"I just felt under tension the entire time,” Djokovic said. Djokovic was two points from a straight-set victory before so much went awry: consecutive unforced errors that gave away the tiebreaker a 21 1/2-minute delay while spectators left because of a COVID-19 curfew a face-down tumble that drew blood from his left palm. Djokovic lost 10 points in the third set and four in the fourth before Musetti stopped in the fifth because of lower back pain and cramps. Djokovic dropped the first two sets against a 19-year-old participating in his first Grand Slam tournament, before coming back to advance for the fifth time in his career from that sizable deficit. Another matter-of-fact, zero-drama victory for Djokovic, who never faced a break point.įourth Round: No. “So far,” he said, “the two matches that I have played have been played on a high quality.” Djokovic saved all six break points he faced and compiled 33 winners while upping his record in first-round French Open matches to 17-0. Calling the tournament “a roller-coaster ride,” Djokovic said it was “emotionally, the most challenging Grand Slam that I ever had, with everything that was happening - injury, off-the-court stuff, quarantines.” Medvedev, 0-2 in major finals, told Djokovic of his latest triumph: “Probably, it’s not your last one.”įrench Open, Roland Garros, Red Clay Courts, Paris, May 30-June 13:įirst round: No. Djokovic picked up 11 of 13 games in one stretch and ended Medvedev’s 20-match winning streak to collect a ninth Australian Open championship and 18th Grand Slam trophy. Karatsev was a qualifier who became the first man in the Open era to reach a semifinal in his Grand Slam debut.įinal: No. Djokovic converted 6 of 7 break points and improved to 9-0 in Australian Open semifinals. “I have my own demons that I have to fight with,” he said afterward. After netting one backhand return, he hit his racket against the court three times and sent a piece of the frame flying. Djokovic dropped the opening set and trailed 3-0 in both the third and fourth. Djokovic won 19 of 20 service games and improved to 12-0 against 2016 Wimbledon runner-up Raonic. Declaring, “If it’s any other tournament than a Grand Slam, then I’d withdraw from that event, that’s for sure.” Djokovic played with the help of athletic tape and, he said, “pills, painkillers and stuff.” This was Djokovic's 300th career Slam win Federer is the only other man with that many. “I don’t know if I’ll manage to recover from that in less than two days,” he said.įourth Round: No. Noteworthy for two reasons: Play was paused in the fourth set while spectators were ushered out because of a local COVID-19 lockdown, and Djokovic said afterward he had torn an abdominal muscle when his left foot slid as he changed directions in the third set. Tiafoe did not win another game after that call. Djokovic delivered a high-for-him 26 aces and agreed with Tiafoe’s complaint about being cited for a time violation while serving at 3-all, 30-all in the fourth set. Djokovic is 14-0 head-to-head, winning all 33 sets they've played. Djokovic began his journey by winning 43 of 52 service points and dominating Chardy yet again. Here is a match-by-match look at Djokovic’s path through each tournament as he approaches a calendar-year Grand Slam, with the round, opponent’s ranking and name, score and synopsis:Īustralian Open, Melbourne Park, Hard Courts, Melbourne, Feb.