapter in his storied career on Monday, becoming just the second player in history to register 100 career wins at Roland Garros. The 38-year-old Serbian achieved the milestone in dominant fashion, cruising past Britain’s Cameron Norrie 6-2, 6-3, 6-2 to advance to the quarterfinals for a record-extending 16th consecutive year at the clay-court major.
“It’s a very pretty number, but 101 victories sounds better,” Djokovic quipped after the match. “I will continue to search for another victory, it’s clearly not finished for me here. I’m very honoured to make history in this sport, which has given me everything in my life.”
With Monday’s triumph, the three-time French Open champion joined Rafael Nadal, who has 112 wins at the event, as the only two players to record 100 victories at Roland Garros. Djokovic’s win-loss record in Paris now stands at an impressive 100-16.
Djokovic was in complete control from the outset on Court Philippe-Chatrier. Against Norrie — a player he had defeated just two weeks earlier en route to the Geneva title — the Serbian neutralised the Brit’s longer rallies and controlled the tempo with surgical precision. After an early exchange of breaks in the first set, Djokovic reeled off five of the next six games to take the lead.
Norrie, aiming to reach his second Grand Slam quarter-final, adopted a more aggressive style in the second set, especially after Djokovic made a few uncharacteristic errors. However, Djokovic quickly recalibrated, showing off his signature depth and variety to regain command. Norrie’s medical timeout for an apparent ankle issue while trailing 3-4 further tilted the momentum in Djokovic’s favour.
The 24-time Grand Slam winner wrapped up the match in just two hours and 14 minutes, becoming the oldest men’s singles quarterfinalist at Roland Garros since Istvan Gulyas in 1971. “I feel good. I always have high expectations,” Djokovic said. “In the end, it’s 12 sets played, 12 sets won, so it’s all positive and solid up until now.”
Djokovic will now face third seed and 2023 finalist Alexander Zverev in a high-stakes quarter-final. The Serbian leads their head-to-head 8-5, though their last meeting ended with Djokovic retiring during the Australian Open semi-final earlier this year.
(IANS)
