Novak Djokovic faced a tough challenge but managed to secure a hard-fought victory over Alejandro Davidovic Fokina, advancing to the fourth round of the French Open. Although his performance lacked the usual clinical play, the third seed dug deep and found a way to win.
In contrast to his typical dominant numbers in the third round of Grand Slams, Djokovic, the world No. 3, defeated the Spaniard 7-6(4), 7-6(5), 6-2. This year's French Open hasn't been a breeze for the 22-time Major champion, who usually exhibits workmanlike performances in the first week of a Slam. Djokovic's current form and physical condition were evident as he took a medical timeout after the second set.
Facing the world No. 34 Fokina, known for his impressive run to the 2021 French Open quarter-finals where he upset Casper Ruud, Djokovic struggled to find rhythm in his serves and consistency in his overall game. The first two sets, lasting over two hours, saw Fokina earn the first break with a forehand winner after a lengthy rally against the moonballing Djokovic. Fokina showcased exceptional net play and forced Djokovic to cover the court with a combination of drops and lobs. However, Djokovic persisted, and Fokina eventually succumbed to errors.
Although Djokovic lost his serve again due to a double fault and a time violation, Fokina failed to capitalize, leading to a tiebreaker. Djokovic adjusted his tactics by reducing the pace of the ball to disrupt Fokina's solid groundstrokes. Remarkably, he turned the tiebreaker around from being 1-3 down to winning it 7-5 with an incredible forehand return winner.
This match followed Djokovic's previous round where he had to dig deep against Marton Fucsovics to secure the first set tiebreaker. The second set of this match against Fokina showcased Djokovic's patchy play once again. Fokina gained an early advantage due to another double fault from Djokovic, but the Serbian player fought back with two breaks, taking the lead as Fokina's performance declined. Despite Djokovic's occasional struggles, he managed to win the second set tiebreaker and celebrated exuberantly with the crowd.
Following a medical timeout to treat his left thigh, Djokovic displayed a more characteristic performance in the third set, breaking Fokina to love early on and maintaining control throughout the set.
In other surprising results from the day's play, Lorenzo Sonego, a 28-year-old Italian, staged a remarkable comeback from two sets down to defeat seventh seed Andrey Rublev. Rublev, who had been in excellent form after winning the Monte Carlo Masters on clay, suffered a 5-7, 0-6, 6-3, 7-6(5), 6-3 defeat. Sonego described his victory as a "miracle" and advanced to the fourth round at Roland Garros for only the second time.
Additionally, third-seeded Jessica Pegula, the 2022 French Open quarter-finalist, suffered a heavy defeat at the hands of No. 28 seed Elise Mertens. The Belgian player dominated the match, winning 6-1, 6-3 on Court Philippe-Chatrier.
However, world No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka had a smooth journey to the fourth round, breezing past Kamilla Rakhimova with a convincing 6-2, 6-2 victory. This marks Sabalenka's first-ever fourth-round appearance in the clay-court Slam.
